What makes a good cover letter?
One of the biggest challenges I have is writing cover letters to jobs I apply to. The reason for this is that you should demonstrate some knowledge of the company within the cover letter (or so I've been told). It's a difficulty for me because, honestly, I feel like I end up sounding fairly trite in my letter.
That said, when looking at a cover letter, what information are you looking for? Are there key pieces of information you expect in the letter?
Good Answers (3)
Hello Jonathan:
Don't waste the reader's time. If it sounds trite to you, it will sound trite and insincere to the reader.
I don't know your specific situation so let me outline some typical scenarios:
1. You don't know anything about the company and/or are sending out mass quantities of your resume (I actually don't recommend this approach but many of my peers do, so let's make the best of the situation).
Let your resume do the heavy lifting here. In your cover letter, be brief - i.e. "I saw your job posting for XYZ at ABC and am forwarding my resume for your consideration. Please call me at (555-555-5555) or email me at jh@jh.com if you have any questions or wish to schedule an interview. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, JH
That's it! why? you really don't have anything to say that isn't already covered in your resume.
the key pieces here that an employer wants to know:
a) what job are you applying for
b) how did you hear about it
c) contact information in the body of the letter - only give ONE phone number so that the person doesn't feel obligated to call every number you give
d) always say THANK YOU!!! (I can't emphasize this enough)
2) You are writing individual cover letters to a limited list of employers/job opportunities which fit the parameters of what would make you happy in your career (ideal!)
Dig a little deeper into each companies current activities. Go to their website and read their recent press releases. Look at what they are doing locally to where you are from local business or regular news sources. Think about how "what you do" is or can be a solution to what they are doing right now (from the press releases or local news). Whether you guess perfectly or not, write your best guess as to what they are doing right now and how you can be a solution for them. Even if you guess wrong, you'll show you are thinking. What you write won't sound trite and will be unique, giving them an opportunity to see what you are made of before you come through the door. If you are feeling enthusiastic and sincere about what you are writing, that will come through. (If you are feeling blase and depressed about it, you might reconsider if you really want to work for that company or what direction you are taking with them.)
Researching/contacting the person relevant to the position you seek and confirming the correct title/spelling of their name and company is critical.
Cover letters should be customized to the specific company and extend respect and knowledge. Start by focusing your attention on the company/organization you are pursuing. You do that by researching their history, market, development/growth, challenges and any media recognition of them, and then writing about that information you acquired in a positive and respectful tone. While it may sound trite to you, it can genuinely show how much you value what they do and the time you invested vs. a generic cover letter to any/everyone. This doesn't have to be long, but it has to show effort.
In an additional paragraph you can outline your skills and how they meet the needs of the company - even better if your background is cutting edge in an area of growth they are pursuing or might branch into. That demonstrates your potential worth and value to them.
Finally, what information you are attaching, when you will contact them, as well as thanking the person for your time can be included.
Prashant R.
Editorial & Product Head, Speciality Content at Times Internet Limited
Best Answers in: Resume Writing (1)
Hello Jonathan,
Similar question popped up about a week or so ago by Anthony Eashman. Since this answer worked for him, thought it might work for you to:
The first step would be to understand the purpose of the cover letter. The cover letter is supposed to give your CV/resume a personality. So, while a 1000 people could have graduated with Econ and followed it up with an MBA, only one person could have done it the way you did. And it is this “way you did” that forms the content of the cover letter. The cover letter is meant to hook the reader enough to go through your CV/resume and want to meet you in person.
Second, tailor your cover letter for the occasion. Write an individual cover letter specifically for the person who would (you’d imagine) be reading it. While you probably wouldn’t know that person on a personal level, write it keeping his environment in mind. Never have a one-size fit all cover letter, just like you wouldn’t have a one-size fit-all CV/resume.
The writing style should be contemporary and formal. “Avoid cliches like the plague.” Use short, formal and active sentences. Keep the tone direct and honest. Active sentences reflect your confidence and honesty. Avoid anything that could be remotely construed as flattery, however sincere you might be, it might not always read that way.
Make sure to answer every conceivable ‘why’ question. Some of these would be “Why did you study what you did,” “Why did you work there,” Why did you stay so long,” “Why did you leave” and the most important, “Why do you want to be a part of this organisation?”
There is considerable ambiguity regarding the “Where do I see myself in five years,” question so to include it would be a complete judgement call. If you think the reader would be impressed with it, go for it. If you honestly think you’d be stretching your imagination when writing it, leave it out. The last thing you want is to be called on it during your interview.
