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My CollegeRecruiter.com | Employers & Advertisers
Writing Compelling Cover Letters
Melissa K. Barnes
Director of Career Services
Allegheny College
Many students underestimate the importance of the letter that accompanies and introduces the resume. The cover letter is generally read first and forms the reader's first impression of the candidate. If the letter is well written, organized, and targeted to the position being applied for, the reader turns to the resume in a receptive frame of mind. If the cover letter lacks any of these qualities, the resume may never even be read. By recognizing the critical importance of this step and taking the time to create a masterful letter, you gain an edge over the competition.
The work of writing a cover letter begins before you pick up a pen. Start by researching the hiring organization to get a sense of its products or services, size, structure, reputation and any unusual or outstanding characteristics, and let this knowledge inform the writing of your letter. For instance, if you learn that an agency specializes in providing services to women and you've been a resident advisor in a women's hall, you can mention it in your letter. In most cases, an Internet search will yield enough information for this purpose.
If possible, obtain a job description for the position to which you're applying. If you cannot find one on the Web, you can call or e-mail the hiring contact and ask them to send you one. The job description will allow you to verify your interest in the position and to match your experience and skills to those required for the job. Finally, if possible, get the name of the person who is coordinating the search so you can personalize your letter. If the organization opts not to give you the contact name, you can use the salutation "Dear Sir or Madam", which sounds less stilted than "To Whom it May Concern."
The tone of the letter should be natural, as if you were writing to a friend. Applicants often try to make an impression by using unfamiliar words and end up sounding stilted, or worse, using words incorrectly. Allow your personality to come through in your writing - it will help give the reader the sense that you would be an enjoyable colleague. Also take the time to apply all of your writing skills. Employers use the cover letter as a way to assess your writing ability, and a very well written cover letter can sometimes offset a lack of experience.
The first sentence is often the hardest to write. If you've been referred to the job by a mutual acquaintance, opening with that person's name can help to warm up the letter and give you some insider status. Other natural ways to open a letter are stating what caught your attention about the position or how you learned of the opportunity.
After the introductory paragraph, focus on developing the match between you and the position. The cover letter should not be a narrative version of your resume. Instead, use the job description to gain a sense of the skills and experiences the employer is seeking, then select the most relevant experiences from your past to develop in more depth than is possible in a resume. These can include internships, relevant jobs, volunteer work, a senior thesis, a class project, or anything you have done that is related to the position. For instance, if you're applying for a job as a research assistant and you conducted relevant research for a senior project, you may choose to write an entire paragraph on this experience. If you have a passion for the topic, allow it to come through in your writing. Developing the match is the most important part of the letter and can take more than one paragraph if needed.
If there is something about the position that particularly attracts you, it's appropriate to mention it, as long as the primary focus of the letter is the benefit you will bring to the employer. It can also sometimes be advantageous to mention an item from your background that makes you stand out in a positive way. For instance, if you've lived in Guatemala , taken a year off from school to work in a homeless shelter, or been a national finalist in roller skating, this could be the detail that distinguishes you from other, equally qualified
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The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter. |
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