Cover Letter Help That Gets the Job

I often say that sending a résumé without a cover letter is like leaving your house with a shirt and no pants. A cover letter is part of your presentation – the entire package. It must accompany your résumé. The proper presentation early on in your search process will yield stronger results. You wouldn’t consider leaving your house with no pants, would you? Then why would you risk sending your résumé for a position you want without your all-important cover letter?

A cover letter allows you to explain your work history, strengths, and capabilities in connection with how you will make an impact in the role. It gives you an opportunity to market yourself and explain how you would bring value to the company.

I have seen articles posted by a few career professionals who think the cover letter is dead – something that is no longer necessary; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in a highly competitive job market, a cover letter is a vital part of communicating why you, above all other applicants, are worth interviewing. 

If you don’t want to bombard the reader with several Word files, consider putting the cover letter in the body of the email. This will alleviate the reader from having to open an extra file – the best part is that the recipient will be more inclined to read it! 

• Be sure to reference the exact role you are seeking to fill, so there is no confusion as to the position you are interested in securing.
• Address the cover letter to a specific person. Do your best to determine the name of the hiring manager or HR person who will be receiving your information. Some online research about the company (consider using LinkedIN) will likely yield “THE NAME.”
• Provide a broad overview of your career history along with a few specific accomplishments that illustrate your past performance. You should modify the wording if you take examples from your résumé. The cover letter should highlight some things that are not mentioned in the résumé. It should not repeat what the résumé says verbatim. Use this as an opportunity to demonstrate your USP (unique selling proposition).
• If you are trying to make a career transition, you may want to explain why it is you are passionate about the new role and discuss how you will apply your skills to make a seamless and successful transfer.
• Let the reader know you would like to set up a time to speak.  If you tell them you will be following up, be specific with a day and time – then follow through.

A cover letter is an excellent way to get more detailed information across to the potential recruiter or hiring manager, and should serve as a complement to your results focused résumé. By creating a compelling introduction, you are setting the proper tone for any subsequent follow-up meetings, and allowing a potential employer to understand who you are and how well you communicate.