I noticed the shift to portfolios. I myself am developing one. Cover letters use to be a way employers got to know the candidates before they were hired on now there are likely better methods. The issue is often times workers shift for the employers and many employers dont know what they want. This is how we got skill creep. The role im about to leave asked for a lot of technical stuff when all they needed was an accountant. Im not saying it's only the fault of employers. They just have more market power than the professional labor
Firstly, wonderful piece! Secondly, thank you for your new timely advice...building real networks with real academics by applying for mentorship programs and actively participating in societies is what is keeping my spirits up and inspiring me to really start thinking of building a virtual public signal for myself (think, personal academic economists webpages where they manage their personal identities as researchers - which, I personally think is still very much a strong signal). I'm currently working at an NGO, and I thought that my personality would be better suited for directly influencing policy...but, despite being very appreciative of having employment during a difficult economic time, I don't get to apply my love for economics in my job...so, networking through mentorships and societies is keeping me alive right now and showing me that I'm an academic at heart. Third...thanks for the 'about the study' section...you've just provided me with a great blueprint on how to summarise my literature!
Your post was a bit of a good sign for me today...so I'm happy share the personal connection :) also, happily subbed to Dani the 'Dismal Scientist' Sandler...thanks!
I am glad it did. It was an entry barrier created by older generations, which added nothing to job applications, and was a massive waste of time for applicants.
I think they can easily be replaced by a combination of CV submission by the candidate and an automated internet search. That is more than enough information to assess a candidate’s traits and knowledge in the Internet + AI era. An insight that comes from my work as a Market Intelligence Analyst for workforce supply. :)
Cover Letters are a carry-forward from the 1400's when someone would offer a letter of introduction to a potential employer. It was a method for measuring skill set and under whom they may have trained. Apprenticeships typically were offered this way. Reputation carried as much weight as skill.
*Helpful advice... try not to make statements akin to "Boomer". They belie certain traits about ones ability to work in a group dynamic. During my hiring days, you would have been binned as a result of the inferences you are making about older work culture. Public posting in Substack is easily tagged back to you and understand Hiring Managers do look at those things during cursory searches.
You may want to do some reading into Credibility Bias and Faulty Reasoning.
*Understanding how bias effects decision making is my field (Behavioral Econ). Word choice is an indictator of a candidates ability to collaborate with others. Also an understanding of historical context when making declarative statements shows you assumed Cover Letters were just hoops set by previous generations without the data to back that opinion.
If an organization isn't actively recruiting potential condidates by going where they are, rather than assuming the right resume lands on a desk, they aren't looking for either diversity of thought or experience. (AI can't replace that.)
If only I had studied Intro to Economics, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, and I was a corporate and academic researcher, I would know the concept of bias. Wait! I did! 😃 And you’re still wrong.
Ego Defense Mechanism or Blind Spot Bias? Which one? Listing a CV isn't an optimal position given you are playing an assymetric game with another whose knowledge, education and experience you assume.
What Abdullah posts should be discussed and various theories explored. Considering that in the US there is a considerable issue with recruiting talent from HBCU and smaller colleges, I would think active recruitment would be a tool you would consider a requirement. Or is it your position that only submissions that can be algorithmicly defined merit consideration?
Accepting the "Unknown Unknowns" must be a practice otherwise what is the point of critical thinking? AI is a tool, nothing more. Your posit about a combination of CV and automation leaves the potential for data voids and relies heavily on parameters rather than people. (This is of course job category dependant, many service industry jobs at lower wage scales can be a numbers game rather than always skills based.)
*I studied under Ariely. Most would consider him to be a leader in the field. My training helps me understand that bias enters everything. It also humbles most into recognizing that a balance of emotion and knowledge allow for constuctive feedback. Right or wrong is an opinion.
I’m glad cover letters are going the way of the dinosaur. Sure, I understand the value it can have as a signal for employers. But in a day when employers are increasingly automating application reviews and — as you wrote about last week — ghost jobs are drowning out authentic opportunities, job seekers are already responsible for enough of the manual lift.
I wasn't even aware that companies still asked for cover letters! One struggle that a lot of my current students are working through is how to use AI but generate a product that doesn't look like it was made with AI. My very best students can spot AI slop, and they know employers can, too. All of them know how to use it, but very few of them know how to use it well.
This is shocking findings for me. A major shift in job applications requirement. Great to know what job seekers should focus on or expect to be required. Thanks.
When I was hiring people (15 yrs ago) there were 2 things I never read: the cover letter and the thank you for your time letter. They just always seemed to be blah, blah, blah…..
I noticed the shift to portfolios. I myself am developing one. Cover letters use to be a way employers got to know the candidates before they were hired on now there are likely better methods. The issue is often times workers shift for the employers and many employers dont know what they want. This is how we got skill creep. The role im about to leave asked for a lot of technical stuff when all they needed was an accountant. Im not saying it's only the fault of employers. They just have more market power than the professional labor
Portfolios are huge. I am trying to figure out the best way to “display” them for my students.
