MBA Wonders About Necessity of a Cover Letter

Should I use a cover letter when I drop a resume at career services?

Answer

The first thing you should do is check with career services.  Chances are they have been working with this firm for a very long time and know what they want and what they don’t want. 

If you can’t get a clear answer, include it and be very short and to the point.  Highlight the reasons you make an outstanding candidate.  If you can’t differentiate yourself, don’t write a cover letter. They are not needed nine times out of ten.

That said, some recruiters rely on cover letters as a writing sample or personality indicator and others don’t read them.  Because you won’t know who gets yours, when in doubt, send a cover letter.

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