Getting Results From A Cover Letter

Before the advent of computers and the subsequent security measures undertaken by employers due to 9-11, job seekers had an easier time. You got dressed for success (men a suit and tie, women a dress or pants suit), walked into to the company you wanted to work for and got an application from Human Resources (formally Personnel). If they had time, and you made the right impression, an interview on the spot was not uncommon.

Or, a parent, relative, or family friend would bring you to work to “meet” the boss. After an exchange of pleasantries and a few simple questions (like how do you know so and so), you started work the next Monday.

But today, things are different. In the earlier cases, your appearance, interests, or relationships opened doors. Now, you need a professional introduction to the company, a way for them to see who you are, what you know, where you learned it, and how you use what you know. This is the purpose of a cover letter.

A well written cover letter has one purpose and one purpose only, to get a potential employer to turn the page and read the resume. It will not get you a job; it will not get you an interview. It will wet the company’s appetite to want to learn more about you.

An internet search for cover letters will lend itself to over 1,000,000 different results and offers, ranging from boiler plate, to creative, to having one written for you for a fee ($ 29.95 per letter, with a free re-write if you don’t get results within 90 days). Writing the letter doesn’t take a master’s degree in English. As long as a few key points are kept in mind during the process, your letter will be great.

Key Points:

1) KISS –Keep It Short & Sweet. The idea is to get them to read your resume, not to show off your creative writing skills (unless the job calls for Creative Writing).

2) Be specific about the job you’re applying for. And always personalize it to the company.

3) Past accomplishments = future success. Talk about the results that you’ve achieved, not so much the process. People want to hire winners, put yourself in that spotlight.

4) Write to a specific person. • This is where your research will pay off. • A letter that starts off To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir\Madam, might be correct, but is cold and impersonal. • With the emphasis placed on building professional relationships, you need to know the person’s name and job title that is screening the applicants. • Make sure you get the name and title right or the letter and résumé goes into the circular file.

5) Use action words and be positive.

6) Only include salary information if it’s specifically requested.

7) Spelling and grammar ARE MORE IMPORTANT than formatting. Nobody will care what the letter looks like if it’s filled with mistakes.

8) ASK for an interviewNow, let us look at the hows of a cover letter. This document should be 3 to 4 paragraphs in length. Brevity, get to the point, make the point, is the key to effectiveness. And don’t be afraid to use bullet points to emphasize key points.

Paragraph 1: List the job you’re interested in and how you learned about the opportunity

Paragraph 2: This is the one called, “You seek, I have”. Your research will pay off here. You can talk about your specific skills and experiences that you have and relate it to the opening available. Don’t go overboard; KISS is crucial at this juncture.

Paragraph 3: State your interest in the opening, your availability for an interview and specifically ask for an opportunity to sit down, face to face. They can’t see the sincerity in your eyes or hear it in your voice from a piece of paper.

If you don’t hear from them within a week, send the letter again. In any office, papers are misplaced or not read when things are hopping. By sending it again, it will double the chances of somebody reading it. And follow up with a phone call, as this shows that you’re a go-getter, who is interested. If you do what others won’t, you’ll get the results they don't!