Just say NO to generic cover letters!
I don’t agree with the practice of sending a resume with a generic cover letter. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in cover letters - just not generic cover letters. When I was a recruiter, I could tell when cover letters were not targeted for the positions I was trying to fill, so I ignored them. However, a well-written, specifically-targeted cover letter can be a thing of beauty and can really make a difference in the way you’ll stand out as a candidate. While you might have very similar entrance and exit verbiage that you use each time, the guts of the letter will change according to the position.
The format of a cover letter includes 3 basic sections:
Section 1: introduce yourself and state your interest with reference to why you’re sending your resume (e.g. “John Doe suggested I contact you” or “Your open position is a match for my qualifications”).
Section 2: state your relevant abilities and accomplishments as related to the specific job the company is advertising. A great strategy is to use bullets or even a table format to make it easy to read. In a table insert, whether or not you use specific labels over the colums, follow the you-asked-for-and-I-offer formula as you list your relevant information.
Section 3: conclude with next steps. I strongly suggest a more assertive rather than passive finish. Instead of saying “I hope to hear from you,” say that you will follow up on such and such date… and then, of course, follow up on such and such date.
Final tip: don’t use wimp words like “hope” as in “I hope you will see that my qualifications are a match.” It’s much better to say, “I’m confident you’ll see that my qualifications are a fit for the position.”
Happy Hunting!
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