What should I put in "message to employer" when signaling?

Question

There is a box that says "message to employer" when filling out the signaling form.  If I recall correctly, this box was not there when I was on the market two years ago.  Should I put something in it?  I think that my cover letter should convey my interest and fit, so I'm not sure what this will add.

Answer 1

Add something that they do not already know, for example, that you are interested in the geographic area.

Comments

Thanks.  I put that in my cover letter, but I guess I can think of this as my attempt to convince them to read my cover letter.

Answer 2

Something to answer their question of “why us?”  If it’s in the cover letter, repeat it.  It’s the last space you have to convince the institution to grant you an interview, so use it.