Entry level SE job search - Cover letter necessary?

Question

I'm currently looking for an entry level software engineer job, and I've found that the career page for a lot of companies gives you the option of submitting a cover letter along with your resume. However, the hiring manager's name is nearly always missing, so I don't have a specific person to write to (and thus I guess I'm supposed to use "To whom it may concern:" which I've never particularly liked). Also, since entry-level job descriptions are often somewhat general, it's hard to really write a good cover letter without sounding very vague and formulaic and end up with trite lines like "I'm eager to get my feet wet in the real world."

So, in light of this, sometimes I want to just skip the cover letter altogether, especially when I'm applying on sites that allow you to submit your resume into their database under their "new grad" section, not aimed at any particular position.

On the other hand, when I do decide to write a cover letter, to avoid the over-wrought essay or formulaic feel I so hate, I'm tempted to write 1 or 2 paragraphs at the most and make it a very "real" sounding, straight-forward cover letter, much more similar to what people call their "objective" and sometimes put at the top of their resume.

So my question is, what do you guys think? When given the option, is it always best to include some cover letter, even if I'm not applying for a very specific position? Also, what do you think of a shorter, objective-like cover letter versus the full, classic 3-4 paragraph cover letter?

Writing cover letters is the bane of my job searching existence, so I appreciate any help with this - thanks!

P.S. My worst fear is that if I end up with a forced-sounding cover letter, that it could actually cost me getting the interview, when if I simply left off the cover letter, they might not mind that and only consider my resume. Thus my particular hatred of cover letters.

Answer 1

My first advice is to actually move away from recruiters and try to find your dream company by looking at some place with a culture that excites you as a developer. If you are in a death march to find a job and still want to jump in the recruiter's wagon just be clear of your aspirations with them before you surrender all your information. They'll really get your resume out there and there is nothing that brings up more a red flag than a candidate that really doesn't care for where it works, giving signs of low long term commitment. When I read resumes I look for the candidate's online footprint almost always, and if I see a sign of job hunting on sites like Monster or CareerBuilder, that'll be my first thumb down for the candidate. In any case (with or without recruiter) you should always tailor your resume and cover letter for the particular COMPANY and POSITION you are applying. Here is a sample cover letter:

---

Dear Hiring Manager:
I read your posting for your “[POSITION/TITLE]” position with remarkable satisfaction and I think I may be of great interest for [COMPANY NAME] since my skills are an ideal match for this opening. My resume is attached for your review.
I have a great deal of experience providing innovative and modern software solutions, systems integration and prototyping. I hold exceptional reputation and knowledge in [SKILL-1], [SKILL-2], [SKILL-3]. I’m as good team leader as I am a team player. [ADD OTHER IMPORTANT COMMENTS YOU WOULD THINK ARE GOING TO MAKE YOUR CASE UNIQUE WHEN COMPARED TO OTHERS].
I appreciate the time you are taking to review my credentials and expertise. I'm looking forward to hear from you soon,
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

---

Good luck!

Answer 2

Caveat: I live and work in Sweden.

From my experience, I think a (well-written) cover letter is very important. When a company gets lots and lots of applications they need to filter out just a few to find out who they should call to a job interview. I do not work as a recruiter, but I have read a number of applications and some people do not write very well, and (sadly) these applications are put in the bottom of the pile. Going from your question you seem to have the knack for writing. I think a cover letter from you would probably catch the eye of "whom it may concern".