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As I am looking for a job online, I am being confronted with online applications, and so, by different form fields.

Some companies asks for a CV and Cover Letter with two distinct input fields, and that's ok. Other ones asks for "documents", and so i can fit in the both of them.

But sometimes I find a "upload your documents / upload your CV" input form and a generic "Why you want to work with us?", and here I got my doubts:

  • Should I copy and paste all the cover letter? Or only the part where I am interested in the position?

  • Or should I include anyway the cover letter, writing only what they ask for in the input field? Or skip directly that field, leaving a "it's all written in the cover letter?"

  • If I decide to put anyway the cover letter and write something, should I double my information, or I should take away from the cover letter what I've already written in the input field?

Looking from the different questions already asked on this subject, I cannot find this particular case. It really confuses me as there is no more information anywhere. Thank you.

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  • No one reads cover letters. Sorry.
    – Gaius
    Aug 26, 2019 at 20:42

3 Answers 3

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No question in an application form should go unanswered (unless it's innappropiate). It is not unusual for there to be redundancy in all sorts of communication, and as has been mentioned already, the answer to the application may be read by someone who is not provided the cover letter.

I also would be hesitant to simply copy what is in your cover letter. While you may include some motivation about why you want the job and why you may be a good candidate for the role in your cover letter, you should take this opportunity to be a little more detailed.

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No, you should not leave that section blank, simply because the cover letter may, or may not, be passed on through the system with the application form.

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    Answers may be viewed and marked as an individual entity. The person assessing your answer may not have access to the rest of the application, let alone a separate cover letter.
    – P. Hopkinson
    Aug 25, 2019 at 20:28
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Even if they do have access to the cover letter, someone reviewing dozens of applications is unlikely to go read one in case it has the answer to a question in the application that was left blank.

At a minimum, copy-paste the relevant paragraph from the cover letter, even do not have any more detail to add.

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