Like icing on a cake, a
shining cover letter can compliment a stellar resume and
open almost any door, no matter how tightly it may be
locked. But what is this elusive and often misunderstood
document? More importantly, how can it be strategically
used to leverage your skills?
First and foremost, a
one-size-fits-most concept to your cover letter is a sure
fire way to end up in Mediocre Ville. Companies want to
know what specific skills you bring to the table;
unfortunately, they also want you to spell out for them how
you are a good fit for the specific job they are
advertising.
Having a generic cover letter
that never changes cannot begin to paint a picture of you as
an ideal candidate for a particular, unique position.
But how does one even begin to
write a cover letter? What should be included and what are
the basic parts of a cover letter? Let's examine the
answers to these questions.
As with writing any letter,
the first step is to consider the purpose. That's pretty
obvious, to introduce yourself to the company, to let them
know which position you are applying for, and to entice them
to read your resume and ultimately to invite you for an
interview.
The next step in letter
writing is to consider your audience. You will be writing
to a business professional so the letter must be in a
professional tone, free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Even one misspelling can knock you out of the running!
Avoid using gender-specific introductions such as "Dear
Sirs" or generic terms such as "To whom it may concern."
Instead, do as much research
as possible to find out the hiring manager's name or at
least the HR representative or recruiter's name and address
the letter directly to them. If that is not possible then
an opening such as "Dear Hiring Manager" will do.
Finally, look at the job lead
or job description carefully to determine the most important
requirements. Look for the things you think are most
important to the hiring manager. Remember, read between the
lines. Sometimes the things that may be most important to
the company are not directly listed in the job lead. If the
need for some type of transferable skill or trait is
inherent to that type of position, listing it in your cover
letter can be a good marketing tool.
The first part of your cover
letter is your introduction. This first paragraph should
list the reason you are writing (responding to an ad for
example). The title of the job along with the publication
you saw the lead appear in and a job code if one is supplied
should also be included in the first paragraph. The last
sentence should iterate your interest in the position and
your confidence that you would excel in this role.
If you were referred by an
employee or some other person associated with the hiring
manager, this first paragraph is the paragraph to drop that
name in. Let them know that you were referred by Mr. Jones
in XYZ department. Be certain to include the rest of the
information above as well so there is no question which
position you are applying for. This establishes an
immediate familiarity and can greatly boost your chances for
an interview.
One of the most important
questions for the body of your cover letter to answer is
"How do you meet or exceed the requirements I have spelled
out in my job ad?" The company has a need for specific
skills. They have advertised these skills and have told the
recruiter to be on the look out for the requirements the job
lead spells out. Now it's up to you to "lead the horse to
water!"
One of the most effective ways
to do this is to parallel the job requirements with your
skills and experience, side by side. If using MS Word you
can insert a 2 columned table with the left column labelled
"Your Requirements" and the right side labelled "My
Qualifications."
Take a requirement, whether
directly stated or implied, from the job lead and put it in
the left column (bulleted ideally). Then in the right
column, create a bullet that lists how you meet or exceed
that requirement. Remember to quantify your responses as
much as possible stating how much, how many, which one, what
kind and to what extent. This will make your statements
power-packed. An example of this would be:
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