That’s where your cover letter enters the scene. A great cover letter can help you find the edge you need to get your foot in the door. At the core, a cover letter simply says: “Please look at my resume.” However, there are effective and ineffective ways to send this message.
Here are a few tips that can help you get your point across and convince hiring managers to study your credentials carefully, give you the benefit of the doubt, and call you in for an interview so they can learn more about you.
Standing out from the crowd of other job seekers is no easy task. You’ll complete an application and feel like the perfect fit, only to never hear back and have to look elsewhere.
1. Start smart. Ideally, the greeting in your cover letter should go unnoticed. “Dear {company name} HR Department” will work fine. So will “Dear {Company} Marketing Director,” “Dear Finance Manager,” or even “Dear Company.” If you know the specific hiring manager’s name, use this name—both first and last, as in “Dear Morgan Woodward.” If you don’t know the person’s gender or title (Mr.? Ms.? Dr.? Captain?), don’t guess. Stick with names only.
2. Lead with the whole story. Use the first two sentences of your cover letter to deliver your entire message, like so: “I found your post on LiveCareer’s national job board and I’d like to apply for the position of Assistant Regional Account Manager.” There are some forms of written communication in which it’s better to delay the message and use the first sentence to build tension and string the reader along. This is not one of those forms.
3. Make your case. Once you’ve stated the purpose of your message, jump right into your argument. Why should this person hire you? Because you’re an experienced account manager who knows how to win new business for the company. Or because you’re a proven sales leader in this specific area of the pharmaceutical marketplace. Whatever your reasoning, make your case and make it strong.
4. Support your case with detail and evidence. At this point you can feel free to slow the pace a bit, back up, and start your story from the beginning. When did you first develop a passion for this type of work? How did your education and experience shape this passion? Describe the direction your career has taken over the years. Then briefly talk about what led you to this company and why this position is a perfect fit for you.
5. Let the employers know that you’re listening. Based on what you’ve read in the post and found on the company website, you can tell these employers are looking for candidate with (blank), who knows how to (blank), and can (blank, blank, and blank). If you’re hired, you’ll be able to address all these needs, and your employer won’t have to worry about these responsibilities being taken care of ever again.
6. Provide a clear path to the next step. List everything you’ve attached to the message (work samples, resume, etc.), and invite your readers to contact you by phone, email, or any other means that work for you. Let them know you’d enjoy talking about the position with them in further detail.
Wrap It Up
Remember that timing is everything, and in written communication, timing means two things: Professional formatting and length. Bring your message to a smooth close before you reach the end of a single page. Then make sure your contact information appears within the message itself, not just in your attached resume. Use LiveCareer’s Cover Letter Builder to keep your presentation professional, readable, and memorable.
