Coming Soon to a Cover Letter Near You!
July 29, 2009 (12:01PM) by Julie O'Malley, CPRW
This Pongo Blog post originally ran in February 2008. With summer blockbuster season upon us, we thought it was a good time to rerun this "cinematic" explanation of the cover letter.
 When you go to the movies, you always see previews of the coming attractions. The goal, of course, is to make each member of the audience whisper to their companion, "Ooh, that looks good. I can't wait to see the movie!"
In career terms, your cover letter is the preview and your resume is the movie.
Movie previews (or trailers) shamelessly tease us with the most dramatic scenes, the funniest jokes, or the steamiest love scenes, because those are the things that have been proven to motivate you and me to spend our time and money on movies.
Previews use music, narration, and strategic dialog to work you into a frenzy of anticipation. Sometimes they even splice together parts from two different scenes. THAT's what you need to do in your cover letter!
Tease Your Audience
A good cover letter pulls out and emphasizes the most relevant skills, accomplishments, and qualifications that appear in your resume. Shine the spotlight on the things that will intrigue your audience and pique their interest. Make your reader think, "Ooh, I can't wait to see the resume!"
If you have appropriate skills from two different jobs, splice them together in the cover letter. For example, if the job you're targeting calls for Sales and Marketing experience, mention those together in your cover letter, even if you did Sales at Job A and Marketing at Job B.
Pay attention to the previews next time you're munching on $10 popcorn and drinking a bucket of soda. They can teach you a lot about the science of promotion!
Got any thoughts about cover letters and their role in today's job search? Share your comments below.
RELATED LINKS
3 Tips to Avoid a Boring, Self-Absorbed Cover Letter
Straight Talk about Writing Cover Letters
Your Cover Letter: The Gateway to Your Resume
Write a Real Cover Letter, Not Just a Resume Rehash
I want a cover letter that will take caare of everything with out having to change it every time I apply for a different job. Only a slight change should be appropriate for any cover letter.
@Janet
You're right, you certainly don't have to start from scratch every time. Once you have a good "master" cover letter, you just need to tweak the details for each specific job.
For example:
* You might emphasize certain skills for one job, and different skills for another, simply by switching the order of a couple sentences.
* If your cover letter says you have Customer SUPPORT experience but the job description refers to Customer SERVICE experience, switch to the employer's terminology (even if it means basically the same thing).
* Put in a specific reference to the employer's organization, to show that you took the time to learn a little bit about them. Let's say you're applying for a manufacturing job at Jones Corp. You could say something like: "I share Jones Corporation's strong commitment to workplace safety."
* And NEVER send a cover letter to Jones Corporation that says how much you want the job at Smith Corporation (don't laugh, that's all too common)!
Regards,
--Julie
I totally agree with your Idea about cover letters. I, ve been trying to figure how to do what you have suggested all this time.
Thank You: Raymond
I have finished my associates degree as a registered nurse and I find it challenging to create a cover and resume that will wow the employer with no prior experience other than clinical practice while in school. The template offered from this website offers an entry level for both, I"m just not sure that it's good enough to land that first job. Any suggestions or comments I'd greatly appreciate. Thanks
@Julie
Thanks for the question, Julie. As a freshly minted RN (congratulations, BTW!), you would not be expected to have a load of experience to brag about. Things you might talk about in your cover letter could include: - Good grades - Specialized courses that apply to the job you're seeking. (As a random example, let's say you were applying at a skilled nursing facility for elderly patients, you could mention that you did well in Gerontology courses.) - Comments from instructors or "bosses" from your clinical practice. (Ask them for recommendations if possible)
In addition, you could speak of things like your passion for the work, your ability to learn quickly, your commitment to safety, and your organizational abilities. Just be prepared to back those claims up with facts.
You're in a great field! Good luck :)
Julie O'Malley
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