Comments on: When Creating Your 2009 Recruitment Plan, Think Broad

By: Jamie Spurlock

Jamie Spurlock — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:31:17 +0000

I wanted to add that in my experience in both HR and Recruiting (10 years total) I do not find cover letters useful at all. I like to see a resume that is easy to read and flows well. I really like to see the dates of employment match up and I want to know what the candidate accomplished. I don’t mind candidates listing their basic computer skills, but am more interested in their advanced skills.

By: Yolanda Wolfson

Yolanda Wolfson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:32:21 +0000

I personally agree that cover letters are useless, after over 20 years in the recruiting and sourcing industry, I no longer look at them, in my opinion they add no value as I have found that most of them are form letters and thus most candidate’s do not take the time to customized them for the particular position they are applying for; what I do look for is a good resume that is easy to read, and highlights the individual’s accomplishments, not their job description.

I do agree that the basic computer skills do not need to be on the resume such as the MS office suite, with the exception of more advance skills such as SQL, Cognos, ASP, etc.

By: HRM Today - Blog Archive » 5 Reasons to Give Thanks: New Technology for Easier-Than-Ever Recruiting

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:45:43 +0000

[...] Employee Referrals – As CareerBuilder.com’s Jason Ferrara implied earlier this week, employees are your company’s best ambassadors when it comes to recruiting. [...]

By: KRenner

KRenner — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:42:07 +0000

I found the above post to be interesting. I couldn’t disagree more. In 15 yrs recruiting, I find cover letters to be typically useless and rarely compelling. I also think that yes, UNLESS the job is computer-related, the fact that you can use a pc is presumed, after-all, it is taught in elementary school now.

By: Leslie Johnson

Leslie Johnson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:06:33 +0000

The resumes we received in the last year are mind boggling. Is it taken for granted that everyone has computer skills? To the point that it is no longer necessary to list them on a resume? Is it possible the younger generation actually take that large of a skill that is prevalent in most work places for granted? How about cover letters? We receive 1 to every 20 or so resumes submitted. People should know these are VERY important as the work market shrinks to make them stand out. It will make a difference whether you get called in for an interview or not. I personally throw out the resumes with out either of these and so do a lot of other hiring personnel. I can only hope someone reads this and gets the point.