The Unappreciated Power of a Cover Letter
Pity the poor cover letter. This missive is one of the least understood and most often wasted elements of a job search. I read an article just the other day by some alleged sage that cover letters are out of fashion and no one reads them.
Bull.
While it is true that cover letters sent in response to online classified postings often are not read, they are an extremely powerful tool when used the right way. Besides, I am not a big believer in chasing classifieds anyway — but that will be the subject of a future column.
Resumes, properly targeted, are very important, but the resume cannot do what a cover letter does.
A resume is about facts. It can show what you have accomplished. It cannot explain what you bring to the dance, what you are like as a person, and why you are seeking a new position. For a career changer, that last question is top of mind when a hiring executive gets your resume.
They will wonder, “Why is a lawyer applying for this? What’s wrong with them? Were they fired? Are they desperate? Did something happen?”
If your cover letter does not answer those questions directly, the resume most likely does not get you the interview.
Let’s start with what a cover letter is actually for. It is not a summary of your resume. Hiring managers read resumes every day – they don’t need you to narrate one back to them in paragraph form.
[Sidebar. I don’t want to tell you how many cover letters I have seen that start with, “As you can see from the attached resume…” What a complete waste of time – you are telling the reader what you will be telling the reader. Next!]
Rather than being wrapping for your resume, the cover letter is the primary persuasion document in your package. The resume is expository – it describes where you have been and what you have done. The cover letter is a marketing document – it adds dimension to you.
The cover letter is where you give concrete statements about what you bring to the table. It relates to the issues the company is facing, even generally. It cites a few relevant accomplishments. It talks about your attitude and spirit. It addresses why you want to make a change. It has a call to action at the end (to wit: to set a meeting).
The resume and the cover letter have two entirely different missions.
While sending cover letters to the HR department as part of an online application is only marginally productive, sending one directly to the decision-maker – the person to whom the open job is likely to report – can be a great way of generating an interview. Unless you want to be in HR, bypassing that department is the best way for career changers to go!
A hiring manager reviewing a career changer’s candidacy is doing a risk assessment. That is all. They are trying to figure out whether bringing you in is worth their time, or if it will create a problem for them. If the cover letter does not reduce that perceived risk, it cannot do its job … and you will not get the job!
Here is where even sharp people get this wrong. They write a cover letter that focuses on what they want and how excited they are about working for XYZ company. This doesn’t work! This is corporate America – companies don’t give a darn about what you want — they want to know what you can do for them!
To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what my company can do for you, ask what you can do for my company.” All that hiring executives care about is what problems you can solve for them. The cover letter has to stay on their side of the table the entire time.
#careersforlawyers #jobsearch #careercoachforlawyers #careerchange #inhousecounseljobs
Bruce Blackwell has been named at the top of the 2026 list of “The 10 Best Career Coaches in New York City” by Digital Reference, an online reference publication, and has been shortlisted for nomination for ‘Top Alternative Careers Solutions 2026’ by Management HR magazine, a leading publication whose mission is to advance human resource practices and workforce leadership. Blackwell has also been called a “Dean of Career Counselors for Lawyers” by the New York State Bar Association.
If you are an attorney or executive and have been thinking about “what else is out there?” get in touch with him for a virtual cup of coffee. In a confidential, no-cost call, you can discuss your situation and get expert career advice. To schedule a call, click here: https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell
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