Bottom-line: a cover letter’s purpose is to lure the reader to read your resume and call you for an interview. Now, you may be dying to ask me, "Why then can’t I only submit my resume?" My answer: you can—but how do you know your competition didn’t submit a persuasive cover letter that just about nudged you off the top spot? Hmm? Worst-case scenario, they can set your cover letter aside but it’s available if they need more convincing.
So, how do you create cover letter that is not tossed? I’m glad you asked…
1. Break a leg with your opening act: Don’t begin cover letters with an ordinary and boring statement. You really want to ‘have them at hello’ (Sorry. Couldn’t help it.) Really, captivate with the very first sentence. Exude sincerity, offer specific value, spin it, and make sure it’s employer-oriented. Here is one of my favorite openings
Dear Mr. Bradley:
“‘Offering to drive pharmaceutical sales growth by generating qualified leads, penetrating territories, and closing the toughest sales, consistently!’
Please allow me to introduce myself…”
2. Make a personal connection: You can tell a personal story that further positions you as the best candidate. You can provide statistical insight, reinforcing your industry knowledge. You may opt to walk your employer through your process. In other words, you can communicate more personally than you would on your resume and leverage that ‘ace in your pocket.’
See an example I used in a cover letter:
“I am an avid golfer (with a pretty good handicap) and golf at least twice per week—I have closed many sales on the golf course over a weekend. Clients consider me a trusted friend and have even helped me form golf teams for charity events, which is an excellent way to network and gain new business…”
Do you think I would have been able to add this golf example in the resume for my client –- no. Now, let’s say candidate #1 is a stellar sales person and candidate #2 (my client) is also an outstanding revenue producer–this example is helping my client promote an added value. This ‘sign-on benefit’ clues the hiring manager that my client initiates and develops fruitful relationships through personal networking strategies that will be advantageous to the company. Besides, it’s memorable. In a pile of hundreds of resumes and cover letters –- memorable is a winner!
3. Become a tease: Foreshadow what will be listed on the resume; what they will discover when they read your resume–but don’t repeat. Piqué interest! Save some fresh content for your cover letter. This is a strategic career marketing plan, part of which what goes on your resume or cover letter is determined–a real choreography! Example:
“Please refer to my resume which summarizes more than 15 years of experience increasing revenue for top corporations such as IBM. I have aggressively launched unique sales strategies that have produced up to $8M annually. You will find a full account of my projected sales plans and exceeded goals by percentage per year.”
Now we have asked the hiring manager to review the resume and we have provided a bit of information to spark interest. It is important to add quantifiable information and be specific, as you don’t want to seem vague. However, there is no need to provide all the details in the cover letter, especially if it will be on the resume. While I urge you to tease — the teasing must be done with actual facts and specific references not generalities that mean nothing.
4. Mesmerize them and get’em to say, YES: There is a physiological connection that goes on when you get a person to think or say yes. So, when you craft your cover letter try to envision the reader nodding their head in agreement with your statements. In order to do this you must validate their needs. You can cast this spell through reinforcing statements or questions. Take it easy on the questions though—you don’t want to come across too sales-driven. (The art of career marketing is a delicate balance.)
5. Ask for the interview: In sales, they always direct you to ask for the sale. Well, ask for the interview. Just ask for it!
The point here is that your cover letter is a supporting influencing tool. It must be unique, inviting, compelling– a prelude to a well crafted resume in order to provoke action. Your cover letter is part of a marketing package and so merely writing it as you would any other communication letter is not going to generate the interviews you seek.
True story: I had a client tell me that when they were interviewed they were told the cover letter clinched the interview and the resume was used as a guide for an interesting interview. Here is a beginning part of that cover letter:
“Music and entertainment is my passion. I am lucky to have realized so early what I was born to do! I have known I wanted to work in the entertainment industry since I was 11 years old. At age 4, I already had an affinity for music and entertainment…I loved to perform, watch all the award shows on TV, memorize the choreography to music videos, and I always wanted to know how it all worked behind the scenes.”
Client landed a job with Universal Music Distribution. There you have it. Market yourself as the ideal candidate via a purposefully created cover letter, which augments the resume, convincing the employer you’ve got what they need…in a very special way.
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas is quadruple-certified as an (MRW) Master Resume Writer, (CERW), Certified Expert Resume Writer, (NCRW) Nationally Certified, and (ACRW) Academy Certified Resume Writer servicing domestic and international clients. She is a career blog author, social networking consultant, and career columnist. Her career marketing dossiers have been published nationally by industry-leading experts. She has been a guest on online career talk shows. Rosa blends expertise in resume writing and a 10+ year thriving career in corporate environments, leading executive-level teams, interviewing, and shaping top-tier employees.
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There were too many 'I's in the example to suit my taste. The I word draws attention back to the writter, and can offend. The writer should expound on accomplishments, but do so in such a way as to put the emphasis back on the reader. A reader that is edified in the letter will feel that the writter is smart enough to recognize that importance, and will be excited to get into the resume to see that smartness carried out.
Good points.
I was wondering about that myself, but, hey, he/she got the interview and the job. All despite being very me-myself-and I oriented. Other career coaches have excoriated me for demonstrating that I "only care about myself" in a cover letter, when all I did was provide a little personal backdrop to the credentials bill of fare in a business like manner so they'd know just who the heck was writing to them. And they wonder why candidates get paralyzed by conflicting opinions. Just "shows to go ya".
Agree with Darrell that the message is spot on but the delivery style may backfire - particularly in the UK, where a more subtle approach may be more beneficial. From many years in recruitment the big "I am" covering letters where the first to hit the bin. However, would very much recommend using actual stats for real achievements. These really do grab attention. Employers want substance over style - although of course, there are a few who don't know the difference!
I rarely bookmark articles on resumes or cover letters. Most are forgettable. This one is not. Each person must tailor their resumes and cover letters to their industry, corporate culture and country. However, it you don't get the reader at Hello, you won't have their interest three paragraphs later.
I agree with other comments about the me-myself-and-I tone of the music industry example cover letter. One strategy I use in writing cover letters for my clients is to match up, point by point, stated needs/desired skills from a job ad with actual results/experience that my client has to offer--and, yes, use it as teaser content to point to the resume for more detail. I do this with a "You need..." and "I have..." one-two-punch set up. It's worked great for my clients and keeps the focus squarely on the needs of the hiring company. Obviously, this is a heavily tailored approach; one letter will not work for multiple job ads, but that's the way every cover letter should be anyway, right?
I love the input and agree with your assessments. It's all about them. And "they" are the individuals hiring. What do they need? Where is their pain? What's their biggest headache with this position being open? Once armed with that knowledge, you can make your experience and track record of success relevant to the person who needs to hire. Because, if it isn't clear that by hiring you their life is going to be easier and/or they are going to shine brighter in their boss' eyes, you aren't getting an interview...much less an offer.
Excellent read and a very good way of structuring and approaching a cover letter.