“Your cover letter is the first thing most employers read and sparks their interest in knowing more about you,” says Louise Kursmark, co-author of 15-Minute Cover Letter: Write an Effective Cover Letter Right Now. Here are her four easy tips to writing a cover letter that gets you noticed:
1. Start with a name. Whenever possible, avoid addressing your letter “To whom it may concern.” If you don’t know the name of the person who’ll receive your letter, head to linkedin.com to find the name of the hiring manager or a contact in the human resources department or call the company and ask for it.
2. Mention what you can do for them. Writing about what attracted you to the company may be an effective way to butter them up, but saying how you can improve their bottom line, get better results or recreate the kind of achievements you had at past jobs makes you instantly more hirable. “It shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile to make the company a success.”
3. Keep it short and simple. People get bored reading long, densely-worded letters and will give up before reaching the end. So, avoid retelling your entire work history (that’s what your resume is for), and instead focus on touching on just a few key skills and successes.
4. End with a memorable P.S.. Most people naturally jump to the P.S. portion of a letter first. You can take advantage of this quirk by writing something in the postscript that’s sure to impress, such as a special skill or achievement, for example, “I’m also fluent in Spanish, which enabled me to increase the Spanish-speaking customer base by 20% when I was the assistant branch manager at my last job.”
Tip: Does the job ad you’re responding to ask for a resume, but doesn’t mention a cover letter? Send one, anyway, since it’s usually expected and will help you stand out from others who don’t send one.
[photo: lululemon]
