Cover Letters: Do you read them?

I am just curious as to how many of you read cover letters and what value do place in them? I was reading a post from 2009 on another site. Almost all stated that they read the cover letters and used them to make hiring decisions. (This shocked me because many of my peers,corporate/agency recruiters, state that they don't read them.) Well, I looked back at the respondents to this post and 90% of them were resume writers and not recruiters.

So, what say you?

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Klein on August 9, 2012 at 10:44am

I rarely read them.

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Permalink Reply by Amber on August 9, 2012 at 11:39am

I read them. Most of my clients read them, after I have reviewed them with the candidate and forward them if I feel they are relevant and it's a client who prefers one.

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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Branch on August 9, 2012 at 2:03pm

If your client didn't request the cover letter, would you still read them?

Amber said:

I read them. Most of my clients read them, after I have reviewed them with the candidate and forward them if I feel they are relevant and it's a client who prefers one.

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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Branch on August 9, 2012 at 2:04pm

I find that most are poorly written and full of fluff. Once in a while one will catch my eye. I recommend to job seekers to use the T-Bulleted format when submitting a cover letter.

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Permalink Reply by Erin Passmore on August 9, 2012 at 2:21pm

Rarely do I read them. They only catch my eye if they are very poorly written.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on August 9, 2012 at 2:31pm

I read them more than resumes.

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Albright on August 9, 2012 at 2:35pm

I just can't see how anyone in our field would NOT read a cover letter. It boggles my mind.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Ceccarelli on August 9, 2012 at 3:50pm

I do! But typically after first reviewing the resume and finding it as a match for the position. If they're not close to fitting the position, then I don't. I find that half the cover letters are very well written and give me additional insight about a candidate.

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Permalink Reply by Amber on August 9, 2012 at 5:23pm

@Tiffany - I read them all. I send them to clients who have not told me they DON'T want them. I think most clients read them, I have had comments and questions from client based on the cover letter.

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Permalink Reply by Caitlin Carruthers on August 9, 2012 at 11:45pm

I agree with Peter - I read the resume first and if it's a match, I'll read the cover letter. If it's a possible match, I'll read the cover letter to see if it answers any of my questions (eg, do they have the right to work in this country). If it's a definite no, I won't waste my time.