The all-important first impression that your resume documents make on an employer depend just as much on how the cover letter represents you as how well the resume represents you.
It's true that not all employers read cover letters, but most do, and you should always prepare a cover letter as though it will be read word for word by people who in positions to hire you.
Here are five tried and true tips to keep in mind when you're writing cover letters:
1. Address it to the reader. You can call the company directly to get a name, job title and company address. If you can't come up with a name, or you're being told on the phone to "just send it to HR", you can address it to "Dear Hiring Professional".
2. Tell the reader what they want to know, not what you want to tell them. Put yourself in their shoes. It doesn't matter to them that you feel you've outgrown your current job and need a new challenge, that you've always wanted to work for an insurance company, or that you want to move to San Diego. What will matter are things like: What background/skills/experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for an insurance company? How are you ready to hit the ground running in their organization? Why should they encourage your candidacy if you live in Maine and their business is in San Diego?
3. If you live in Maine but the job is in San Diego, find a way to include a San Diego address on your resume. If you're planning to move to be near family or friends, ask one of them if you can use their address temporarily as your local address. And—before sending that resume and cover letter—think through the interview part. The employer wants to know that you can be there when they want you to for an interview. Are you prepared to do that?
4. Include information in the letter that shows you know something about the company. Learn as much about them as you can from on-line research before contacting them. Look for places where your experience somehow connects with something significant about their company. Find a way to subtly weave that information into your cover letter.
5. Proofread, proofread, proofread! A good rule of thumb is to keep reading and making changes until you've read through the document two or three times without finding anything that needs to be changed. Then ask someone else to read it to see if they find any errors.
Take advantage of the opportunity to capture the reader's attention and hold it. You want to be THE candidate they're interested in!
Do your resume and cover letters make you stand out to employers as someone they want to meet? Are they getting you interviews? If not, visit my website—cnyresumes.com—for more information. I'd love to help!
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