Writing "Killer" Cover
Letters
By
Joe Hodowanes
Career Strategy Advisor
www.jmwanes.com
Confusion over cover letter styles is rampant. Most
surveys clearly show that no one style stands out as
the "best" or "most effective" to use. For this
reason, do not get hung up on style -- focus on
content. Does the text make the reader want to
continue past the initial 30-second screening? With
that in mind, an effective cover letter should
adhere to the following guidelines:
Never lose sight of your objective:
A good cover letter conveys exactly what you have in
mind. Everything else is embellishment! Write in a
way that suits the occasion and reflects your
personality. In other words, write the way you
speak.
Give your cover letters the attention they deserve:
Job seekers tend to lavish attention on resumes,
while treating cover letters as a nuisance to be
done quickly. According to a recent study, 50% of
the hiring managers at Fortune 500 companies utilize
cover letters as writing samples.
Be professional:
Always address the person in your letter by their
last name and title, unless you personally know them
and are on a first-name basis.
Do not use a generic salutation: If you want
to stand out from the herd, send your letter to a
specific person! Human resource professionals and
hiring managers receive so many letters addressed to
"Dear Sir/Madam" or "To Whom It May Concern," when
they receive a letter addressed personally to them,
they take notice. Savvy job seekers take time to
call and find out the hiring manager's name.
Use a subject line to address blind ads:
When you're not certain as to whom you should
address your letter, leave out the salutation
entirely and use a subject line, e.g., "Subject:
Director of E-commerce Position."
Do not rehash information already on the resume:
A cover letter should complement a resume,
not be redundant. Keep in mind: A resume presents
facts; a cover letter presents the person.
Customize your letter:
Tailor your letter for each position, as well as
each company. A cover letter that is all
things to all people will not score the
points you want to make.
Be efficient:
When formatting, do not use long paragraphs; they
are overwhelming to the eye. Instead, use
approximately four short paragraphs.
Know about the company to which you're applying:
There is no harm if you tactfully reveal that you
are acquainted with the company or know someone who
works there. Also, if you discovered something
interesting about the company while doing research,
mention it.
Do not include salary requirements:
Premature request for salary is a common screen to
contend with. To avoid the salary history trap, do
not include it, even when requested. But do not
ignore it, either; this could be viewed as a failure
to comply with one of the company's first
information requests. A better approach is to
explain that salary is only one of many criteria in
which you will evaluate a new position.
Personalize your classified ad letter:
When responding to want ads, address each
requirement using exact words and phrases from the
newspaper ad that closely match your abilities to
the company's stated needs.
Use proper business writing etiquette:
Do not
bold,
underline, or italicize anything for emphasis
that is not consistent with good English grammar.
Many job seekers will do this in an attempt to draw
attention to certain key points. Note: Quotation
marks and bullets are the only permissible methods
of emphasizing key points in a cover letter.
Do not make any typos:
Some hiring professionals will not even look at the
resume if your cover letter has typos. It should
demonstrate the quality of your work, attention to
detail and expected results from yourself and
others. It must be nothing less than perfect. Pay
close attention to grammar, punctuation and
spelling. In this age of technology, there is no
excuse for typos.
Do not overuse the personal pronoun "I":
Your name, address, etc. are printed across the top
of the cover letter and you will be signing it at
the bottom, so they clearly know the letter is from
you.
Avoid mini-lecture leads:
Be careful not to use phrases such as: "You may not
realize it, but ... ," "in today's competitive
business world" or "never have managing costs been
so important." They have the potential of talking
down to the reader.
Be brief:
That which is well said is briefly said. Keep your
cover letter no longer than one page, with no more
than four paragraphs. Avoid detailing your work
history; save that for the resume.
Avoid fluff words and phrases:
Words such as "feel," "believe," "hope," "think" and
"high energy"; and phrases such as "I'm a people
person," "results-oriented individual" and
"excellent communication skills" mean nothing if the
applicant fails to illustrate any of those
attributes with an example.
Do not admit shortcomings:
In an attempt to fend off employer's objections,
some job seekers make the major mistake of calling
unnecessary attention to their lack of experience,
using statements such as: "Although I have no
related experience." Instead, emphasize valuable
skills, transferable experience and company
knowledge.
Do not omit your signature:
This may sound obvious, but do not forget to sign
your cover letter. A potential employer might
interpret this oversight as carelessness.
Personalize your letter with your signature in blue
or black ink. You can use a script font or a
signature program on your word processor.
Additionally, note "enclosure" several lines down
from your signature to indicate that your resume is
enclosed.
Following these guidelines can make you the proud
owner of killer cover letters. With some luck, you
will be called in for an interview; and with even
more luck, they will hire you.
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