Strong Cover Letters: Three Reasons Why Executives Need Them

Why is a strong cover letter so important, even for executives? First of all, employers expect a cover letter. Not writing one when a cover letter is expected can hurt you far more than writing a cover letter when one isn’t explicitly asked for can hurt you. After all, when have you ever been upset about an employee putting in extra effort?

Beyond that general reason, though, there are specific ways that a good cover letter can help you land an executive position. Let’s look at three of them.

You Need a Prospective Employer to Pay Attention to Your Resume

When you’re asking yourself “What should an executive cover letter accomplish?,” the heading above is an excellent answer to that question. It should get a prospective employer to pay attention to you. An executive resume is likely somewhat lengthy — possibly two or three pages — and you need to grab a prospective employer’s attention before they even get to it. A strong cover letter (strong, but brief) is an effective way to get them to spend a little more time on your resume than on those from other applicants.