“The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: I did not have time.”
–Franklin Field
I know it’s time consuming, but one of the most effective ways to make yourself stand out is in your cover letter. If you’re applying by email be sure to copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email, don’t send it as an attachment (those never, ever get opened).
Read and follow the instructions in the job posting. I can’t stress this enough. When I was recruiting, I used to put specific requests in the job description (for example, salary requirements must be included or please address your email to Mr. X) simply so I would have less candidates to contend with. Inevitably there would be lots of candidates who couldn’t read or follow instructions and I had no interest in hiring them. Incredibly, sometimes this strategy would reduce the pool by half, which was fine since it made my job that much easier.
Address it to a person, not “to whom it may concern.” Call HR or the receptionist and ask for the name of the person to address. It only takes them a second and it could make a world of difference when the reader sees you made the effort to find out their actual name. If that doesn’t pan out, use Dear Department Name, Dear Recruiter, Dear Manager, Dear Search Committee. If all else fails, use Dear Sir or Madam.
Drop names. If you know anyone in the company, your cover letter is the place to mention it. If you are a direct referral, that’s obviously the best place to be, but even if you have a friend there it shows you’re a fit with the company culture and you know more than the average applicant about what to expect.
Show what you know about the company. You should research every company you apply to and try to connect yourself to their core values, corporate culture and company goals. Include the name of the position, where you saw it advertised and any reference numbers from the job posting. Use as much language from the job description as possible.
Use examples and mention specific experiences that make you memorable. Our tendency not to believe what people say (especially true in a resume) is counteracted by specific, detailed examples. This is the place to stand out. Quantify your accomplishments in tangible ways that prove your worth.
Include a call to action. What do you want the reader to do next? Probably call you to arrange an interview, huh? Ask for it in no uncertain terms.
It doesn’t matter if they asked for a cover letter or not. Send it. And before you do, proofread it. Twice.
Shiny New Resume can help you get ahead with a superstar resume and cover letter. You’ll still need to customize the cover letter for each job, but with all the glittering highlights we write about your experience that part will be a snap. Work with a professional resume writer and get noticed! Get started at www.ShinyNewResume.com.
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