So… you’ve created a knockout resume, and you’re ready to wow employers by sending it directly to them. Don’t forget to send it under cover—a powerful cover letter, that is.
While a great resume can open doors, a compelling cover letter can be an equal (if not MORE) important part of your pitch for employment.
In fact, some surveys of HR professionals and recruiters have suggested the cover letter—instead of the resume—is what really gets read!
That’s right! The interviewing decision may actually rest on how well-written and concise your letter appears… and the irony is you may never find out whether it was the resume OR the cover letter that swayed an employer.
Even if cover letter writing isn’t your style, don’t panic! Read on for five strategies that can help even a novice letter writer create a memorable introduction to capture an employer’s attention:
1. Ensure your letter matches your resume in presentation and style.
Start by copying the name and address header information from your resume to a blank document. Next, check the margins on each document to ensure they match.
Be sure to use the same font as your resume, in order to give your application a professional “package” look. In addition, don’t suddenly switch fonts or font sizes in the midst of the letter itself.
With this type of presentation, hiring authorities can match your resume to the letter-plus, doing so helps to put your best professional foot forward.
2. Make every attempt to find out the name of the hiring manager before sending your application.
Skip, “Dear Sir” by finding out exactly who is behind the open position. This is where your Internet research skills will come in very handy.
Sites such as LinkedIn or Zoominfo.com are great resources for job hunters who want to find company insiders.
In addition, you might be able to call the company and ask who the hiring manager is for the open position, or use your network to learn the names of managers at the company.
If you can’t find out the name, “Dear Hiring Manager” is most appropriate. Skip, “To Whom it May Concern”—or it won’t concern anyone!
3. Keep in mind the purpose of the letter is to gain attention.
Your first paragraph should therefore skip mundane details and get right to the point. Aim for an opening sentence that states your main qualifications, plus your objective, all in one shot.
For example, a cover letter for a Sales Manager might begin with:
With a strong background closing contracts in excess of $1 million at Fortune 500 corporations, I am confident that I can exceed your expectations in the role of Sales Executive.
Conversely, an Operations Director might use the following:
As an operational executive focused on delivering the highest levels of quality, I have helped global organizations achieve their profit goals by leading large teams to achieve infrastructure improvement and maintain cost control. These qualifications have prompted my application to your company for the position of Operations Director.
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4. Summarize what you can do for the company without a total reiteration of the resume.
Even though you’ve put a lot of effort into your resume, it’s still best to resist the temptation to repeat all that great information.
You’ll capture more interest by restating your main points, allowing the reader to see how you will succeed in the new job.
I recommend adding a bullet-point list of your relevant qualities and achievements, keeping it to a maximum of five critical points. Preface it with “Representative skills that make my background ideal for this position include…” to give the employer a quick snapshot of your fitness for the job.
Still stumped for ideas? Try to answer the classic “Why should we hire you?” question, and you’ll be able to state your case much more succinctly.
5. Limit the number of sentences beginning with “I” as much as possible.
Focusing on the job and the employer’s requirements are key strategies for a great introduction. One of the best ways to do this is to refrain from using first person references at the beginning of your sentences.
Why is this so important? Employers are hiring a solution to their business problems when they bring you on board, and this means focusing on their requirements is a key step.
Think about it this way: when you create a verbal picture of what you can achieve, it rarely starts with “I”—and structuring your thoughts this way can help reinforce your emphasis on the company’s needs.
The following example illustrate this point:
Given your needs for a proven sales performer open to new challenges in the medical device industry, we should talk further about my record of success in territory expansion.
In summary, don’t forget to create a strong cover letter as part of your job hunting strategy. You’ll find that a personal, yet powerful, introduction to your skills might be all you need to access more interviews.
Laura Smith-Proulx, founder of An Expert Resume, is a resume expert & former recruiter who wins interviews for C-Suite leaders using powerful personal branding and resume strategies.
Image from Hunor Focze/Shutterstock
About Laura Smith-Proulx
Okay, but I went to a professional organization that helps people locate work and they revamped my resume and my cover letter is stellar. Still, no interviews, no job offers. My question is this: if you have done everything that is required to get a job in this market, and you still fail to get employed, then what? All that I get back is to wait it out as I do not have the money to move and look elsewhere. Anybody have any other ideas? As for me, I’m fresh out and have nothing to look forward to anymore except for the changing of the seasons as the other part of my personal life is empty as well…
Celeste, I feel for you. However, I suggest you start networking with people. Perhaps join a professional organization in your field that will alow you to meet people. Contact people you have worked with before. Let me them know you are looking, perhaps ask if you can use them as a reference. Let them know what you are looking for. Don’t ask them if they have any positions available, that would be putting them on the spot. Good luck to you.
I think the last comment is probably the most insightful. Conventional wisdom is to promote yourself, which is why we fall into the trap of using “I”. What I have tried to do in my letters is to describe how I accomplished things ( “By conducting a needs assessment, developing a project timeline, working with vendors to enforce deadlines, and implementing quality and testing measures, I helped the organization convert on schedule to a new database that increased inter-departmental information sharing.”) … and then close with a relevant tie-in “This will be helpful in helping ________ in its efforts to identify and evaluate new software systems.”
Of course, a cover letter can quickly opens the door to a potential job opportunity. However, one needs to make it really well-targeted. Nice tips on how to stand oneself out in the crowd with an impressive cover letter.
Steps 1 and 2 are definitely appropriate for ppl who submit paper-based resumes and cover letters. But the vast majority of ppl nowadays submit through applicant tracking systems, which rarely allow for any kind of manipulation to address the first two steps. 3 through 5 are great but a different approach is warranted for 1 and 2 to make it more relevant to what job seekers are actually experiencing. Thanks for the guidance.
I remember my professor in college and what he has written in his cover was just the words “TRY ME” and he got hired. I think that cover letter got the attention of the employer. Anyway it’s true my professor is so GOOD.
Nice tips your putting in your article. It is really helpful to those job seekers improve their cover letter. It’s really important because cover letter is the way to convince a potential employer to hire you.
Excellent points! The last one (5) is the most difficult. When speaking about yourself it becomes difficult to omit the word “I”. Good example though.
Oliver
And make it super creative!