Moral of the story, be honest and be yourself, cheesy as it sounds. If you honestly worked as hard as it says on your CV/resume then you should only talk about it that way. The cover letter won’t get you a job, it will only interest the reader enough to want to meet you in person. That is the extent of its purpose. And the best way to make sure that happens is to write about yourself confidently, purposefully and honestly in a crisp and concise way.
Good Luck!
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More Answers (8)
Alyssa B.
Program Analyst at US Army, CECOM
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Hi Jonathan,
Have you thought about reaching out to the career services office at Hofstra or your alma mater ... this is one of the things your tuition pays for. If you would like, I would be happy to review what you have and give you some feedback - via e-mail or you can make an appointment to come into the office.
Good luck!
Alyssa
Laura H.
Information Technology Consultant
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I evaluate cover letters in addition to resumes. In my opinion, a great cover letter is concise yet differentiates the individual from others. Include a subset of skills and experience from the resume that is most relevant to the position and to the company in general (for example the industry that the company is in). A cover letter helps me decide whether I want to spend time reading a 2 to 3 page resume. This is especially critical if I receive too many resumes. I may make a decision on which ones to read based on the cover letter.
Joy M.
pumps up profits fast
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Whoever posted a job description told you what they want to hear about. So, your cover letter is already outlined for you. Just tell them, honestly, what they want to know about you.
Ray M.
Energy expert, educator, award winning sculptor
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Brief to the point and provides a quick introduction to who you are, what you can do for us and what you have accomplished.
John S. R.
Hallym University
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Good day Jonathan,
‘Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters’ is an excellent career development resource (including writing effective cover letters).
Good luck; regards,
John S. Rajeski
Links:
Elaine B.
Market-Savvy Resume Writing and Search Strategy
Best Answers in: Writing and Editing (1), Professional Books and Resources (1)
One of the things your cover letter has to do is differentiate you from other candidates. Be brief, be honest, but remember that the cover letter is an important part of your marketing plan and the reader has to want to move on to the resume. The reader wants to know what you can do for them and why they should call you. Thank them for their consideration and invite them to contact you for an interview.
Jennifer M.
Strategic HR Executive - 15 years in large, global organizations - Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare Industries
Best Answers in: Economics (2), Staffing and Recruiting (2), Career Management (1), Software Development (1)
Hi. I am an HR Professional who views 100's of resumes each day and I make the decision whether the person is interviewed or not. That being sai, I never read cover letters - I skip right to the resume. The only time I will go back to the cover letter is if I need clarification on something that is weird on the resume. For instance, if I have no idea what position the person is applying for, I'll look to the letter, so make sure that is your first line. "I am interested in applying for the xxx position opening you have available in your new york office." (If you are mass-applying for no job in particular, state what department/field/level you'd be qualified for....by the way the mass-apply approach rarely works). Another reason I may look to the letter is to explain a large gap in employment (i.e. if you were unemployed for 3 years, or if you haven't worked at all since 2005, or something like that). Another reason I may look to the cover letter is if you are in NYC and my job is in FL, I may look to see if you are willing to relocate or if you even know the job is in FL. So, if you have any weird gaps, haven't been working for a while, or are out of town, make sure you explain those (briefly) in your letter. Usually, the less you say is better - you want them to want to call you for more info about you and the more you say the more you risk saying the wrong thing. Finally, I would look to the letter to explain a career shift. For example, if you worked as a graphic designer for 10 years, then opened your own business selling widgets and now you're applying for a graphic design role again - why are you getting back into the field? I would question why you left the field in the first place, and why you're coming back....so that would need a short explanation in your letter.
Now that I'm seeing your profile I see that you are a recent grad...you probably don't have much experience for your resume to speak for itself...in this case you will want to highlight projects you worked on in school that directly relate to the field, honors, certificates, memberships in relevant societies, internships, etc. If there isn't much, then you will want to show your go-getter personality in your letter (very concisely!), just say that you are recently graduated and looking to embark on your HR career and would like to get in the door with a large, growing company so you can gain valuable experience and work your way up.....etc.
If you want more advice/help, I do resume writing and career and interview counseling on the side, and I'd be happy to help you out.
Ken M.
Career & Professional Development Consultant, Resonare Consulting; Assistant Director, Career Services, Emerson College
I like to say that a cover letter should answer three questions:
1. Why are you interested in the company?
2. Why should the company be interested in you?
3. What's the next step?
You need to show you're ability that you can write well, know something about the organization, and differentiate yourself. As was mentioned above, there are some recruiters/hiring managers that skip over the cover letter, and others who look at it first to see if you can persuade. This is your opportunity to show how professional you are and if you can convince them that you're already the professional that they need. You don't need to restate the resume, but give them a pointer.
Your resume shows that you are a professional in the field. The cover letter should show that not only are you a professional, but you're the perfect person for that position.
