All about the cover letter for Sales/Market profiles

The cover letter is a subject that has been much talked about. Is it still useful? Is it out of fashion? How can you highlight your motivation in a different way for Sales or Marketing profiles?

At Urban Linker, we wanted to help you succeed with a cover letter (often used for junior profiles) or any other medium (for more experienced profiles), to show the recruiter your motivation.

What are the objectives of the cover letter?

Before starting, let's start by defining the objectives of the cover letter in order to understand its usefulness, and above all what the good practices and/or alternatives are.

The cover letter has 3 objectives:

• To show your motivation for a job (obviously)
• To show your personality
• To get an interview

While a CV is meant to show your technical skills, your professional and educational background, the cover letter is meant to show who you are.

Why does it create a debate?

There are two schools of thought in this debate:

On the one hand, recruiters who expect a cover letter to support the CV, which will show your assets for the job and your experiences, show your interest in the company and its values and/or its current events.

On the other hand, recruiters no longer believe in this exercise, described by some as a "school exercise" which has led to too many impersonal and standardised cover letters. They therefore prefer their candidates to choose other means of communication to show their motivation.

What other media are possible?  

Our recruitment experts have drawn up examples of possible media that will add value to the CV of a candidate in Marketing or Sales:

• A note accompanying a CV in a spontaneous application
• A message on LinkedIn to the recruiter
• A call when sending the CV to the recruiter

"In short, if I am a Market/Sales profile applicant, what do I send?

In this case, you have 3 choices - here are the best practices.

If you choose to write a cover letter to accompany your CV:

• Be authentic and personal. Fewer and fewer candidates are sending cover letters, usually just a CV. This gives you a head start: you can already make a first impression on the recruiter. Show that you have read up on the company's news, product and values.
• If you are a junior, and only if you are applying spontaneously, tell the recruiter what field you want to work in. It is usually difficult for juniors to know exactly what you want to do when you leave school, but take the time to think about what job you would like to do and explain why in detail to the recruiter in this letter.

If you choose to write a note accompanying a CV as a spontaneous application by email or a message on LinkedIn to the recruiter:

• Be impactful. Quick, clear and concise, tell them who you are in no more than 2 sentences.
• Highlight two aspects of your CV that could attract the recruiter and that you can expand on in the message. E.g.: if you work in acquisition, indicate what type of campaign you have worked on.
• This will not only allow you to distinguish yourself from other candidates (as very few do this spontaneously) but also to show the recruiter that you know your subject.

If you choose to call the recruiter directly:

• Introduce yourself concisely so that the recruiter will remember you when they read your CV. Put forward that little something that will distinguish you from others and that the recruiter will find on your CV.
• Take an interest in them. Finally, especially in the position they are offering. This is the time to go into the expectations of the job with them and perhaps ask one or two questions about the company and the tasks.
• Show your motivation. Enthusiasm and interest are the keys to any motivation, whether through a call or an interview.

In short: It is up to you whether you want to write a cover letter or not, unless the recruiter has asked for one. Choose the communication medium you are most comfortable with.

Be authentic and be yourself. Sometimes a cover letter (or any other medium) is not even necessary and some recruiters will prefer an impactful and accurate CV with references and a thank you email from you after the interview. This will allow you to support the points made in the interview and show your motivation.