How to Make Your Cover Letter a Perfect Fit for Any Opening
Letâs face it, a blanket cover letter just isnât going to cut it these days. So how can you make the best use of your time while maximizing your results? Here are a few simple steps to customizing your cover letters. (And if you donât think you SHOULD customize your cover letter for each application you submit, then we have bigger problems than I thought â¦)
A MEMORABLE OPENER
Hereâs a mistake I see more and more job seekers making: the opening line on their cover letter reads, âPlease accept this in response to the (position) advertised on month day, year â¦â Whatâs wrong with this kind of opening line? Everyone uses it. The point of your job search is to stand out from the crowdânot get lost in the midst of it. Instead, try using something similar to your branding statement. You can easily tweak your branding statement to be a customized opening line.
For example: With more than 10 years of profit-driven project management expertise â¦
Whatâs different about this opening line? Iâm already addressing the companyâs need for a bottom-line-driven project manager; sharing my years of experience; and hitting the job title on the dot. Thatâs three big points youâve scored in the first line alone.
FACTS THAT SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS
After youâve written your opening lines (which express your interest in the position and introduce you to the prospective employer) immediately jump into how you can meet the organizationâs needs based on the requirements the company posted in its online ad or job description.
âI see you are interested in hiring someone with strategic-change management experience.â (Or whatever the key requirement of the position isâhighlight it here). Then tellâor even better, SHOWâthe reader why you have that experience: âIn my present role with ABC Distributors, I did XYZ, which resulted in JKL.â Showing the potential employerâright off the batâthat you possess a desired attribute or requirement for the position will prompt the hiring manager to invest more time in reading your resume. If your cover letter statesâin so many wordsââI am the perfect match for your opening, and I can meet/exceed your needs â¦â then you immediately get my attention, and Iâm more likely to invest time in reviewing your resume. Hereâs a tip: do not use bullet points or material word-for-word from your resume; provide the hiring manager with fresh information on your cover letter.
DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT
Here are a few small details to remember when crafting a cover letter to fit a specific opening:
-Make sure that your cover letter heading matches your resumeâs.
-Include your branding statement with your header at the top of your cover letter. It enforces your brand and provides a polished touch.
-Include a quote from a former employer if relevant and hard-hitting. This is a great way to âsellâ what youâre capable of accomplishing for an organization. If the prospective employer has a specific requirement in its job adâand youâve already done that somewhere else and have a great recommendation or quote from a previous supervisor to back it upâWOW!! There really isnât any better sales/marketing material than that. Not much can beat a quote about your results.
CLOSE WITH CONTACT
Always offer at the close of your letter to follow up with the employer/hiring manager via phone, e-mail, snail mail, whatever ⦠within a specific time frame (be it one week or two or whenever). Also, be sure to include your contact information so they can reach out to you. Keep the closing professional, polished, and concise. You donât want to appear desperate or unprofessional.
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Guest Post by Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com. Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.