The Key to Cover Letters that Everyone Overlooks
Posted January 13, 2014 & filed under Resume
There is loads of literature on what to put in a cover letter; articles on words to include and leave out take the cake in sheer numbers, but rarely is the topic of style taken into consideration. Sure, you know what you want to say, but how should you go about saying it? If a hiring manager is only going to spend a few seconds perusing your cover letter, shouldn’t it be the most fascinating couple of seconds of his or her life.
The right hook: how to come out swinging
The first sentence of your cover is the single most important thing you will write on the entire page. It is the only sentence that the can be guaranteed to read in full. From there, he or she will merely be skimming for information about your qualifications and skills. So get it right.
The worst way to start off your cover letter is by telling the hiring manager what he or she already knows. If you are starting the letter by saying that you are interested in applying for a job at the company, the hiring manager is going be left thinking, “duh!”
You have one sentence, a mere handful of words to get them hooked on who you are, to infect them with curiosity and to get them addicted to what you can do for their company. You want to ensnare and enrapture them into not only thinking, but believing that you are the best person for the job. And you want them to be biased towards hiring you before you step into the interview.
The basic story arc
Your cover letter should play out like a mini movie, drawing in the audience by tugging at their curiosity in the beginning, keeping them entertained and interested throughout the second act, and never disappointing them in the end.
Start with a brief but personal overview on how you got involved in the industry. It helps to get personal here. What really drives you forward in your career? Why do you do what you do? The hiring manager has a heart, so play to it. Differentiate yourself from all other candidates before they even know your qualifications. From there you can move onto your current or most recent job, then move on to what you can do for the company.
Keywords: it’s more than just having them
From the first sentence on, you will have to command the attention of the hiring manager with every word you write. There is no guarantee that he or she will read every sentence, but they will most certainly be looking for those that contain words relating to the position, the company, or their specific industry.
But merely having these words present in your cover letter will not be enough to wow anyone. You must embed them in sentences that keep the hiring manager’s eyes on the page as long as possible. If they are just slapped throughout the page like a list of qualifications, you are doing nothing more than writing a preamble to your resume – which they may spend even less time perusing if your cover letter doesn’t wow them.
Think about how you have used these keywords throughout your work experience. Having six sigma written on the page isn’t nearly. You must show how you used it. What benefit did the company receive by your use of this keyword? Actions always speak louder than words when comes to writing a good cover letter.
What can you do to make your cover letter more readable?
Style has its place in your cover letter. It is not enough to nail down the first sentence, the basic story arc, and the most attractive keywords. Stay tuned next week to find out how to specifically employ style in your cover letter, or cut through the suspense by contacting a recruiter and getting started on creating the perfect cover letter today.
By Kevin Withers
