How to Write a Cover Letter
I probably should have posted this before I wrote about job interviewing skills, but hey . . . whatever. A good cover letter is another tool that you will need to help you land a job. Some people spend a lot of time decluttering their resumes, but then they forget to write a killer cover letter and all that work on their resume is a waste of time.
Reasons to Send a Cover Letter
- Cover letters are customized to the specific job that you are seeking
- A cover letter succinctly describes your skills for the interviewer without making them search your resume to find the relevant information.
- Cover letters help you show your personality style: enthusiastic, goal-oriented, straightforward, etc.
What Should a Cover Letter Include?
- State the job opening that you are applying for and how you heard about the position (Craigslist, company’s website, etc.) If someone at the company told you about the position, it is a good idea to mention this in your cover letter.
- Show that you are familiar with the company and explain why you want to work for them
- Summarize your qualifications that make you a good fit for the job – you should pull this information directly from the job description
- Effective cover letters are detailed but succinct. Get straight to the point and avoid flowery language.
- Give specific examples of achievements that may not be apparent from the resume. For example, “At my previous job I increased sales by 25%.”
- Give your contact information so that the interviewer can follow up with you
The same rules for writing a good resume apply to cover letters.
- Be sure to proofread the cover letter to eliminate any typos.
- Try reading the letter aloud to make sure that the letter flows naturally.
- Have another person read the letter after you finish editing it. A fresh pair of eyes never hurts.
- Make sure that you have clean margins and that everything is properly aligned on the page.
Does an E-mail Count as a Cover Letter?
In today’s high tech job market, paper applications seem to be going the way of the dodo. Many jobs ask for you to e-mail your application. So does the e-mail count as a cover letter? The short answer is yes. With that in mind, here are some specific tips for e-mail cover letters.
- Never leave the subject line blank. The subject line should usually include the title of the job that you are applying for.
- Make sure your e-mail address is professional. Sexypants69XXX@gmail.com is an OK e-mail address if you’re cruising for dates on Manhunt, but a job application should be sent from a professional e-mail address. For example: yourname@gmail.com.
- Consider sending applications from an e-mail that is not linked to your social networking profiles. Many HR departments will search Facebook and Twitter for applicants before they even consider calling you in for an interview. So make sure that the image you present online is professional.
Voicemail
As a final note, think about the outgoing message that you have on your voicemail. If an HR department calls you, they don’t want to hear “you know what to do, bitches. BEEP!” Make sure your voicemail message is professional. For example: “You’ve reached Jane Doe. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message, including your name and phone number, and I will call you back.”
If your cell service allows you to have music for your ring tone, you should refrain from picking a song with heavy metal or hiphop. “My milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard” is not the image you want to present to a potential employer. Most HR directors will hang up if they hear that, and you application will end up in the shredder.
Click here and here for samples of effective cover letters. Good luck with your job search!
Arguably, the cover letter can be even MORE important than the resume itself because it can express so much more about you and often gets read before the resume. If you don’t catch an employer’s eye with the letter, they may not even get to the resume. Great post!
Good point, Opted.
I’ve seen so many people write a great cover letter, then use it generically for each job they apply to; they only change the job title and employer in the top paragraph. What a waste! If a letter looks like a form letter, it probably is, and most HR people can sniff them out like drug dogs at the airport!
The cover letter would certainly contain standard information in standard sentences for each job, but reusing entire paragraphs and not tailoring the letter to the specific job and employer are huge flags.
Here’s my typical rule of thumb for a professional cover letter. First, it should fit on one page, including headers, addresses, salutation, and valediction. It should also be split into paragraphs, so as to visually break up the content.
The first (short) paragraph should indicate that the letter and attached resume serve as your intent to apply for the position. Don’t forget to include the specific job you are applying for and how you found out about it.
The second paragraph should highlight your skills (specifically those relevant to the job!) and indicate things not readily culled from the resume. The 25% sales increase example above is great, as are professional development opportunities you may have had that didn’t make it into the resume.
The third paragraph should speak to why you think you are a good fit for this specific position. Include details about actual responsibilities of the position, corporate culture, or anything else you have learned about the company, unit, or department from your research and networking. This is different from the second paragraph in that you aren’t just highlighting your skills, but rather showing how you can apply them to this job, and how you will fit in if hired.
Finally, thank the reader in advance for their time spent reviewing your credentials, provide your contact information, and close the letter on a cordial but professional note.
Also, I forgot to mention – although the letter should fit on one page as a general rule, you also don’t want any one paragraph to dominate the page. If it looks long and dense it will be skipped over!
Another point to make regarding appearances – most resumes have a header that includes relevant information like the person’s name and contact information (address, phone, email, etc). I like to use this same header on my cover letters as well to maintain the appearance of all the materials I submit. In addition, I use the same fonts (and sizes where possible), as well as page margins.
Although most people wouldn’t immediately notice small things like the margins on the cover letter and resume lining up, they do provide an extra shot of professionalism when they are noticed.
I agree with OPTED.
With that said, I try to communicate my level of interest in a given position. Depending on the position and employer, I may do some research and address specific skill the position requires and how I would address those need. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should adequately merchandise your skills and demonstrate that you are interested enough in the position to do a bit of research on how you would be a good fit.
Great tips, Mike. I think it’s very important to have a uniform look to the cover letter, resume, and references page. Your name should be on all of them, along with complete contact info. And the font/size should definitely be the same.