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Written by words
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INTRO: See my article about the basics of crafting a cover letter. “How to Write a Cover Letter for the Job you want”. Today’s job market is crowded and a lot of worthwhile people are getting ignored. Read this article to make sure your cover letter stands out from the crowd.
STEP 1. The purpose of a cover letter is to motivate the recipient to look at your resume and you want yours to work. Ask yourself: how much do you want this job? If you answered; ‘Big Time’, you want that passion to speak for you in your cover letter.
STEP 2. Avoid cliché phrases and speak from your heart. You’re the one who’s going after this job and you want to get it, so you want your positive personality to connect with the person who receives it. Everyone’s story is their individual fingerprint. What’s your story and how does it relate to this job? Tell that story. If you feel unsure how to write it, tell it to someone else orally, first, and have them make notes. Make sure your story is memorable.
STEP 3. What are your career goals? How will getting this job forward those goals? How does your life path intersect with this job? Draw those connections in your letter so the reader sees this step as a logical outgrowth of what you’ve previously done.
STEP 4. What are the accomplishments you’ve achieved that contribute to the value you bring to this position. If there’s a learning curve, why would you be able to learn faster than anyone else? Are you already interested or have you already started to learn skills that are relevant to this job? Be sure your story outlines how getting this job would be a win-win for you and the business you want to work for.
STEP 5. You can’t go on and on in a cover letter or your audience will go to sleep on you. The entire letter should not be longer than a single page and your personal story needs to fit into one Power Packed Paragraph! Don’t worry about space when you start drafting, only when you think you’re finished. Then, go back into the paragraph that tells your personal story and look for where you’re repeating yourself. Find ways to say the same thing with less words. Less can be more when the words you choose are powerful.
STEP 6. Though your other paragraphs may be somewhat dryer as they draw relevant connections with your professional background and the job, look for ways you can include something of the atmosphere you created with your personal story into the other parts of the letter. Always study the job ad for clues about specific attributes your prospective employer might be looking for and how you can draw connections with your own life experiences.
STEP 7. Is your prospective employer online? Go to the web site and learn everything you can about this company and look for ways your story fits into theirs. Note the way they describe their own goals and objectives. Is their description, in any way, similar to the way you describe yourself? How can your letter sound like it fits this company? Chose language that reflects theirs to be sure you’re on the same page.
TIPS: Think about specifics you can use that will illustrate your effectiveness. If you can give numbers that back this up, so much the better. This is especially true when you’re seeking a selling job.
WARNINGS: Make sure your tone is always positive!
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