Are cover letters good for online applying?

Q:  Chen, are cover letters good for online applying?

A:  Even if the online site just asks for your resume, if you are able effectively to capture a pharmacy hiring manager’s attention with a cover letter, by all means write one.  Just make sure that the formatting will come thru properly with your resume underneath it.

Cover letters are good for online & offline applying only if they are truly targeted towards the specific job you are applying for, and ties in nicely to highlight your experience that makes you different from any other pharmacist.  It is an introduction to you and is essentially a compelling statement marketing yourself and why you should be considered.  It is also an opportunity for your personality to shine through that cannot necessarily be captured in a resume.

If it doesn’t convey anything special or extra from what you put in a resume, then it is a waste of space.  This is a common mistake pharmacists make.  I frequently see generic cover letters and it is such a turnoff to pharmacy employers.  It may be interpreted that you don’t really care about the opportunity enough to put attention to it.

Have someone else read your cover letter for you to see if it catches their attention.  If he/she can smell that the cover letter is generic & could probably be used for another job application, then it is not effective.  If it doesn’t show relevant reasons why you should be considered for the position and doesn’t convince someone to look at your resume,  you are better off not submitting it.  Having a third party such as a pharmacist job market expert who sees a lot of resumes every day (and is not your friend or family) look at it is beneficial;  you will get an objective opinion and critique on what to point out to make it stand out.

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About Chen Yen, PharmD

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