Advanced Resume Concepts ::: Cover Letter Tips by Pat Kendall, NCRW

The cover letter plays an important role in the job search, and if done properly, it can substantially improve your ability to compete for jobs and generate interviews. It adds a personal touch to your application and shows employers that you are a serious, professional candidate.

In addition, a well-written cover letter demonstrates your communication and organizational skills by example and shows that you are the type of candidate who is willing to go the extra mile. In this highly competitive job market, the cover letter gives you a much needed edge over other job seekers, because it gives you an opportunity to describe how your specific skills and accomplishments uniquely qualify you for the job.

Rule #1: Customize to Fit
Take the time to customize your cover letter to fit the employer's requirements. Before you start writing, review the criteria for the position and make a list of what the employer wants. This list might include specific areas of expertise, years of experience, technical knowledge, transferable skills, and personality traits. Then, incorporate these items into your letter, demonstrating by example that you have the desired qualifications.

Rule #2: Meet the Employer's Needs
Write the cover letter with the employer's needs in mind – not your own. Don't describe what YOU want, but explain what you can do for the employer. Don't assume that the employer will read between the lines of your resume and dig out the relevant information. They won't. To get their attention, you have to actively describe how you can meet their needs.

Everything that
is written merely to
please the author
is worthless.

— PASCAL —

Rule #3: Actively Sell Yourself
Tell them WHY they should hire you. Be assertive about your qualifications without being egotistical. The tone of your letter should be professional, but sound as if a real person wrote it – in other words, not too pretentious or formal. One way to judge your letter is to read it out loud. Do you trip over the words? Does it sound like an attorney wrote it? If so, work on it until it flows naturally and has a conversational tone.

Rule #4: Keep it Simple
Use a simple block format with left flush margins and ragged right margins, since that looks most like a letter typed on a typewriter. Your cover letter will generate a better response if it LOOKS like it was individually typed rather than computer-generated. Most cover letters should be limited to one page, preferably 3-5 paragraphs. In addition, use job-appropriate language (not too stuffy) and avoid pretentious phrases like those mentioned in my Gallery of Pretentious Cover Letter Phrases.

The second paragraph should outline your qualifications for the position and focus on the most relevant aspect(s) of your background (e.g., years of experience, formal education, special training, technical skills, current responsibilities, or highlights of earlier jobs).

The best cover letters also include examples of accomplishments and quantifiable results. If you're a salesperson, describe how you increased sales volume. If you're a manager, explain how you cut costs and improved profits. If you're a human resources professional, describe how you reduced employee turnover or developed training programs that increased productivity. In other words, show how you contributed to your previous employers' operations.

I have made this letter longer
than usual, because I lack the time
to make it short.