Resume question

My current employer told me that my cover letter was a big factor in my hiring. But now I would like to use a job aggregator like efinancialcareers. Would it be wise to include a cover letter, or is the cover letter for direct hiring only?

Cover letter for direct hiring, i would say.

What did they like about it if you dont mind me asking?

I’ve been successful using cover letters when responding to postings on websites like efinancialcareers.com. Would I have gotten the interview anyways? Maybe. But I put myself in the position of a recruiter and convinced myself that a cover letter could make my application that much more compelling. I think that, if nothing else, cover letters aren’t very common so they will draw more attention to your application.

nyfinance, I have never had much luck in getting a response from online ads. Is there anyway you could share your letter(sanitized of course) for all of us who could use a good example to learn from? Thanks

CCM, I did not get my current job through an online service but through direct contact. I referenced my employer’s relationship with a teacher of mine and conveyed what I knew about his investing style. Then I explained why I applied to this firm in particular and what I hoped to gain from a long term relationship with them. That’s pretty much it, actually. My letter was three short paragraphs and I tried to remove any superfluous statements. Back to my question, if I post my resume on the internet where any employer may see it, should I also include a cover letter? Thanks for the advice people.

Cover letter contains information that compliments your resume. It covers three areas. 1) How you found out about the job 2) Why you are interested in working for them (what you know about them and how that aligns with your long-term goals) 3) Why you might potentially be an asset to them (briefly and effectively present your relevant experience) Sometimes you can also say in your cover letter that you are going to follow up with a phone call on such and such day or week. Then they might see that you are a proactive person. I hope that helps.

I hate that format.