By John Karageorge
MBAinsight.com

The coveted cover letter was a valuable tool for job seekers. It acted as the key to the HR gatekeeper lock. Unfortunately for the cover letter, the rise of tech, social media, Millennials, and good old fashioned networking is leading the way for MBA grads and business majors.

In fact, there is a very good chance your cover letter won’t even get read. According to Fortune, approximately 90 percent of recruiters admit to never reading them.

Oddly, most job posts still require a cover letter. Even if the likeliness of it getting a glance is a fraction of a percentage. However, the American Association for the Advancement of Science has discovered that cover letters do still get read if they are complimented with a resume.

So the question remains, “To cover letter, or not to cover letter?” Submitting one may simply be a waste of effort and valuable job hunting time. And the digital era may be to blame.

Social Media Accounts Act as Your Cover Letter

It may be no surprise that your social media accounts are extraordinarily accessible to HR recruiters. They use it to their advantage and this is one reason the cover letter is obsolete. In fact, social media may be the latest cover letter, and even resume.

This can be valuable, or a negative, depending on your digital footprint. Because if HR wants to know something about a potential candidate, they can simply check Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Your Facebook photos may be far more reliable when it comes to your character, especially when compared to a scripted cover letter.

Good Old Fashioned Networking Still Beats the Cover Letter

Your cover letter may have appealing pleasantries needed to showcase your talents, but there is may be a better way to get your foot in the door. And good old fashioned networking is still towering over the cover letter.

In fact, Matt Youngquist, the president of Career Horizons, told NPR in an interview that 70 to 80 percent of jobs never make it to the online job board. Networking and joining in on networking events is possibly the best and fastest way to get the job and career you want after completing your MBA program or undergraduate degree.

Online Platforms Profiling Professionals Make Recruiters Happy

When recruiters needs to fill a position in a timely manner, why waste time reading endless cover letters? Thanks to online platforms profiling professionals, all the information they need is a click away.

Professional online platforms such as LinkedIn are making the recruiter’s job easier than ever. In fact, nearly 93 percent of HR recruiters are using LinkedIn to boost corporate talent pools.

These online platforms, like LinkedIn, are not only killing the cover letter, they are putting the resume to rest as well. Many businesses and corporate entities are even allowing potential candidates to apply utilizing a LinkedIn profile link.

Though the cover letter is nearly deceased, it may still have its place for many jobs posted online. So don’t shred your cover letter just yet, because it may come in handy during your next job. In the meantime, focus on your digital footprint, rather than your cover letter. It may be a more powerful way to spend your time.