|
Cover Letter Tip #1: Address Your Cover Letter to a
Specific Person
If the name of the contact person is not provided in
the job posting, call the company or check its
website to find out to whom you should address your
application. If you decide to call the company to
obtain the contact person's name, make sure to spell
the name correctly. If you are really interested in
a position, exhaust all venues for finding a contact
name before going generic. The odds are that if you
go through the trouble of finding the right person
to whom to address your cover letter, you will stand
out from other applicants, most of whom will simply
stick to the generic.
If you
cannot find the contact person's name, we suggest
that you address your application to the "Hiring
Manager", "College Recruiter", "Selection
Committee", etc. Avoid using "Dear Sir or Madam" or
"To Whom it May Concern".
Cover Letter Tip #2: Explain Why You Are Sending the
Cover Letter
Specify what position you are applying for in the
subject line at the top of your cover letter. A
company may have many openings and the recruiter
will appreciate this gesture.
Cover Letter Tip #3: Specify How You Learned About
the Position or Organization
Specify how you became aware of the opening, i.e.
through a job posting or through a recommendation.
Cover Letter Tip #4: Customize Your Cover Letter to
Each Position You Are Applying To
Most generic or canned cover letters lead to
failure. Even if you are applying to many
positions, take the time to tailor your cover
letters by showing that you have researched the
company. Write something that will make your
prospective employer sit back and take note that you
showed true interest.
Keep
your goal and their goal in mind. Find out what the
company needs and describe how you can help or why
you would be a strong addition.
Cover Letter Tip #5: State the Elements of Your
Background That Are Relevant to the Position
Highlight the skills that are directly relevant to
the job requirements and include short descriptions
of your achievements. Avoid empty cliches such as
"I am a self-starter" or "I am a people person". If
you cannot explain or provide specific examples of
those phrases, avoid including them altogether.
Look at
the job from the recruiter's point of view and
assess which of the requirements are most
important. Review your skills, experience,
education, and personal characteristics and pull out
the elements that strongly match the requirements of
the job. These are the aspects of your experience
that you should aim to highlight in your cover
letter. Any aspect of your experience that is not
directly relevant to one of the top requirements
should not be referred to in your cover letter as it
will distract the recruiter's attention from your
more relevant qualifications.
Cover Letter Tip #6: Provide or Refer to Any
Information Specifically Requested
If the job posting asked for specific information,
make sure to provide that information in your cover
letter, if it is not already provided in your
resume.
Cover Letter Tip #7: Market Yourself
The cover letter is the one chance you have to
market yourself to an employer. Think of your cover
letter as a sales letter. The only purpose of your
cover letter is to land you a job interview. That's
the bottom line.
Cover Letter Tip #8: Increase a Potential Employer's
Interest in Your Resume
A poorly written cover letter can dissuade a
recruiter from taking your resume seriously. On the
other hand, a well-written cover letter can ignite
the interest of the recruiter to go to your resume
to seek more details about your application.
Cover Letter Tip #9: Keep to the Facts
Do not exaggerate. Do not think of your cover
letter as an autobiography. The purpose of the
cover letter should be one thing: to demonstrate
that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in
the job description. Additional information beyond
this can be counterproductive and dilute the core
purpose of your cover letter.
Cover Letter Tip #10: Let the Employer Judge Your
Skills
State your skills and qualifications, but don't tell
the employer that you are the best person for the
job. It can appear arrogant and presumptuous.
Impress the employer with your skills and let him or
her reach his or her own conclusions.
Cover Letter Tip #11: Phrase Your Letter Positively
Avoid mentioning your weaknesses. Aim to sell
yourself with positive citations. Any phrase that
might suggest a weakness will go against you.
A cover
letter is not the place to explain why you left or
are leaving an employer, why there are gaps in your
employment dates, etc. These "negatives" are best
delivered in person during the interview where you
will be in position to fully explain yourself.
Cover Letter Tip #12: Keep the Tone and Content
Professional
Inspire confidence.
Cover Letter Tip #13: Be Clear, Concise, and Focused
Avoid over-polite or old-fashioned language, such as
hitherto, forthwith, and furthermore.
Cover Letter Tip #14: Avoid Discussing Salary
Even if the position specifically asks for your
salary history, providing this information will more
likely cost you a job than not. If the job ad
specifically says that resumes without a salary
history will not be considered, give a historical
salary range and state that your salary requirements
are flexible based on the opportunities the position
will provide.
Cover Letter Tip #15: Make Sure That the Format Is
Easy on the Reviewer's Eyes
It should be easy to scan the letter and have a
logical progression. Keep in mind that the
recruiter may have hundreds (if not thousands) of
cover letters and resumes to look at.
Cover Letter Tip #16: Don't Repeat Your Resume
Your cover letter is not a summary of your resume.
It is an introduction of yourself and an argument
for why you are the best candidate for the specific
position.
Cover Letter Tip #17: Be Different
Almost every candidate promises "excellent written
and verbal communication skills" and the ability to
"think outside the box" and "juggle multiple
tasks". The point here is to be different and stand
out. The goal is to demonstrate your written
communication skills by writing a good cover
letter.
Cover Letter Tip #18: End Your Letter on a Positive
Note
Conclude by thanking the reader for his or her
consideration in order to express your gratitude for
him or her taking the time to review your
application.
Cover Letter Tip #19: End With a Call to Action
Ask the employer to call or email you instead of
saying that you will follow-up. You should still
follow-up with a call or via e-mail within a week or
two. If you decide to indicate in your letter that
you will call, make sure you do.
Cover Letter Tip #20: Make Yourself Available and
Tell Employers How to Reach You
Provide a phone number that will be answered by
either a person or a voice mail. If possible, also
provide an e-mail.
Cover Letter Tip #21: Proofread
Make sure that your letter is grammatically correct
and without typographical errors. Double-check that
the letter corresponds with the right job you are
applying to and the resume, especially when you are
applying for many positions.
Cover Letter Tip #22: Keep Copies of Everything You
Send
You never know when the recruiter will contact you.
It may be next week or next month. If you get a
call a month or more later, you probably will not
remember what you wrote in your cover letter or the
specifics of the job posting.
|
