Cover Letter Tip: Customize Your Letter

We received an inquiry from a desperate job seeker who didn’t know why her resume wasn’t working. I reviewed her resume and it looked quite good, so I asked her to forward a copy of her cover letter. She forwarded it to me from her Sent folder, so I saw how she was sending it to employers. The first line said, “In the interest of applying for your position, I am sending my resume for your review.”

Yes, she was sending her cover letter without customizing the “placeholders.” What would the hiring manager’s first impression be? Most likely, that she doesn’t care enough about the opportunity to tailor her cover letter and she’s probably sending the same letter all over town.
Employers like to feel special. Give them the royal treatment in your cover letter. You can take less than 15 minutes to customize your letter, address the employer’s specific needs, and present a value proposition that will make the hiring manager want to call you right away. At the very least, if you’re using a cover letter template, remember to fill in the placeholders with the correct information.
Best wishes,
By Kim Isaacs and courtesy of ResumePower blog.