The ABCs of an Effective Cover Letter

The ABCs of an Effective Cover LetterThe ABCs of an Effective Cover LetterCover letters are the bane of existence for many job seekers (as the tweets below attest). Its unclear if anyone reads them or what employers even expect from them, and the rules are always changing.I hate writing CVs and titelseite letters ?? I am great, just hire me ??- Ashley Clarke (clarkeash) May 26, 2014I hate writing cover letters desperateforajob someonehiremeplz- Christina Malibiran (ChrissyMalibu) May 23, 2014Seriously the worst part about job hunting is writing cover letters. I hate writing cover letters- Bridget Brady (purrtygurl717) May 21, 2014I hate putting so much time into cover letters, assessments, posting job history EVEN THO my resume is attached, for jobs tht dnt even call- Pooh (_love_pooh__) May 20, 2014Used properly, cover letters can be a huge asset to your job search, but they do take time and effort to create. If youre wondering if its worth it to write cover letters, start by as king yourself unterstellung questions. Be honest. The answer to some or even all of them might be no.Do the companies Im applying to explicitly require a cover letter?Are there things about my work experience, accomplishments or rolleality that would be helpful to explain to hiring managers?Are there things I want hiring managers to know that arent on my resume or would be awkward to put on my resume?Am I willing to put in the time and effort to write a good cover letter?If youre still reading, its likely that you answered yes, or at least maybe, to one of the questions. Before you dive into writing your cover letter, here are some things to think about.The Truth About Cover Letters1. Your cover letter can mean the difference between getting an interview and getting ignored.For example, imagine that you really want to work as a recruiter, but you only havesales jobs experienceon your resume. By using a cover letter you can explain that many of the skills you use as a salesperson (su ch as cold-calling prospects, understanding client needs, making a case for the benefit of your product) can easily be translated into arecruiting job, which requires calling potential candidates, understanding candidate fit and promoting your company culture to top talent. Without a cover letter, a hiring manager may immediately decide that your skills are elend a fit because you dont explicitly have recruiting experience.2. Your cover letter can potentially hurt your chances mora than it helps them.A poorly written cover letter thats filled with grammatical mistakes signals to employers that you lack attention to detail. The rationale is that if you put so little effort into your cover letter, then how much attention are you likely to pay to your job? If you decide to take the time to write a cover letter, make sure its a good one.3. There are no universal opinions about cover letters.The truth is that there are very few absolutes regarding cover letters. Some hiring managers love them, and somedont read them. Some recruiters expect them as a formality, and sometimes resumes are passed around internally and get separated from their cover letter entirely. For this reason you should consider two rules of thumb as you think about whether a cover letter is right for you.Rule 1First, do no harm. If you have nothing to say, and you arent willing to take the time to write, proofread and spellcheck a cover letter, then dont write a cover letter at all.Rule 2If the application instructions say that a cover letter is required, then include a cover letter no matter what. Make sure to spellcheck it.Now that youve decided that you must incorporate a cover letter into yourjob searchstrategy, take a look at these real-life samples. If you were to grade your current cover letter according to these standards, what grade would your letter receive?Grade DI had talked a gentleman at the Name of school job fair on Date. He mentioned that I should apply for this position. This cover letter is worse than no cover letter. It actively works against the candidate. The letter is only two sentences, and it is missing a word. The letter says nothing about why the candidate is interested in the position or what skills might make this person good at the job. What we learned about this candidate based on this letter is that the candidate couldnt be bothered to proofread the letter and seemed to be applying solely at a strangers urging. Unfortunately these are not the key qualities that most employers look for in a new employee.Grade CThis letter is to express my interest in the job posting listed on your website. Based on my skills and interests, I believe that I would be a valued addition to your team. I believe there is a good fit between my skills set and requirements to this position This letter is an average, obligatory letter. It may not ruin the candidates chance of receiving an interview, bu t it doesnt enhance the candidate and is likely to be ignored.Grade BI was pleased to learn of your need for a job title. With solid Field A knowledge, extensive Field B working experience and excellent interpersonal communication skill, I am writing to apply for this position. Through my studies as a major at University, I have the opportunity to learn A, B, and C and to complement my theoretical research knowledge with hand-on training at Company M.This letter is a good start for a recent graduate. It is personalized to theadvertised joband tries to tie together school knowledge with the job duties. Some cleanup is needed to fix the typos, but this is a start to a potentially successful letter.Grade AI am writing to apply for the job title at Company. This summer I graduate with a degree in major and am eager to continue improving my X and Y skills in a company environment. I believe that my previous experience with X and Y make me an effective candidate for this internship. I am particularly drawn to this internship because my knowledge, skills and qualifications closely match those described in the job description. Please consider the followingExample 1Example 2Example 3While it may seem unusual for a graduate student to apply for a position such as this, I want you to know that I am interested in this internship because I want a career where I get to do activities 1, 2, and 3. I want to explore how activity 4 can improve critical function for a company. As a result, I am willing, and am able, to relocate to location (of my own accord) for this internship.This letter is great. It serves the purpose of providing more information about the candidate that a traditional resume cant. The beginning of the letter clearly tells us the status of the candidate, why the candidate is interested in the job and why she is qualified. This job seeker then provides several examples to support her claim that she is qualified for the position. She closes the letter by answer ing some potential objections or questions that a hiring manager might have, such as the perception that she might be overqualified or that she would expect relocation assistance.The required language and tone of a successful cover letter will vary by industry and culture, but the basics of this letter are sound.As you create your cover letter, use these samples as a guide of what (and what not) to do to vie for a spot on the interview schedule.