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‘Cover letters? Seriously, does anyone read a cover letter these days?’ asked my lovely candidate Liam. ‘Well, that depends on how keen you are to make a fabulous first impression,’ I responded. Our conversation continued…

Liam: OMG Jane, coffee, shopping and wine dates with my mates, so busy, no time to write cover letters! Isn’t my resume sufficient if it’s already proving I can meet the role expectations?

Jane: You’ve been networking; go you! Sure your Resume and LinkedIn profile will take front and centre stage, but never underestimate the value of a well-crafted cover letter when wanting to capture the decision maker’s attention.

Liam:OK, anything to set me apart must be good, right?

The case for the cover letter…

A recent survey by ResumeLab claimed that 83% of respondents said an excellent cover letter can bag you an interview even if your résumé doesn’t quite do the job. The résumé is a simple, black and white bullet-pointed overview of your job history, skills and achievements. In contrast, your cover letter allows you to inject a little of your personality as you hone in on the specific requirements of the role. So what does it take?

Here’s a checklist that will help you craft a great little cover letter:

Write with the job description in mind

Like your résumé, the cover letter should address the specifics of the job advertisement (ideally, the job description, so feel free to call the recruiter and ask for one). You can sell yourself more effectively by tailoring your pitch to the role.

Consider the tone

You don’t need to thank the hiring manager so incredibly much for reading your application–that’s their job. Instead, skip the excessive gushing and demonstrate genuine interest by writing a cover letter connecting your experience and the position’s requirements, effectively telling your reader why you’re the ideal candidate for the role.

Personalise your greeting

Ideally, address your cover letter to a person rather than a generic option such as ‘To whom it may concern’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ – both so old and quaint. Instead, call the company or recruiter who placed the ad to secure their name. A perfect opportunity to ask for that job description and have any pertinent questions answered to ensure it’s worth applying in the first place. Searching LinkedIn is also an option. If you still can’t find the hiring manager’s name, address the cover letter to ‘Dear Hiring Manager.’

Now grab their attention

‘I’m writing to express my interest in (x) position’? Noooo, that’s so last century! The fact that you’re applying already tells them you’re interested. Here’s how one of my candidates captured his hiring manager’s attention using a specific anecdote highlighting why he would make a great candidate:

‘While you won’t find the title “Community Relationship Manager” in my résumé, I’ve been bringing people together for three years through hosting networking sessions and a series of online and post Covid face-to-face meetups via my blog.’

What about these examples?

‘I’ve wanted to work in education since my second-grade teacher, Ms James, helped me discover a love of reading.’
‘My approach to leadership is simple: I strive to be the kind of leader I’d want to work for.’
‘In my three years at ABC, I increased our average quarterly sales by x%

Memorable examples are likely to have the reader want to read on, and that’s your aim.

Something about the company that appeals?

If you’ve been referred by a networking friend, mention it immediately; otherwise, research the company and find something to connect with. Identifying what drew you to their job post helps create a connection with the hiring manager. Why not check out the company’s career page or EBSCO to find anything written about them. Consider Company360 or Dun & Bradstreet Hoovers (D&B Hoovers) to dive deeper into their subsidiaries, financial health, who’s on the board, key players, and more.

Now prove that you’re worth interviewing

Swap out the list of skills and make the case that you’re more qualified than all the other applicants by providing examples of your ability to meet their requirements. Clarify what distinguishes you and give those anecdotes splashes of personality so that you stand out and entice the reader to want to interview you.

Here is an actual, two-line excerpt from a cover letter I recently read:

“If I’m in a conference room and the video isn’t working, I’m not the sort to simply call IT and wait. I’ll also (gracefully) crawl under the table and check that everything is properly plugged in”.

What a great way to lighten up your letter and highlight your soft skills by illustrating that you’re a take-charge problem solver, with a bit of humour, without saying, “I’m a take-charge problem solver.”

Make the case

Use action words to describe how you made a difference and bring a sense of enthusiasm to your commentary. Your cover letter shouldn’t repeat your résumé. Instead, it should be vibrant and reinforce your value while getting right to the point. No more than a page, half of that about your competencies and any results you can share that would help sell you for the position.

If you are aware of any problems the company you are applying to is facing, talk about your previous successes addressing similar issues. You might also write about a time that you over-delivered on a project and, based on that experience, the diligence you bring to the role.

Make a strong close

Just as the perfect greeting sets the tone for your letter, a strong close can help you end on the right note. You might try something like ‘I hope to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on your business and the team,’ You can adjust this to the tone of the position accordingly.

Oh! And keep it brief!

Many companies now use scan bots which can typically accommodate a cover letter of up to 250 words. We simply say no more than one page. A compelling lead paragraph, two to three short paragraphs or bullet points in the body showcasing examples of how you meet their crucial strength requirements, and a closing that includes your interest in the next steps.

Proofread, then proofread again

Once your sharp and focused cover letter is drafted and polished, spend time proofreading. Typos and mistakes indicate carelessness and can put you out of the running. Hints to help with this:

Use your spell check and editing functions as a start.
Find a professional proofreader or a friend who’s good at proofing to review your letter
Try reading each word and sentence from the end to the beginning. It’s a great way to help you disrupt the flow of the writing and spot mistakes more readily.

