Resume, yes–but cover letter? Definitely.

37 Signals has a post about the importance of nailing your cover letter when you are applying for a job and I can’t agree more. As we continue to review applications for our Web Developer position, I’m amazed at how little effort people sometime put into the process of applying for a job with us. Here are a few hints for those who have yet to get in touch:

• First, and I know this sounds insane but it’s happened, address the letter to the right place. Seriously, we’ve gotten canned cover letters that were addressed to the wrong design studio. I can’t even tell you how quickly I deleted that email.
• Try to help us understand why you, more than anyone else, bring value to our team. There are a million-and-one people out there with your skills–I promise. What sets you apart is the value above those skills. It’s very hard to articulate in a resume, but a cover letter is the perfect place.
• Along those lines, don’t rehash your resume in your cover letter. You resume should be well organized and descriptive and if it is, you won’t need to summarize it for me in your cover letter. Use that for telling a more unique story.
• Finally, research our company. Then, in your cover letter, address who we are, what we do, and why that matters to you. It’s not that much work–read our Website, do a Google search or two, ask around. It only takes a little time, but it shows us that you really care about getting a job here.

Being a part of any design team is a very tricky thing. The chemistry has to be just right, and the more we can tell about you and how you’ll fit into our team, the better shot you’ll have.