As an eager job seeker trying to impress potential employers, you want to go above and beyond so you can stand out from other candidates. And one way to do that when you’re applying for a job is to supply hiring companies with more information than what they’re asking for—namely cover letters and references. But although that might sound like a good idea, it might actually hurt your chances of getting an interview.
More is not always better. Human resources departments often have to sift through and file away hundreds of applications for just one opening. That means the more information you provide, the more time it will take them to screen candidates. And that can make recruiters very, very cranky as well as signal that you’re unable to follow directions if they’re sticklers for detail.
Cover letters are hard to write. You can’t just create a template and update the recruiter and company names and date. Each one has to be targeted to a specific opening and that means your margin of error increases dramatically. As a recruiter once told me, a great cover letter generally won’t get you the interview in and of itself, but a poorly written cover letter will almost always ensure you land in the rejection pile. And while we are on the topic—if a cover letter is required, please ask a friend (and not just anyone, someone with strong writing skills) to proof it before sending. Trust me, I’ve seen more than my fair share of cover letters with company and recruiter names misspelled.
References are overrated. Let’s be honest, are you going to knowingly provide the names of people who are going to say something negative about you? And even if you do provide great references, in a lot of cases they won’t be able to say much beyond acknowledging that they know you because their company policies have them afraid they could get sued. Don’t get me wrong, most companies will ask for references at some point during the application process, but wait until they do before providing them.
Screening applications takes time a tremendous amount of time. If you provide more information with your application than the company has asked for, you’re only going to bog the recruiters down not to mention increasing your chances for making a mistake in a cover letter or sending the name of an unfavorable reference.
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