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How to Write Attention-Grabbing Cover Letters in Different Formats

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Summary: Cover letters are sent along with your resume. You need to make sure that whichever format you are using, it looks attractive. The purpose of a cover letter is to build curiosity and make the employer want to go through your resume.

How to Write Attention-Grabbing Cover Letters in Different Formats

Think of the cover letter as a delicious appetizer that introduces the entree. It must delight and excite the palate. It must exclaim to the reader, "If you think this is great, just wait until you taste what follows!"



Cover letters that open, "To Whom It May Concern," followed by, "I saw your ad, here's my resume," are like a limp salad. Instead of turning the reader on, they turn him or her off. Another real turnoff? Job hunters that mail out bushels of resumes all accompanied by a form cover letter. What do you do when you receive mail like this? So do they!

Unless you have contacted the employer by phone, the cover letter is the first sales piece to greet his or her eyes. As a sales piece it must burst out of the chute with both guns blazing. Never forget that everything you do in your job search is done with the thought of selling yourself to an employer. And so it is and must be with a cover letter. Because it is often the first thing read by the employer it must really sell or you might never make it to phase two, the reading of your resume.

Don't ever make the mistake of belittling the importance of a cover letter. Because most job seekers write such poor, misdirected letters, yours can assume even greater importance when well written-and, directed to the decision maker.

If you are like most people, you probably dread writing cover letters. I know exactly how you feel. I used to dread it, too. And I have helped job seekers write them daily for years! Trying to find something intelligent and directly applicable to the job in question can be difficult. But, fear not. If you have already assembled a wealth of sales-oriented accomplishments and achievements a formerly dreaded task becomes acceptable, even challenging.

W3SP-The Standard Cover Letter Format

W3SP is my formula to follow for facilitating cover letter writing. It stands for the 3 W's-WHO, WHY, WHAT, and your Sales Pitch (SP). Let's take a look at how easy it is to write a cover letter using the W3SP formula.

The first thing that appears at the top of your letter is your letterhead. I like the following format, but you can do as you please as long as it looks attractive and businesslike.

If you cannot uncover the contact's name and title, skip four lines instead of three and launch right into the letter. A meaningless salutation such as "Dear Advertiser" does nothing to enhance the sale-ability of your material. How do you feel when you receive mail addressed to "Dear Friend" or to "Postal Patron"? There is nothing difficult about following this cover letter format. The toughest thing to do is get the name of the right person to write to, the decision maker. Now for the opening, or introductory paragraph. Tell the reader WHY you're writing to him or her. For example, if you're answering an ad:

Try to avoid clichés such as, "Enclosed please find my resume." (Oh, was it lost?) Or, "I have enclosed my resume per your request." Write like you speak, but be careful to maintain a businesslike tone. Just tell the reader WHY you are writing. That's it. That's all it takes to write the opening WHY paragraph.

Let's skip down a couple of paragraphs to the concluding paragraph-the WHAT paragraph. Here's where you tell the reader WHAT to expect next. Typically, it is something like this:

All that is missing now is a paragraph or two sandwiched in between the opening and closing paragraphs. You've supplied the bread for the sandwich. Now it's time to fill it with something tasty and appealing.

It's time for your SALES PITCH. This is the most important part of your letter. It's time to tell the reader why he or she should continue to read your letter and why he or she should invite you in for an interview as quickly as possible. It's time to make the reader look forward to reading your resume to see what other great stuff you have to offer.

W3SP. If you keep this formula in mind you shouldn't have any problems composing attention-getting cover letters. It follows a very natural sequence: WHO you are writing to, WHY you are writing, the SALES PITCH that will make the person get excited about what you can do for his or her company, and WHAT can or will be expected to happen as a result of this contact.

The Two-Column Format

The two-column format makes it easy for the reader to see exactly how close you come to meeting the requirements given in his or her ad. (Naturally, you wouldn't select this format if what you have to offer doesn't come close to the job requirements.)The two-column cover letter also works well when your qualifications meet or exceed the requirements for the position. The key, as in all of your employer contacts, is to try to make what you have to offer just what the reader needs.

As I indicated, the two-column format is especially appropriate when you know your qualifications are exactly or almost exactly what the employer wants.
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