By Simon Erlich
This article will provide you with tips to ensure your cover letter stands out from the stack.
It is common to feel burdened by the need to write a new cover letter for each new job application. As a result, many people end up with a generalized cover letter that they use with each job application. If this sounds like you, you might want to listen up as this is problematic for two reasons:
1. If you are applying to so many jobs that you are feeling burned-out by the application process, your job searching process could probably use a different approach.
2. Submitting a generalized cover letter is not a successful approach to standing out from the stack of other applicants.
So, what is a successful approach to writing cover letters that stand out? Keep reading for excellent cover letter writing tips or book a cover letter advising appointment.
1. A Cover Letter is Different from a Resume
I am always astonished by the number of cover letters I read that essentially regurgitate information that already exists in a resume.
The purpose of a resume is quite simply to illustrate that you have the skills, experiences, and knowledge to be able to successfully do the job for which the organization has carefully and intentionally written a job description. In other words, it answers the question “can this person actually do the job?” Read more in my blog post on how to write a successful resume.
Once the pool of applicants is shortened to the people who can do the job, the process becomes more about who can do the job most effectively and, importantly, who is going to fit in best with the organization and team. This is where the importance of the cover letter starts to take form. The cover letter can be seen as your first opportunity to illustrate how effectively you do your work and how well you understand an organization’s mission, vision, values, and culture.
In Summary:
Resume –> Shows what you know how to do/what your experiences and education are
Cover Letter –> Illustrates how you do your work and how you fit in with the organization in which you are applying. Usually, this is done by diving into a few specific and relevant examples.
2. What Not To Do In A Cover Letter
Address Your Cover Letter Generically
“To whom it may concern,”
– the unemployed
Okay, this is a bit of an overstatement. Some people have landed a job with that introduction, but it is terrible. If you really want a job, you should be interested in finding out who is going to be reading and evaluating your application (i.e. your future boss and/or human resources department). Importantly, to stand out from the pile of applications, you should make an effort to find out to who to address the cover letter to. Internet sleuthing, an email, or a simple phone call can often provide you this information:
Ring ring, ring ring… “Hi, my name is Simon, and I’m interested in applying to the vacant chef position at your restaurant and I would like to address my cover letter to the appropriate person. Who should I address it to?” Click.
Done. You have your name, and you made an effort that most others are not going to do. Way to stand out!
Avoid Nonspecific Introductions
“My name is Simon, and I am interested in applying to XXXXX job. I believe I am qualified for XXXXX job because I am awesome, smart, and funny.”
These are the kinds of introductions that the majority of other people applying to the same job are going to have. Not only is this generic introduction a lousy way to stand out, but it is also a lost opportunity to display your personality and share something unique about yourself.
Regurgitate What Is In Your Resume
Avoid re-listing the skills and experiences you have already showcased in your resume, but this time in paragraph form. You will not be able to discuss your vast number of experiences and skills in a one-page cover letter, so forget about trying. Instead, focus on what you feel are the most relevant skills and experiences to the job you are applying to and try to do an outstanding job thoroughly highlighting them.
3. What To Include In A Cover Letter
An Introductory Hook To Grab The Readers Attention
Remember, you are trying to have your application stand out from possibly hundreds of others. Think of your cover letter introduction as an opportunity to provide a glimpse into your personality and uniqueness. Personally, I like to start my cover letters by quoting something from the organizations mission statement and then relating it to my own experiences and skills.
Write Illustrative Anecdotes
Show, don’t tell. Do not say to the hiring manager that you have excellent communication, leadership, and management experience; you should have already done this in your resume. Instead, show them you have these skills by providing short and pithy anecdotes about past experiences where you used these skills. Here is an example of an anecdote I made up:
“In my experience, individuals working in isolation have less job satisfaction and yield poor results. As such, my approach to management encourages a collaborative work environment that allows teams to leverage each person’s strengths. While working at XXXXX, I changed the office structure to a more collaborative open office design and implemented the software program Slack to better facilitate teamwork.”
Provide Outcome Oriented Statements
Okay, so you provided a brief story to show what kind of manager you are. However, without an outcome statement, how is the hiring manager supposed to know that your management style is actually effective? To this point, you should strive to conclude your anecdotes with evidence of success. For example:
“…this resulted in a 50% increase in sales over only a three month period.”
This kind of outcome statement validates that the skills you are suggesting you have are actually effective.
Show That You Know The Organizations Culture And You Fit In It
Let me be frank. This is going to require some research. The more research you do, the better you will be able to relate to the organization and the more your cover letter will stand out. Consider booking an advising session to learn how to best discover an organizations culture. Starting with the organization’s online “about” section is an excellent place to start.
“Understanding that XXXXX strives to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their work, I want to emphasize the ‘plastic-free workplace’ initiative I facilitated when working at Couch Potatoes TV’s.”
Here you will have demonstrated two things compared to your competition.
1. You have taken the time to research the organization and learn about their values. This shows you care about this job.
2. You have done self-reflective work to consider whether you are actually a good fit for this job.
Many people apply to jobs without doing this critical self-reflective work and end up wanting to quit months later. Hiring managers like to invest in people that can clearly illustrate why they specifically want to work for their organization.
Thank Them For Their Time
Not to be underestimated is the importance of being kind and courteous throughout your application. Have empathy for the person on the other side of the hiring process. Any manager will tell you that it is a lot of work to read through stacks of applications, so have some empathy for the other side and close your cover letter with a genuine statement of gratitude for their time.
Conclusion
Speaking of which extending gratitude, thank you for taking the time to read this article! Writing a cover letter can be difficult work, but once you understand how to do it effectively it becomes a relatively simple part of the application process. Consider booking a cover letter advising session to ensure you know how to write stand out cover letters.