Six Things You Must “Nail” in a Cover Letter

Cover letter! Those are possibly the two most dreaded words known to any job seeker.  If you feel your cover letter is weak, take a look at the list below of six things that you must “nail” in a cover letter.  If you master these categories, you will have an effective cover letter. Not only that, you may even enjoy writing cover letters. (Well, that may be extreme.) 

Salutation

Take the time to get an appropriate contact name and accurate title. Always address your cover letter to the real name of the person best suited to review your résumé.  In some cases this will be the hiring managers and other times it will be the human resources manager.  You can obtain these names by researching the company’s website or calling the company’s main telephone number.  Never use “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir” as your salutation. If you simply cannot get a name (hey, it happens) try “Dear Hiring Manager.”

Why You Are Writing

The reader should not be confused as to the purpose of the letter or which position you seek.   If you are responding to a specific job posting, name that job.  If you are sending a cold letter for current or future openings, indicate the functional area in which you are interested.  For example, you could reference, “software development.”  If your purpose is not clear, your cover letter is Spam to the recipient.

What You Have to Offer

So many candidates simply give up on the letter-writing process.  They send a one-line note saying, “Attached my resume in response to your posting for the help desk associate position.”  You’ve got to sell yourself.  Tell the reader why he should spare an extra minute to read your resume. Include a few specific accomplishments that illustrate your past performance.  A lazy letter will be deleted without hesitation.

The Close

Do you ever wonder why you have not heard from a company after you sent a resume? Of course you do! I hear about this on a daily basis. What if you had more control over the next step following your resume submission? Guess what?  You do.  The best approach is to write that you will make a follow-up call in one week to discuss the opportunity or schedule an interview.  (Then, of course, you must make that call.)  If you were advised in the posting not to make a call, write that you welcome an opportunity to discuss the opening with an appropriate representative.

Proper Grammar and Format

Always follow proper grammar rules in cover letters and cover emails, including proper punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure. Don’t abbreviate words and don’t use texting short-hand.  If English is not your strength, seek help from a professional writer.  Use spell check tools, but don’t rely solely on spell check.  For cover letters, use a standard block style.  For a cover email start with “Dear Mr./Ms. __________:” and add a space between each paragraph.  Leave one blank between your closing (Sincerely,) and your name. Write your phone number beneath your name. 

Right Letter for the Right Job

Surprisingly, one of the biggest cover letter errors is mismatched information.  When managing an intense job search, you may send out 20 resumes and cover letters per week.  It’s easy to forget to change the name of a company inside the body of the letter or forget to change the name of the target job.  You read the document so often that you start to see what you want to see.  Always have friend proofread your letter.  If your friend can’t keep up with your cover letter volume, print each letter on pink paper. Read it from bottom to top and top to bottom.  Those tricks will help you catch mistakes you may miss on the screen.

Nail the above six items and you will be head and shoulders above your competition.  The first cover letter may take a bit of time.  As you get more practice, the process will get easier and your letters will improve. If you want to read more on this topic, check out these articles: “Establish Your Personal Brand in Your Cover Letter” and “What Is a Professional Resume?”