What You Should Know About How to Write that Cover Letter. Improve Your Chances of Getting the Interview

It’s that time of year again. The time when students get to sift through the little doled out, mostly disappointing job offerings from companies and hope that at least one will be something they want to do.

We can change all of that. If you are a member of the class of ‘x’ please read this post carefully – because it will tell you how to write your cover letter in a way that makes it stand out from the crowd and improve your chances at obtaining an interview.

For those that are returning to the job market after some time off or for the seasoned professionals that are looking for a new job, your cover letter is a crucial element in getting your resume even looked at and considered for an interview. Before I get too far into this post I want to add this disclaimer: your resume will always be first reviewed. The main reason you are writing a cover letter is to give you a chance to convince them to look at your resume. Every time.

Your cover letter and resume are a combined effort. If your resume is great and you have an amazing cover letter, it may push you over the top. (I don’t know though.) If your resume is good and you have a great cover letter but not one that stands out in any way, your chances of getting an interview are extremely low.

For the first thing I want to say is to keep it simple. Unless you are writing a cover letter for the President of the United States, don’t assume that your reader will read it all in one sitting (and really, who does?). It’s probably going to go onto two pages at best. It’s better if it doesn’t.

Creating a great first impression is the most important thing a cover letter can do. It must be short, precise and to the point. Sometimes less is more – but not always!

The cover letter is your chance to sell yourself and show the company why you are the best fit for their position. You should know what you want to write about before you begin writing your cover letter; there are some standard elements that must be included in each one no matter what:

Your credentials – these should include your experience, education, certifications and anything else relevant that will help convince the employer that you have what it takes.

Why you want the job – this is where you tell the employer why you have chosen their company, why you want to work for them and how your experience will help with their business goals.

Reasons for leaving – if you are including this, it better be good. And it better be really recent. There is no worse thing that can happen to someone applying for a job than saying they left one company because they hated everyone and everything about it. If this is the case, you need to give an explanation that will make the other company look like they were awful and unsatisfactory in every way but that somehow YOU were able to handle working there.

If you are lucky enough to have a position that is open or the employer has told someone in the past not to apply or there are no recent openings, you can include some positive comments about working with that person, in their previous position. I say this because it’s best if you keep your cover letter straightforward and not overly promotional. I also say this because this is the type of thing that many people do and it annoys me. Here’s why:

First of all, anything you write about yourself – any praise for your own talents, skills or experience – must be warranted by your accomplishments and abilities. If you are not very good at something, don’t write about it. If you didn’t work hard, don’t write about it. If you weren’t paid what anyone would consider as fair, don’t write about it – especially in a cover letter for a job that does not require you to apply for other jobs. If someone repeatedly treated you unfairly or perhaps incorrectly, keep that to yourself. It will only hurt your career prospects and probably their chances of hiring.

You are writing this letter because someone has decided they want to hire you. If you think that someone looking over your cover letter will give you a chance to criticize past employers or coworkers then I’m sorry, but they are not going to do that.

In the part where you talk about why you want the job and what you can do for the company, it’s best to focus on your skills and abilities. Your resume will indicate how long and when you worked at certain things. You don’t need to repeat it in a letter telling them how great you are at them. Keep it short and sweet. You might want to describe your experience or your skills in one or two paragraphs. You can give examples of why you have these skills, what you’ve learned – basically tell them why they should hire you right now.

What to avoid in your cover letter:

Do not use fancy fonts (Times New Roman is probably fine)

Do not use different types of paper – basic white copier paper is fine but I would avoid fancy stuff unless you are applying for something artsy related (like a graphic designer position or a similar job). If they like the resume, they will probably look at the cover letter too.

Do not include samples of your work or examples of previous writing

Do not hand in your cover letter and resume at the same time – unless you are applying for a position that basically requires you to do so. You will have to address any questions or concerns they have about what you have included in your cover letter.

If they require it, tell them why you are applying now and whether they will be hiring more people soon. If it’s a good position, this is probably fine.

Conclusion:

Make sure you read the instructions at the top of your cover letter and that you have addressed any concerns they may have (or if they require it, tell them why you are applying now and whether they will be hiring more people soon). After you are finished, take a few seconds to read what other people have written as well. It really helps. Then drop off your resume and/or cover letter at the employer’s office or place of business. If it’s in a box at their front door, you might want to include an extra set of hands to carry it in there for you. Take a minute after you’ve delivered everything and wait for them to tell you where to sign.