Marie Raperto, The Hiring HubCover letters. Are they important or not?In a recent survey by PayScale, only 18 percent of hiring managers said cover letters were an important part of the hiring process.  On the other hand, some managers use them as a filter and others expect to see one.If you do a cover letter, follow these rules.

1.  It's about 'them,' not you.  It's not I, I, I.  It's about what you have to offer them.
2. Know 'their' need.  Make sure you have visited their web site and that you have read the job description thoroughly.  Don't send a generic cover letter, send a targeted one.
3. Meet 'their' specs.  Read the description and match their requirements to yours.  Make sure to drop those keywords in your cover letter and your resume.
4. Have a 'name.'  If you have a referral name, make sure you put it in the first paragraph.  Name dropping can help and you want to make sure it doesn't get overlooked.

Just as you must customize a resume, you must do the same for your cover letter!