A Call to Abort the Cover Letter

By: Rebecca Abraham

Rebecca Abraham has spent over a decade working in a variety of health spaces with a focus on Medicaid and reproductive health. She has a Master's in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and is currently a law student at the City University of New York School of Law. She is looking forward to practicing health law and assisting individuals in accessing the care they need. 

For me, each job search begins with a Chrome window and about 30 open tabs. Of these 30 potential jobs, I usually apply to eight. This is not because I am not interested in the other 22 opportunities. It is not because I simply don’t have time to complete 30 applications while in law school (that is another discussion). I don’t apply because it means writing 30 separate cover letters. The cover letter is the only reason I don’t apply to jobs and, as a neurodivergent person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the cover letter is a consistent barrier to my employment.

The cover letter is an ableist work product as it lacks the necessary accommodations for ADHD applicants. To start, the cover letter is an unstructured assignment, a red flag for ADHD applicants who often require structure and clear expectations. Cover letters come in multiple shapes and sizes, and the requirements of one hiring manager may be vastly different than another. When Reprojobs asked hiring managers what they looked for in a cover letter, their responses varied from pointing out disparate impact and intersectionality, to explaining an applicant’s interest in reproductive work and the org, to detailing related skills, to making sure to distinguish between reproductive justice, rights, and health. Trying to include all these points in a cover letter is likely overwhelming for neuro-typical applicants, however, for myself and others with ADHD, it can become insurmountable. There are too many options to choose from and it can feel impossible to know how to address each point as there is no defined structure for an answer. Not knowing how a cover letter must look or feel creates a barrier to writing them for my ADHD self as I feel lost and out of control.

Additionally, rewriting cover letters for each job falls into the repetitive task category, another difficulty for ADHD brains. Continued attention without new stimulation is quite hard for us. Templates and advice abound but the advice is always the same: applicants should create new cover letters tailor-made for the job and not simply use a generalized document. Folks with ADHD thrive in fast-paced work environments where assignments are ever-changing and evolving. While changing tasks may be difficult for many people, ADHD-minded folks love juggling, as it always keeps our brains active with new stimuli. The rewriting or editing of a cover letter, even if it is to make it new for a different position, doesn’t provide us with the changing stimulus our brains require.

Further, ADHD brains often need accountability and incentives, both of which are often lacking in the job application process. Applicants must create a cover letter well before the defined due date, requiring people with ADHD to self-impose deadlines, which can be difficult for us. Additionally, most job applications do not receive replies in a timely manner, or maybe ever. There is no feedback mechanism or incentive for writing a cover letter outside of the far-off hope that it may lead to a job.

As an employer, you might be asking, why do I want an ADHD applicant? First, in the right environment, people with ADHD can excel in ways neuro-typical folks often aren’t able to. A constantly changing environment is great for many people with ADHD, something neuro-typical people may struggle with. Someone with ADHD will love that their job provides new stimuli daily. People with ADHD are often incredibly creative, see the big picture, and think out of the box (indeed a study shows we are often more creative than the average neuro-typical worker). We are inventive and can make quick decisions, so difficult problems often result in new solutions that can be acted upon immediately. We love to dig into a problem deeply too and hyper-focus to complete it fast. Who wouldn’t want an employee with these great traits?

So, if we agree that the cover letter is an ableist tool and that we want to hire neurodiverse folks, how else should applicants be screened?

1. Provide structure. If you really want to know specific things about an applicant, send a questionnaire. Providing structure with specific questions will help a neurodivergent person feel in control and reduce unknown variables.

2. If you want a writing sample, ask for a writing sample. If an applicant doesn’t have one, then offer a prompt about the job. Again, a prompt provides more structure than a cover letter, where expectations vary.

3. Offer a creative option like a video cover letter or an infographic. Let applicants speak to you about why they are interested or provide their interest in a form that suits them.

4. Ask for a two-page resume or a complete CV. Having more information on work experience and skills will help determine if the applicant is the right fit for an interview.

5. Use interviews to gauge personality and culture fit. At the interview, personality can come through more than in a formulaic cover letter.

6. Lastly, offer the option to send a cover letter if an applicant wants to explain their lack of experience, gaps in their resume, or career change, but don’t require it for everyone.

Since cover letters are still in vogue, sadly, I must admit that I have submitted some successfully and even gotten a job or two. After many, many, many rewrites and many, many, many reviews of articles and templates from both Reprojobs.com and themuse.com, I have a standard cover letter that most often gets me in the door. I change the name of the organization and why I want to work there, but that’s mostly it. I think what has worked best for me has been to focus on what is possible for me to do with the cover letter and leave it there. Honestly, this doesn’t always work and I still do not apply to as many jobs or internships as I would like, but having a standard letter at least makes it slightly easier.