One final thing…ditch the cliches!

While proofing, look for and remove clichés such as ‘I’m a hard worker’, ‘I’m a team player’, ‘I’m proficient with Microsoft’ These are all expected. Instead, prove it with examples, e.g., ‘I solved (particular problem) while working in (x) and successfully reduced their end-of-month open invoices by 90%.’ Statistics and specific examples win over clichés every time.

In summary, taking the time to carefully craft your cover letter using the recommendations I’ve provided can significantly improve your chances of scoring an interview. Look on it as a supplement to your résumé, another opportunity to show your target audience the potential value you bring to the table.

Liam: (two weeks later) – Hey Miss Jane!! I’ve been shortlisted for an interview!!

Hi, there lovely readers! An avid reader who confessed to enjoying the blog’s job-related hints recently asked ‘Does anyone bother to read cover letters these days? You’ve not addressed them in your career management and job search posts, girl?’ Well now I have, read on!

As a career consultant always researching global best practice, I’ve identified that the biggest mistake many job hunters can make is to skip a cover letter when sending off a resume in response to an application. Cover letters can be influential, and a well-written one can grab an interview just on its own merit.

So why aren’t people writing cover letters? Some believe that companies don’t care about them or that, since they’re applying online, they’ll only need a resume. Interestingly some say they read only the cover letter while others go straight for the resume, and still more say they spend more time reviewing resumes and applications that carry a cover letter than ones than don’t. Well then, pays to write that goddamned cover letter don’t you think? Let’s look at what NOT to do first:

What NOT to do:

Don’t send a generic letter – it doesn’t work. In fact, it often turns the employer off for it tells them you didn’t make any effort to tailor your message specifically to the needs of the job, so why did you bother sending one? Oh! And given employers are rating your communication skills when they read your letter, if it is feeble, it diminishes your candidacy in their eyes.

Don’t lose them with your first sentence. Your first line either grabs the reader’s attention or loses it, so let’s avoid beginning with the overused standard – ‘I’m applying for the … job I saw online.’ Boring. Another overused starting line is telling the company you think they are great and how much you want to work for them. Although this fact can be stated in the letter later – it’s too weak to open it. What’ more, it doesn’t help your prospective employer understand how you’ll contribute to their success with the actual skills they seek.

What TO do:

The opening:

A strong opening should immediately focus on filling the employer’s needs. The body of your letter should then serve as reinforcement. Try this:

1) Analyse the job — both the noted and assumed expectations — and determine the most critical skills the employer is seeking.

2) Immediately address how you will meet the employer’s needs by using that opening sentence to emphasise the major selling points and skills that you would bring to the job. One that offers actions and results – the winning formula that will have them taking notice. Look at the difference here:

‘I’m applying to the job opening I found on Seek.’

VERSUS

‘Ten years in senior management with proven expertise in international finance for a Fortune 100 company…’

‘Strong leadership in healthcare administration having improved customer service while reducing costs by 12%….’

These openers are eye-catching, designed to get the employer to see what you can do by addressing their needs right upfront. As the first paragraph is what they will read, it needs to have your strongest selling points in it.

The Body:

Now you’ll want to demonstrate proof that you can perform the duties desired. To develop this ‘proof,’ outline the crucial points that the employer wants by underlining the most critical items from the job advertisement.

Hint – Use your network to gather any inside information on what’s most important to that employer for that job. Many job openings are vaguely written or ask for too many skills when the employer only cares about a few. Networking can help you learn about what points to stress.

And another hint (we’re on a roll here!) Tailor your resume content to the specifics you’ve highlighted in the job ad first. If you’ve included quantified achievements as they relate to the requirements you have (a) met the needs of the ‘I only read the resume’ crew and (b) already identified what you offer for summarising in the cover letter. Handy huh?

Now, before you begin writing, ask yourself ‘What is it that they need me to do in this job to do it well?’ Then consider what you have done in your previous roles. It is this experience you want to emphasise.

The next step is to ask yourself: What were the RESULTS of my efforts on previous jobs, projects, or tasks that I’ve undertaken? The key to composing your letter lies in addressing the duties and skills needed by referencing your abilities to perform them, along with quantifiable results from your past efforts as proof that you CAN do the job.

One more hint – using the criticals you highlighted in the job ad as headlines in your cover letter will help the reader connect your examples with the job’s requirements and make the content easier to navigate. Doing so will also help your application make it through the scan bots looking to find a 70%+ strike rate of keywords (see – that tailored resume came in handy, didn’t it?)

With the criticals addressed, you may have other ‘value add’ experiences or skills that further demonstrate the expertise they seek. E.g. living abroad for two years = international exposure or speaking more than one language = ability to communicate with a broader audience.

Finally, keep your letter concise. Keep the body of the message short, not more than one page. Conclude with the power phrase: ‘ I would like to discuss in greater detail the valuable contributions I’d bring to your organisation.’ Ah! You’re a productive team player and focused on being an asset to the employer – nice!

In summary: Your cover letter must develop enough interest to get the employer to want to turn the page, look at your resume and say, ‘This one’s worth calling in for an interview, let’s do it!’

Good luck and remember – you’ve got this!

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applications

Cover letters, who reads ’em?

The case for the cover letter…