Me and you both!
Good callout! I added a “projects” section to my resume that functions very much like a portfolio.
Firstly, wonderful piece! Secondly, thank you for your new timely advice...building real networks with real academics by applying for mentorship programs and actively participating in societies is what is keeping my spirits up and inspiring me to really start thinking of building a virtual public signal for myself (think, personal academic economists webpages where they manage their personal identities as researchers - which, I personally think is still very much a strong signal). I'm currently working at an NGO, and I thought that my personality would be better suited for directly influencing policy...but, despite being very appreciative of having employment during a difficult economic time, I don't get to apply my love for economics in my job...so, networking through mentorships and societies is keeping me alive right now and showing me that I'm an academic at heart. Third...thanks for the 'about the study' section...you've just provided me with a great blueprint on how to summarise my literature!
Thanks, Zenzi. I appreciate your comment and personal connection to the topic. I am glad the “about the study helped” I picked it up form Dani Sandler. If you liked this then make sure to follow the substack https://open.substack.com/pub/danisreadingnotes/p/creating-high-opportunity-neighborhoods?r=eikdh&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
Your post was a bit of a good sign for me today...so I'm happy share the personal connection :) also, happily subbed to Dani the 'Dismal Scientist' Sandler...thanks!
I am glad it did. It was an entry barrier created by older generations, which added nothing to job applications, and was a massive waste of time for applicants.
I agree. But the market still needs a signal of quality. What will replace the cover letter?
I think they can easily be replaced by a combination of CV submission by the candidate and an automated internet search. That is more than enough information to assess a candidate’s traits and knowledge in the Internet + AI era. An insight that comes from my work as a Market Intelligence Analyst for workforce supply. :)
Cover Letters are a carry-forward from the 1400's when someone would offer a letter of introduction to a potential employer. It was a method for measuring skill set and under whom they may have trained. Apprenticeships typically were offered this way. Reputation carried as much weight as skill.
*Helpful advice... try not to make statements akin to "Boomer". They belie certain traits about ones ability to work in a group dynamic. During my hiring days, you would have been binned as a result of the inferences you are making about older work culture. Public posting in Substack is easily tagged back to you and understand Hiring Managers do look at those things during cursory searches.
Glad to hear you’re not in recruitment anymore. I have no issue with people looking me up on the internet.
You may want to do some reading into Credibility Bias and Faulty Reasoning.
*Understanding how bias effects decision making is my field (Behavioral Econ). Word choice is an indictator of a candidates ability to collaborate with others. Also an understanding of historical context when making declarative statements shows you assumed Cover Letters were just hoops set by previous generations without the data to back that opinion.
If an organization isn't actively recruiting potential condidates by going where they are, rather than assuming the right resume lands on a desk, they aren't looking for either diversity of thought or experience. (AI can't replace that.)
If only I had studied Intro to Economics, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, and I was a corporate and academic researcher, I would know the concept of bias. Wait! I did! 😃 And you’re still wrong.
Ego Defense Mechanism or Blind Spot Bias? Which one? Listing a CV isn't an optimal position given you are playing an assymetric game with another whose knowledge, education and experience you assume.
What Abdullah posts should be discussed and various theories explored. Considering that in the US there is a considerable issue with recruiting talent from HBCU and smaller colleges, I would think active recruitment would be a tool you would consider a requirement. Or is it your position that only submissions that can be algorithmicly defined merit consideration?
Accepting the "Unknown Unknowns" must be a practice otherwise what is the point of critical thinking? AI is a tool, nothing more. Your posit about a combination of CV and automation leaves the potential for data voids and relies heavily on parameters rather than people. (This is of course job category dependant, many service industry jobs at lower wage scales can be a numbers game rather than always skills based.)
*I studied under Ariely. Most would consider him to be a leader in the field. My training helps me understand that bias enters everything. It also humbles most into recognizing that a balance of emotion and knowledge allow for constuctive feedback. Right or wrong is an opinion.
I’m glad cover letters are going the way of the dinosaur. Sure, I understand the value it can have as a signal for employers. But in a day when employers are increasingly automating application reviews and — as you wrote about last week — ghost jobs are drowning out authentic opportunities, job seekers are already responsible for enough of the manual lift.
I wasn't even aware that companies still asked for cover letters! One struggle that a lot of my current students are working through is how to use AI but generate a product that doesn't look like it was made with AI. My very best students can spot AI slop, and they know employers can, too. All of them know how to use it, but very few of them know how to use it well.
This is shocking findings for me. A major shift in job applications requirement. Great to know what job seekers should focus on or expect to be required. Thanks.
When I was hiring people (15 yrs ago) there were 2 things I never read: the cover letter and the thank you for your time letter. They just always seemed to be blah, blah, blah…..