The Infamous Cover Letter

Cover letters are a thing of the past, right?  Actually, you couldn’t be more wrong!  Cover letters are just as important today as they’ve ever been.  In fact, hiring managers and human resources personnel view cover letters as a necessity in the job hunt.  Lack thereof can be a major strike against you in the hiring game.  The cover letter’s purpose is to not only help you stand out amongst fellow applicants, but it’s also meant to help portray you as the best candidate for the organization and demonstrate the strengths you offer to their team.  Do not get confused on the difference between a resume and cover letter.  A resume is a document that lists your skills and credentials whereas a cover letter highlights you as an individual and the impact you can make on your prospective employer's team.  Spell out the benefit of hiring you!

The pieces of the cover letter:

   -Introduction: First start of by addressing an individual.  Try to avoid the general introduction if possible.  (i.e. To Whom It May Concern)

   -The first paragraph: This should be used to set the tone and create a great impression of you.   Remember, this is the first thing that the employer will read so it’s important to make it clever and reflect you.  You can also use the first paragraph to talk about how you heard of the job and organization.  Make sure to do some research here so you can portray your knowledge of their team.

   -The second paragraph: This is a great space to highlight your qualifications for the job.  Be careful to not go overboard.  Keep it clean and to the point, and be sure to display your best characteristics and qualifications and how they will be beneficial for the position at hand.

   -Paragraph 3: Now is the perfect time to discuss why you are the candidate they’ve been looking for and why you are a fit for their culture.  Do you match up to their core values?  Do you value their growth and future goals?  Case in point, why do you aspire to be on their team and why should they want you to be a part of their team?

   -The finale: Here is where you should reference your enclosed resume and how much you’d love the opportunity to discuss your experience further with an interview.  It’s also important to leave your contact information. 

Now let’s discuss some of the do’s and don’ts of the cover letter!

   -Do write individual cover letters: It’s important to cater your cover letter to each specific job and organization you are applying for.

   -Don’t exaggerate your experience: Always be truthful when it comes to writing your cover letter and resume.  It will become apparent of your untruthfulness somewhere down the line.

   -Do proofread; and then proofread again and again: It’s very easy to pass over spelling mistakes, so be sure to proof your letter several times.  We also highly recommend getting some other great opinions from trusted colleagues or friends on your cover letter prior to submitting it.

   -Don’t forget to leave your contact information: We see this far too many times where a candidate forgets to include an e-mail address or phone number for us to reach them.  We can’t set up the interview if we can’t reach you!

   -Do use action words: This will help to portray you as a go-getter type of employee, one who will go above and beyond.  Some great action words include adapted, contributed, enforced, implemented, etc.  

   -Don’t forget to personally sign your cover letter.

You may be thinking to yourself, what do I do if I apply online and there is no option to attach a cover letter? Should I just skip it all together?  Wrong again!  Social media and internet job boards have definitely changed up the game of hiring, and it can be tough to determine what you should or shouldn’t do as a job applicant.  So what do you do then?  You adapt!  Usually, when you apply online, it will give you an option to e-mail the organization’s Human Resources department.  You have two options with the e-mail; you can attach both the cover letter and the resume or you can do what we recommend, which is attaching your resume and including your cover letter in the body of the e-mail.  Now, it’s very important to know that when doing this, you must condense your message.  The online cover letter is often a two paragraph message.  Note that this content is no less important than that of a traditional cover letter, so make sure also to maintain a professional tone throughout your e-mail.  Lastly, be sure to make the most out of the subject line.  Use this to help catch the attention of your potential future employer. 

So, you still think cover letters are a thing of the past?  We didn’t think so! Start writing and remember to just be yourself; be proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished.  That’s what will land you the job in the end!