Blog - Cover Letter Sells You

Posted on October 11, 2022

An opportunity to state your case as to why the employer should hire you. It is your story in your own words. Does it take time to compose a good cover letter? Yes. But constructing a well-written cover letter that can be tailored to each application is a task that you should only have to do once. The advent of social media with lightning fast iPhones has resulted in basic communication becoming greatly abbreviated. Shortened words and phrases have seen the elimination of even basic grammar resulting in messages that contain little personal touches and less warmth and personality.

I’m not against modern technology, but when it comes to your job campaign taking shortcuts is a recipe for failure.

Let’s start with the cover letter. More and more the simple act of writing an effective cover letter has gone by the wayside. Too often candidates fill out an online application and ignore the option of writing a persuasive cover letter to go along with it. Ignoring or skimping on a cover letter is lazy and potentially fatal to your job candidacy. Why do job applicants do this? Frankly, they may not possess good writing skills. Ask yourself, how many people do you know that are good writers? The answer is likely very few.

But the fact is a cover letter is a tool that can set you apart from candidates with similar qualifications to you.

So let’s move past being intimidated by having to write a good cover letter and get started. Begin with this premise. One of the easiest things to do is to talk about yourself, right? Of course, it is. I guarantee you will be asked by an interviewer to “tell me about yourself.” So why not start doing that before you meet in the cover letter.

Your resume will present the facts while the cover letter reveals who you are as a potential employee.

Begin your letter with a personalized greeting, “Dear ABC Company.” Try to avoid beginning with the words, “To Whom It May Concern.”

Start you’re the body of your cover letter with a strong and positive statement describing why the company should hire you. For example, “As someone with the skills and experience, you described I would be a great addition to your team in this role.” Next, briefly elaborate on that statement. “My years of experience performing in a similar role would enable me to fit in and hit the ground running in the job.”

In the next paragraph summarize that experience. “I helped XYZ Company provide great customer service though my superior phone skills, attention to detail and record of satisfied clients.” If what you did in your earlier positions fit in with the job explain that in one sentence. If you have unique or special skills that set you apart describe them.

Do NOT mention any negatives such as layoffs or periods of unemployment. And do not list any personal hobbies or activities. Do not attach any photos unless asked to do so.

Close your cover letter with an invitation to the employer to contact you. “I would enjoy the chance to meet and invite you to contact me at 702-555-5555 to arrange an interview.

Thank the employer for their consideration and end by telling them that you look forward to meeting with them. If you know the contact’s name and number, by all means, tell them you will follow up with them within the next week.

Close with the phrase, “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”

Your good cover letter is something you should have in a separate Microsoft Word document that you can copy and paste repeatedly. I personally hate typing to I use the text of my Word cover letter over and over again. It is a major time saver.

Utilizing a cover letter along with an effective resume is the foundation of your job hunt. Oh, and stay away from all of those abbreviations, images and shortened words used on your cell phone text messages. Save those for telling your friends you just got hired!