Regardless of the industry or the level of the position, every successful cover letter shares a few things in common with every other great cover letter that finds its way onto the “yes” list. These letters all come with different writing styles and different core messages, and they’re sent and received from every geographic area of the country. But they all do these five things. And they do them well. 1. Allow hiring managers to picture a real human being on the other side of the transaction. Few employers are interested in cover letters that feel like they were written by a hired service, a machine, or a spam generator. If one glance suggests that your letter could have been sent to five hundred other recipients without a single adjustment, that’s not great. It’s okay to use a template letter that you edit in a minor way for each employer (otherwise it would take an hour to complete each application), but your success will lie in how personal your letter sounds and feels on the receiving end. 2. Inspire employers to take a chance, take a risk, or invest a little time and effort in order to find out more. Your cover letter can’t get you a job. But it can get you an interview. Once your letter and resume get you past the gates, the rest will be up to you. These documents don’t have to convince anyone to hire you—they just have to make employers want to talk to you in person. Think of the job search like the dating process: The cover letter is just an icebreaker. If your icebreaker fails, then the process stops right there. But if it succeeds, the real work can begin. 3. Offer a few words or phrases that managers will remember, even if they forget the rest. Some managers can point to a valued employee and quote a memorable line from her cover letter even ten years after her hiring date. In fact, lots of managers can do this. And often, the selection process begins with a conversation similar to this one: Manager 1: So out of thirty resumes, we have to narrow it down to three. Let’s go with the one guy, the one who used to work for the Jones Company. And that girl… Manager 2: The one who grew up in Spain and speaks four languages? Manager 1: Yes. And that other woman, the one who said she’s “not afraid to make mistakes, but she never makes the same mistake twice.” I think she’ll really fit in here. 4. Show managers a light at the end of the tunnel. The hiring process can be difficult, expensive, risky, and unpleasant. But a position that has to be filled has to be filled—and often within a high-pressure timeline. So give managers a reason to hope that the end is near and this position is about to be placed in confident, reliable hands. Show that you’re ready to take the wheel so they can let go. 5. Most important: Great cover letters are readable, clear, and enjoyable And all of these traits start with correct grammar and professional formattin
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:27:53 +0000
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