Doing a cover letter poorly, however, is worse than not doing one at all. A whopping 76 percent of recruiters surveyed said they would not consider applicants who had errors in their cover letters.
How can you make sure your cover letter helps more than hurts. Follow these basic tips.
Customize Your Cover Letter
Contrary to popular thought, your cover letter is less about you than how you match up with the job being advertised.
Before you sit down to write your cover letter, get a copy of the job description you're applying for.
If you found the job online, the job description is usually the job ad itself.
If you found the job in a newspaper, it's unlikely that the job ad contains the full job description, so you'll either have to go with the information you have in the brief ad or write to the employer and request a job description.
Read the job description carefully a couple of times. Then, note parallels between your own skills and those required for the position.
Many job descriptions also mention software that applicants should be familiar with. Be sure to take an inventory of your own software skills and note which of these match up with the job description.
These notes will make up the body of your cover letter.
The Outline and Header
You may find that you have a lot to include in your cover letter. That, by the way, is a good sign that you're a strong candidate for the job.
Pick out the strongest parallels using the job description as your guide. Ask yourself: What does the job description prioritize as the primary responsibilities?
Once you've decided what to include, decide the order in which you'll address the parallels by laying them out in a brief outline.
It is important to feature only the strongest points in your cover letter, as the letter should be no longer than one page. Almost one quarter of recruiters surveyed by the Society for Human Resources Management said they would not consider applicants who submitted cover letters that exceeded a page.
The Header
Here's the basic format for the header of a cover letter:
March 11, 2002It includes the date, the recipient's name and address and a brief salutation.
Mr. John Smith
1313 Mockingbird Lane
Somewhere, NY 55555
Dear Mr. Smith:
The Body
Begin the body of the letter by expressing your interest in the position, the title of the position (and any identifying code listed in the job ad) and where you saw the position advertised.
The last point is very important. Many job ads insist on this information -- and for good reason. Recruiters want to know which advertising vehicles are showing good returns, so they can optimize their spending.
After this brief intro, begin a new paragraph and spell out in clear, simple and brief sentences how your experience parallels that of the job description. As you're doing this, be sure to refer to your resume.
Here's a fictional example illustrating you where we are in the process:
March 11, 2002
Mr. John Smith
1313 Mockingbird Lane
Somewhere, NY 55555
Dear Mr. Smith:
I am writing to express my interest in the editorial position
(reference code RIP13) as advertised on your homepage.
As my attached resume notes, I have six years of editorial experience. ...The Closing
Closing the body of your letter is pretty standard fare.
Give your phone number, including the area code, and thank the recruiter for his time. Adding this information, the cover letter looks like this:
March 11, 2002Your cover letter, of course, would have a couple more paragraphs relating your experience to the requirements of the job.
Mr. John Smith
1313 Mockingbird Lane
Somewhere, NY 55555
Dear Mr. Smith:
I am writing to express my interest in the editorial position
(reference code RIP13) as advertised on your homepage.
As my attached resume notes, I have six years of editorial experience. ...
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an
interview, I can be reached at (555) 555-5555.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Chris Jones
