Career TOOLBox #5: Cover Letters – Attracting Attention

You have a fabulous resume and your list of targeted firms, so time for the cover letter. Your goal now is to reach out to these companies and convince them why you’re the best candidate for the position. The process of selecting to whom your letters will go, the letter content and tone and the method itself is not an exact science, but, rather, a reflection of the company’s culture and your own personality. Respecting hiring managers’ ever eroding time, keep it short and compelling. According to Nonna Kofman, a leading marketing expert, “Make yourself more memorable and avoid the usual opening sentences. Start your letter with something unexpected that communicates your unique value in an interesting way.” So before you start drafting your pleas for employment, you may want to consider the following advice.

Write Succinctly

As with resumes, people don’t have a lot of time to read anything, and, yet, proper protocol must be followed. As a general guideline, have one powerful introductory statement and, if there’s a mutual contact or connection, be sure to include that in the very first sentence. Then, write one to two high-impact paragraphs addressing why you are the best candidate for this job, because you understand the company’s needs and, based on your record, will succeed in helping the firm achieve its goals. Adds Kofman, “I look at the letter as a teaser – it should come to the point quickly and interest me in reviewing the resume. Unless you’re applying for a job that demands professional writing skills, stick to one paragraph.” Finish the letter with a thank you and, taking a clue from Alec Baldwin, “Always be closing.” State when you will follow up with the firm and be sure to do so.

Write to Your Audience

The best advice a friend once told me when applying to an overseas college program was, “Think about the person who will read your application. Imagine what she looks like, the room she’s sitting in, the time of day she will be reading your letter.” This wisdom helped me get into a certain state of mind and, while I didn’t fly to Paris that summer due to budgetary constraints, the program did accept me. The point being is, if you’re applying at Apple, imagine the creative influence and sophisticated minimalism of that corporation. What about you reflects that same kind of progressive attitude? If your goal is a position at a law firm, is it in you to retain a level of conservatism that’s expected in that industry? And, if working with kids is your dream, do you have the patience and selflessness to succeed in a school, often a very political environment? Regardless of your desired professional objective, make sure your letter reflects the consistency of a similar tone between you and the place you desire to work and provide examples that demonstrate this overlap.

Write to the Job

If you want to differentiate yourself from the hundreds of applicants competing for the same job, do yourself a big favor and read the job description. Then, if your skills match, go ahead and lift the most relevant key words and phrases and incorporate them into your letter (being careful with font consistency if you’re copying/ pasting). If the job requires certain certification (CPA), a process familiarity (Six Sigma) or foreign language skills (Spanish) and you have any of them, state this! The cover letter is, ultimately a proposal: you are wooing the organization. Take it further and count the number of “I”s you have in your letter. If it’s more than five, then you’re focusing too much on yourself and not enough on the company.

Write to the Firm’s Passions, and to Yours

Has the company recently been in the news? Has it secured a new patent? Did it sponsor a major sporting event? Is it contributing to rebuilding a community? Did it just open a new store within your driving distance? Make sure you study the firm’s site, your local media and, if publicly traded, any news from the Street. Gathering information today is simpler than ever and it’s your responsibility to know everything you possibly can about the organization, not just for the cover letter, but also for the interview (next month’s column) and for the job itself. Based on all you discover, marry what’s key to the firm to what’s key for you. If inspired, take a chance and write to a CEO whom you genuinely admire, tell her so and why you want to work for her. The more genuine your story is, the greater the likelihood of you securing your professional position.

First written in April 2010.  

Reprinted with permission and gratitude from CoolCleveland.com.

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