The conundrum of Cover Letter

An HR Practitioner recently posted the following message on facebook:

 “Whoever came up with this motivational letter when applying for job must be given a warm klap! Waste of people’s time. Most HR Practitioner don’t have time to read all those love letters.” 

So I duly shared this posting and waited for people’s remarks. And they came; and they were interesting. A senior Human Capital Executive remarked by simply saying ‘True.’ Another person with relevant experience remarked, ‘It is true. I sat in several short-listing sessions and those “love letters” are never looked at.’
 
Some of the students who commented expressed with amazement how they have been – if I may gamble with the word – conscripted into fine-tuning their ability to write a compelling Cover Letter. ‘I have been wasting my flipping time all along!’ a student remarked. 

During the workshops I conduct at universities and Colleges, I often receive a barrage of questions from students and graduates about this "cover letter".


First of all, I have tried to explain to them the objective of a Motivation Letter. I have been saying to them: Instead of worrying about Cover letter, find something you can write to motivate the reader or manager or an HR official to read your CV, or to have the desire to meet even if they did not read your CV. And I call this a motivation letter.

Then I have said to them, let us not put that in a page like it had been done all along; just put it on email. Often they say, what should we put in there? I then say, if the reader did not open your CV, what is it that you would like him or her to know about your suitability for the job?

Students and graduates are often dumbfounded by this. Then I would say: What have you done recently that shows that you are a success waiting to happen? What have you done well? How have you helped somebody using your skills/ education recently?

If the employer is not going to read your Motivation Letter, or your CV, what do you want him/ her to know about you when they read your email? Usually, I pause here as I marvel at how transfixed they would be as they ponder this question. ‘Put that on the email,’ I would say.

Bring you Art. Somebody needs it.

From the moment we measure the progress and success of others through the bling they have, we have missed the point. Once we ignore the trials and tribulations the people we look up to have experienced to be where they are, we become the slaves of ill-fitting dreams.

Our country has many challenges. They are economic, political, social and spiritual. These challenges have for a long time conspired against a young generation. The highest unemployment rate is with the youth. If you are young and Black, you are worse off.

The economic and social system appears to be denying us job opportunities, because it does not trust us. Trust is scarce, (real human) connection is scarce and so is the element of surprise. We are too compliant; we are too similar; we are too average. We are trying not to ruffle the feathers.

The commitment to bringing something new or different to the table, the commitment to standing out, and the faith of saying at the time of meeting decision-makers, ‘I can help you with this,’ ‘I can do this for you,’ will propel us to the level of playing our A-game.

Entrepreneurs emerge from this mindset. They are not accidental success stories. They did not start businesses as a fall-back alternative after failing to secure employment. They are authentic people. They have surrendered to the life of serving, of giving something of themselves which others won’t give, or are too afraid, or lazy, to offer. They are providing something which is new, real and important in this era of connection economy. In the words of Seth Godin, ‘the connection economy rewards the leader, the initiator, and the rebel.’

If you don’t know what you are offering, and you are not willing to find out, wait your turn in the unfair and often dissipating promise of employment. But if you know what you are offering (as a leader, initiator and the rebel), step up. Why do you wait to be called in?

Oprah Winfrey used to call people to give them spotlight on her show. YouTube has changed the game. Rebels meet their important audience without asking to be given a chance. The real chance is not the moment you have asked for, but the moment which you seize. So grab your chance. Knock on the doors. Find out what the people need. Can you satisfy the need?