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My Career
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Cover Letters for the Wired
Job Market
Source: Pat Kendall, Jump Start Your Job Search
If you're a typical job hunter, the prospect of writing
a cover letter generates about as much enthusiasm as
preparing a tax return.
This is unfortunate because cover
letters can give you a real edge in job searching. And
most job seekers
need every advantage they can get!
The applicant who
creates a cover letter is like the young man who presents
a bouquet of flowers to
his prospective sweetheart. He doesn't have to give
her flowers... but it certainly fares well for him
if he does! A little bit of wooing can do wonders,
whether you're trying to attract a mate or get the
attention of potential employers.
Cover Letter Strategies
In job searching, you must not
only convince prospective employers of your value, but
you must "court" them
as well. Career experts recommend that you send thank-you
letters after an interview for the same reason – doing
so makes a lasting impression that can positively affect
the hiring decision.
The cover letter, however, is
not just a courtesy. In addition to providing a personal
touch, it does
the following:
- Conveys information that may not be appropriate
on your resume (relocation and salary, for example).
- Sneaks in another sales pitch – with a personal
angle.
- Impresses the reader by showing that you've taken the
time to research the company's culture, goals, and
philosophy.
Focus on Relevant
Keywords from the “Get-Go”
Generally speaking, the cover letter's introductory
paragraph is more influential than other parts of the
letter. You may have composed a killer middle paragraph – or
a great close – but if your first paragraph is
ho-hum, the reader may stop there.
Because the cover letter's first few words and sentences
make a lasting impression on the reader, it's important
that you make a good impression. Does your introductory
paragraph make you sound competent and dynamic – or
does it make you sound blasé?
While it may sound
simplistic, one of the best ways to improve your cover
letter is to make every word
count. One of the worst things you can do is start
your cover letter like this:
I would like to explore
long-term employment opportunities within your organization
and have enclosed my resume
for your review.
This statement is fine as far as grammar and punctuation
are concerned, but it doesn't communicate anything
of value to the prospective employer. All-purpose statements
like this won't motivate an employer to continue reading
because they are not compelling. In short, a generic
introduction doesn't impress anyone and its lukewarm
approach may blow your chance to make a good impression.
An
increasing number of job postings include a "keyword" section
that lists the employer's desired keyword skills.
Be
sure to give them what they want! Incorporate these keywords
where appropriate: Summary statement, job
descriptions, training course titles, volunteer work,
etc.
Project Value
A better approach is to start with critical
keywords right off the bat so that potential employers
are motivated
to continue reading your cover letter.
Even better – take it a step further and explain
how you can improve their bottom line. The Before and
After samples below illustrate this concept. The Before
samples fail to mention the candidate's potential contributions.
In contrast, the After samples are rich with keyword-heavy
value statements that project value.
- Before: I would like to apply for a sales management
position with your company.
- After: My 13-year career in sales and record of success
in account penetration and market share development
qualify me for a key position on your management team.
- Before: Your HotJobs posting for a marketing intern
interests me, as I believe that I have the skills you
need.
- After: As a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science
degree in business administration, I've received solid
training in all aspects of marketing research, product
positioning, and statistical analysis.
- Before: I would like to work for ABC Company as a
sales representative and believe that my proven experience
will benefit your company.
- After: As an award-winning sales representative with
a broad knowledge of the national ATM market, I have
the ability to increase your company's sales volume
and market share.
- Before: My 17 years of experience may interest you
as you search for a senior-level candidate to lead
your new company.
- After: With 17 years of management success in highly
competitive national and international markets, there
is much I can do to contribute to your firm's startup
and expansion efforts.
Use an Appropriate Writing Style
Be sure to project the proper tone in your cover
letter. For example, an aggressive writing style may be appropriate
for a telemarketer, but isn't likely to impress the
employer who wants to hire a machinist. For the best
results, match your writing style to the profession
you're targeting.
The secret of good business communication is to write
in a simple, straightforward manner. The most effective
cover letters are those that have a personal, conversational
tone. Remember, one of the benefits of using a cover
letter (especially online) is that it provides a human
touch. Cover letters with archaic phrases like "pursuant
to our recent conversation" make you sound like
a robot, not a live person.
Another mistake (made mostly
by entry level job seekers) is to provide a complete
list of personality traits
in the cover letter. Job seekers who use self-praising
clichés don't impress anyone, so be cautious
here. A good way to keep this in perspective is to
make sure that tangible (or hard) skills outnumber
personality traits (soft skills) by a ratio of at least
two to one.
Customize Your Approach
Human beings have a natural tendency
to take the easy way out whenever possible – and job searching
is no exception. Because time is a valuable commodity,
you might be tempted to use boilerplate text or to
copy a particularly good cover letter written by your
friend or neighbor. These kinds of shortcuts will save
some time, but it's highly unlikely that someone else's
letter will "fit" you properly.
Does one hairstyle
look good on everyone? Does one type of car fit the
needs of every family? Of course
not! In the same way, job seekers have unique strengths
and weaknesses, and those who use cookie-cutter letters
rarely do themselves justice. A well-written, custom-fitted
cover letter is an investment in your career –-
so don't cut corners! Take the time to do it right.
ASCII Cover Letter Tips
- Cut to the Chase: Get right to the point, stay focused,
and get help (from a professional or a friend with
a knack for words) if you have a tendency to ramble.
Even though the length of your cover letter may not
be visible on a computer screen, don't be tempted to
ramble. To be sure, print it out and make sure it fits
on a single page. Unless you're a professional copywriter – one
who knows how to write long letters that keep readers'
attention – limit your letters to one page.
- Use Business Protocol: Because of differences in the
medium being used, you'll find many exceptions here.
Some conventions (like signing the letter) are not
practical. In addition, be sure to use a colon (not
a comma) in the saluation. Even though a date is
used on a traditional letter, they are not used with
e-mailed letters since the e-mail program adds its
own date when the file is sent.
- Break up Large Blocks of Text: When you format your
letter in ASCII text, be sure to break up any large
blocks of text into smaller paragraphs or bullet
points (for the sake of your human readers).
- Address and Route the Letter Correctly: Use your e-mail
subject line to route the resume to the right destination.
If a specific job number is not available, insert
the desired job title and/or job target keywords
in your subject line.
- Use Salutations Carefully: Whenever possible, use the
properly spelled name of the contact person in your
salutation. In many cases, though, you cannot determine
the contact name based on e-mail alone. For example,
you might assume that Georg2343@company.com should
be addressed to George but what if the recipient's
name is Georgia? Better to leave the salutation off
or address the situation this way: Dear Georg2343@company.com:
- Avoid Generic Titles: Generic titles – like Dear
Hiring Manager or Dear Potential Employer – make
your cover letter sound canned, so if you don't have
a specific name or title, simply omit the salutation.
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