Do you think a good cover letter matters when you have an awesome resume? You bet it does! If your cover letter doesn’t intrigue the person reading it, they won’t read your resume.
A cover letter is what gives hiring managers a little bit of insight about you. It’s meant to catch the attention of the reader so they want to read more about you. Don’t give away all your information, but enough to catch their interest and be intrigued. Allow your personality to shine in your cover letter.
When writing a cover letter, follow these dos and don’ts that will have the hiring manager giving you a call for an interview.
Divide your cover letter into four separate paragraphs and use a standard business letter format.
- Date
- Your name and address
- The company name, Attn. to: and address
- Re:
- Dear
- Paragraphs 1 – 4
- Best Regards, Sincerely
- Signature/phone number/email
Related: Want to Write a Winning Resume? Read This!
When writing your cover letter, these are the are standard DO NOTS –
1. No typos or grammatical errors – it shows poor grammatical skills and that you don’t take the job application seriously.
2. Don’t lie or embellish – at some point in the hiring process, or after you are hired, the truth will come out.
3. Talk only about current information – Stay away from writing about being laid off, quitting, or being fired. Rehashing problems in your past gives the appearance you have unresolved issues with a prior company.
4. It may sound great when you drop names in your cover letter but don’t reference people you know unless they are a big names in the field (i.e.: Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates, Donald Trump – you get the idea). Often the person reading your cover letter will not know who you are referencing, so you are wasting real estate where you can give valuable information about yourself.
5. Don’t restate your resume in your cover letter, focus on the reasons you should be hired.
6. Write out abbreviations and don’t use slag even if you believe it is standard for the position. The hiring manager may not know the terms used in the position.
7. Avoid mentioning why you want to leave your current job.
8. Do not discuss salary requirements.
9. Never talk badly about yourself or about the people or companies you worked for.
10. Stay away from mentioning weaknesses you want to improve. This is not the place to answer, “What is my greatest weakness.”
Must Haves –
1. Keep your cover letter to one page.
2. Customize each cover letter to target the specific job description.
3. Speak the language of the company. Whether conservative, tradition, creative, or entrepreneurial, use the appropriate language.
To Whom It May Concern –
1. Do your research and find out who to address your cover letter to. Don’t use “Whom It May Concern”.
2. If you cannot find out who to address your letter to, check the company’s About Page or Executive’s Page and address your cover letter to the person in charge of the department you are applying for.
3. Use Dr., Mr. or Ms. as a prefix and address them as such in your cover letter. Overly familiar usage of the person’s first name when you don’t know them is presumptuous.
4. Use Dear So & So, or begin with their name. Dr., Mr., or Ms. So & So.
5. In the Re: area state the position you are applying for. Use the first paragraph to write about what drew you to apply for the position.
1st Paragraph – Think about having 15 seconds to sell yourself and write the best first sentence you can think of.
1. Avoid starting the first paragraph with “My name is . . .” or “I am applying for . . . position.”
2. Summarize why you are a perfect fit for the position. How can you help the company? Research ahead of time and reference the information in your letter. The more you know about the company, the better you will be able to tailor your cover letter to match what the company is looking for.
3. Start with showing your passion and enthusiasm for the position. Why do you want this job?
4. Mention what you love about the company. Give an honest compliment.
5. Lead with your successes and how they fit the position you are applying for.
2nd and 3rd Paragraphs – Fill the reader in about your skills and specific achievements to learn more about you.
1. Mention how to help the company by matching your unique skills to their qualifications. This is where research on the company will give you an edge over other applicants.
2. Include information that is not on your resume. Mention why you have experience and strengths for the position.
3. Detail your achievements and share some unique information about your past.
4. Show confidence without bragging.
5. Don’t list skills if they are not pertinent to the position.
Related: 26 Reasons Your Resume Hasn’t Gotten You An Interview
4th Paragraph – Showing thanks and enthusiasm for the job.
1. Thank the person for reading your resume.
2. Make a personal connection and show excitement for the position you are applying for.
3. Ask for an interview. “Please call me at – – – to schedule an interview.” or “I welcome the opportunity to review my resume with you. I can be reached at – – -.”
In closing –
1. Name your cover letter – name – position – cover letter (johnsmith-senioraccountant-coverletter)
2. If emailing directly to the hiring manager, your cover letter is the body of the email unless they have requested you attach your cover letter separately.
3. Don’t be afraid to let your style and personality show through. Let the person reading your letter get to know you.
Have you written a great cover letter that landed you an interview? Please share with others what your best strategy was.
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