I have been applying for jobs and have found some excellent ones. These are jobs I’m certain I’m well-suited to. In some cases, I can confidently give myself a “high mark” in every selection criterion. But I’m hearing nothing back except for the odd pro forma rejection.

This is the first time I’ve been job hunting for a while. I wonder whether my cover letter may be the problem? Is there a chance I no longer understand what hiring managers are looking for, and I am writing cover letters full of irrelevant details? Or are hiring managers not even getting to my cover letter? If so, what part of the application do I need to work on?

I’m reasonably sure you’re not being ignored because your cover letter isn’t hitting the mark.Credit: John Shakespeare

Until I looked into it, I was surprised the subject of your question hadn’t been brought up before by a Work Therapy reader. Now I have a better idea of why. And, at the risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, the reason came as a shock to me: most job applicants don’t write cover letters any more.

That’s a generalisation. In some fields or sectors, I’m sure, cover letters are still the norm. But........

© The Sydney Morning Herald