Yes, you should include a cover letter and yes, you should customize the cover letter! These are 5 things you should tweek!
Raise your hand if you love writing cover letters… I didn’t think so. If you find yourself struggling with what to write, you are not alone.
This is how I know you struggle with cover letters. I’ve heard job seekers say these things like:
- I don’t know what to say in a cover letter and doesn’t it just repeat information that’s in my resume?
- I just change the contact information and hit “send”
- I don’t bother sending a cover letter…should I?
Even in today’s online world, sending a cover letter can help set you apart.
The reality is that everyone receiving applications has a different opinion of cover letters and that impacts when and if your letter gets read.
Recruiters and HR are looking at your material through a different lens than hiring managers. To learn more about who likes to receive them and data that shows declining interest in cover letters by HR and recruiters, check out Donna Svei’s research on Avid Careerist. To be clear, even Donna says it would be a sin to omit sending a cover letter.
This is what you need to know how to customize your cover letter and make it a good one!
Always Follow Directions
Read the job posting thoroughly and follow the directions. If the company requires you to send a cover letter, then do so. If a cover letter is optional, you should still include one. This shows you are willing to take the extra steps and may make a difference. And in many cases, your cover letter may explain in why you are changing fields or why you are motivated to work for that company.
Customize The Cover Letter
One cover letter template won’t fit the needs of every job you apply to. You just can’t send the same letter to every job you apply to. Employers can tell, and it makes you look lazy. (See an example of a template letter gone bad)
Here are five ways to customize your cover letter and improve your chances of it getting read:
1. Addressing your cover letter “to whom it may concern” is lazy
Not only does addressing a cover letter this way look old, but it also sends the message that you don’t care enough to look up the person’s name. Address the letter to the person who does the hiring. In most cases, this will be a hiring manager, not human resources, unless you are applying for a job in HR. If you’ve read the description carefully, there may actually be a contact name listed. If not, the posting may indicate who the job reports to, such as the senior project manager within a named group.
Go to LinkedIn, and search for that job title and department. Or use a search engine, and enter the job title and department information in the job posting. If you’ve done your due diligence and can’t find the name, search for the job title one level above. If nothing is available, which is highly unlikely, then – and only then – you can use a generic addressee, like “Hiring Manager.”
2. Make your first sentence stand out
Too often, cover letters are sleep-inducing. Don’t start you cover letter like everyone else by stating something like, “attached you will find my resume for your Project Manager job.”
Instead, lead with a quote from a performance review or recommendation that highlights some of your relevant skills or your work ethic. Perhaps you could begin with your value proposition (the problem you solve, who benefits and how you do it uniquely). Even dropping the name of an employee you know in your opening sentence can capture the attention of a reviewer.
3. Explain why you want to work for this company
One question every employer wants you to answer is “why us?” Explain in a sentence or two why you want to work at that company. If this sounds difficult, maybe you shouldn’t work there. Take the time and research the company, go to their website, LinkedIn company page, and look at press releases. Your goal is to learn about some of its projects or clients. Do your best to specifically explain why you want to work for the company. Don’t just say “your company is doing innovative things” or “your company is a top rated employer.”
4. The middle paragraph connects the dots
The second paragraph of your cover letter explains how your skills and experience match what the company is looking for.
Focus on the specific processes, procedures or work-related skills, rather than soft skills. Communication, leadership, time management and initiative are important, but you have to be able to perform the job successfully. And don’t forget to include the technical or work-related skills mentioned in the job posting. See Can We Talk About Your Cover Letter to see how to analyze the job posting and identify keywords.
Be sure to tie your value back to the job and company. For example, if you say you have X years of project management skills, how will that benefit the organization you are applying to? (Think about the projects you’ve work on in that company and how your experience would relate.)
5. Close your cover letter
The last paragraph thanks the readers for their time and consideration, reiterates your interest in the company and role and states your next steps.
Set the expectation that you will follow-up. Too often, candidates’ applications are misplaced or not received. The only way to know for sure that the company received your materials is if you contact the HR team or someone else in the company to verify your application was received. Is this type of follow-up really necessary? If you are interested in the job, yes.
Bottom line: When you do send a cover letter, do yourself and the recipient a favor and put in the effort to make it stand out.
Modified from post which originally appeared on US News & World Report On Careers
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
