The cover letter is a crucial lead-in to your resume that allows you to communicate directly with the employer about your skills and background. But some cover letters fall flat, and we have our theories why (which you can read about in our blog posts and in our Learning Center).
But this time, we looked beyond our in-house knowledge and queried authors of other career- and job search-related blogs that we read regularly. We asked them:
If you could offer job seekers just one cover letter tip,
what would it be?
And here are their responses:
“Make sure the letter is targeted and specific. You can't just say ‘I'd be a great team member.’ You have to let the hiring manager know what specific skills you have that would make you a great marketing manager or office assistant.”
Anita Bruzzese
45 Things
Syndicated Columnist, "On The Job"
Author, Take This Job and Thrive
“Make it easy for the screener to quickly see why you are perfect for the job. A screener only has a few seconds to look through each cover letter and resume and make the all-important decision. Your job is to grab their attention by tailoring your letter to their specific needs.”
Ronnie Ann
Blogger, Work Coach Café
Organizational Consultant and Workplace Coach
"Write a cover letter that helps me mentally place you in the job before I even review your qualifications."
Tim Tyrell-Smith
Blogger, Spin Strategy™ - Tools for Intelligent Job Search
"The whole point of a cover letter is to get the recipient to read your resume…. To achieve its goal, [the cover letter's] message needs to hint how your resume will prove your ability to go above and beyond the needs described in the job listing you're responding to. If you let people hear the sizzle, they'll come looking for the meat."
Jacob Share
Blogger, JobMob
Job Search Expert and Professional Blogging Consultant
"Always make your cover letter specific to the job being applied for. What a perfect place to describe a solution to a problem that - through research - you've found that the target company is having. (It doesn't matter if your solution is not workable or even executable ... the important thing is that you tried to offer up a business solution to a problem you discovered.)"
G.L. Hoffmann
Blogger, What Would Dad Say
Columnist, USNews.com
Author, Dig Your Job, The Not-So-Serious Career Handbook
“Make the letter more about them than about you. … Employers do not care about you and your needs. They’re more concerned about themselves and their needs! That’s why a really good way to get an employer’s attention is to show that you understand the employer’s problems and priorities and you have some ideas about how you could help address them.”
Karen Burns
Blogger, WorkingGirl
Author, The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl:
Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use
"Be sure to edit and proofread your cover letter very carefully. Check your grammar, punctuation, and spelling thoroughly. This includes the spelling of the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed and the spelling of the company name."
Connie Komack
Blogger, LifeWork Enterprises
Developer/Author, Designing Your Life Program and Workbook
Did you find these tips valuable? Do you have a different viewpoint? Let us know in a comment.
RELATED LINKS
Reports of the Cover Letter’s Demise are 86% Wrong
Straight Talk about Writing Cover Letters
Good vs. Bad: Make the Best of Your Cover Letter
How to E-Mail Your Cover Letter the Right Way
Great advice thus far! Excellent topic Pongo Resume!
1. Target your cover letter to the job and the specific criteria that makes you a good fit for the job. Don't cut and paste the cover letter your friend Jim Bob used for his last 3 applications.
2. It is not hard to figure out the direction of a company and its ultimate vision (MVVG - Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals) make your cover letter a reflection of that vision. (Remember the department has to sell hiring you to their boss!) Companies love this!
3. After you have stated your case for being a perfect fit for the job, think outside the box-what can you offer that might make you stand out from the other 217 candidates? Highlight that skill! Are you bilingual? Can you sign? And no I don't mean that kind of sign. But you catch my drift. Sit back and take inventory of your strengths, some of what you may have forgotten or have taken for granted. Chances are- you have a lot more to offer than you are used to sharing. Sell yourself!
Great tips! I particularly like Tim's "Write a cover letter that helps me mentally place you in the job before I even review your qualifications," and wish more people would read that, who either (a) don't include a header line and hence spend the first paragraph explaining why they are writing, or (b) draw down mindless and repetitive examples from the internet. You have may be a minute to sell yourself to me, so use it wisely
I love the line "think outside the box!" As a matter of fact, use it in your cover letter. If there's anything that proves you don't think out of the box, it's gotta be the use of tired, worn-out, trite phrases! Good luck!
I totally agree with Anita that make your cover letter job specific. Some people tend to use generic cover letters that they copy from the internet . Recruiters are quick to recognize general layouts and might not even read them. It's important that you keep your cover letter unique and job-specific.
How do you handle a "Senior" resume that is wanting to change careers? I am interested in working at a Assisted Living center. My resume does not indicate that I have any experience. I have several years of medical billing, and caregiving. How do I change my resume. I have 2 things going against me: my age (59) and wanting to start a new career.
Thank you for your time.
I have been a Hairstylist/Manicurist for the past twenty years. I have owned my own salons for a couple of years. I recently am getting over disability and have not been in the work force for quite a while. I would love to be a beauty supply sales distributor or anything that will make good money with a little traveling and some up keep on my education. I don't know how to find one of these jobs. What do I do from here to even try to find something like this?
Thanks,
Terry Baker
I was let go by a company for a very minor security violation from 2 years ago.. Long story short, a new manager came in and had to cut the workforce. She intended to make an example out of me, and fired me for something that was done on a very limited basis with in the company to avoid the loss of client sales. They appealed my unemployment and I won, but how do I handle this at a job interview when the "Why did you leave your job?" qustion comes up? dd
@Karen B.
Hi Karen, The principle is the same as for presenting any potentially negative information to an employer:
1. Describe the situation very briefly and factually. 2. Explain what you have done to correct the problem. 3. Reassure them that there is no risk of similar problems in the future if they should hire you. 4. Redirect the conversation back to your qualifications for the job.
So you might tell them something like:
"I was let go when a new manager came in. Under the old manager, we had grown accustomed to bending the _____ policy to avoid losing client sales, but the new manager was understandably more strict with the policies. Of course I regret that I was terminated, but it did teach me a great lesson about communicating with my manager to make sure we're always on the same page."
Then, calmly change the subject by asking a question of your own :)
Just be sure you don't bash your old boss or make yourself sound like an innocent victim. Show that you are an honest, responsible, accountable person who learns from her mistakes.
Good luck! Julie