Four Secrets to Making Your Cover Letter Sell
http://www.careerfeed.net/articles/11976/1/Four-Secrets-to-Making-Your-Cover-Letter-Sell/Page1.html
Marlyn Damerick
For more information about writing an effective cover letter, get the free report Top Ten Secrets of the World's Greatest Cover Letter. By Marlyn Damerick
Published on 03/2/2010
The cover letter is a powerful weapon in your arsenal of job-hunting tools. Here are four ways to make the most of it.
The cover letter is like a secret weapon in your arsenal of job-hunting tools. A professional resume is vital, but if you can add a dynamic cover letter, you'll be way ahead of most ot the competition. Here are four ways to make your cover letter a sure winner.
1. Start off with zing.
Job search marketing expert Jimmy Sweeney recommends that you start the letter with an attention-getting headline. The content of the headline will be different for everybody and for every job, but think in terms of headlines from articles you like and apply the principles to your cover letter. You might say something like "Available: Sales manager with 15 years of experience" or "Three essential skills I would bring to XYZ company." Center the headline and put the type in boldface to make it stand out.
If the company is a little more staid and traditional, you may not want to use a headline per se. In that case, start your letter off with an attention-grabbing first sentence instead. You might say something like this: "Communication, innovation, exceptional service are three essential skills I would bring to XYZ Company." You would give examples and applications of those skills further down the body of the letter.
2. With regard to qualifications, don't think features -- think benefits.
When you state your qualifications, don't thing "features"; think "benefits." Features are on your resume -- your education and job experience. For the cover letter, think what those features mean to the employer. Does your recent college graduation put you on the cutting edge of new innovations in the marketplace? Does your long experience give you a breadth of solutions to the specific challenges that XYZ Company is facing?
3. Make a specific call to action.
The call to action in your letter is your request for an interview. Don't assume that just because employers know why you're writing, they can figure out what you want. They probably can, but still you should make a specific and direct request. You might suggest an interview time or offer to make a follow-up phone call at a certain time and day, and then follow through. What ever you do, and whatever works for the job you're seeking, ask.
4. Let your enthusiasm shine through.
Why do you want this job? Just because you need a job is not enough for the employer. There's a stack of applications two inches high from people who just want a job. In a buyer's market for jobs, employers have the luxury of looking not just for any employee but for the right employee. If you are enthusiastic about the job for the right reasons, it will help your odds of ending up among the finalists.
Writing a good cover letter can get your the interview and set the stage for you to make the interview pay off. The examples I've given are just that, examples, but with some careful thought and the right tools you can find not only any job, but a job you love.
1. Start off with zing.
Job search marketing expert Jimmy Sweeney recommends that you start the letter with an attention-getting headline. The content of the headline will be different for everybody and for every job, but think in terms of headlines from articles you like and apply the principles to your cover letter. You might say something like "Available: Sales manager with 15 years of experience" or "Three essential skills I would bring to XYZ company." Center the headline and put the type in boldface to make it stand out.
If the company is a little more staid and traditional, you may not want to use a headline per se. In that case, start your letter off with an attention-grabbing first sentence instead. You might say something like this: "Communication, innovation, exceptional service are three essential skills I would bring to XYZ Company." You would give examples and applications of those skills further down the body of the letter.
2. With regard to qualifications, don't think features -- think benefits.
When you state your qualifications, don't thing "features"; think "benefits." Features are on your resume -- your education and job experience. For the cover letter, think what those features mean to the employer. Does your recent college graduation put you on the cutting edge of new innovations in the marketplace? Does your long experience give you a breadth of solutions to the specific challenges that XYZ Company is facing?
3. Make a specific call to action.
The call to action in your letter is your request for an interview. Don't assume that just because employers know why you're writing, they can figure out what you want. They probably can, but still you should make a specific and direct request. You might suggest an interview time or offer to make a follow-up phone call at a certain time and day, and then follow through. What ever you do, and whatever works for the job you're seeking, ask.
4. Let your enthusiasm shine through.
Why do you want this job? Just because you need a job is not enough for the employer. There's a stack of applications two inches high from people who just want a job. In a buyer's market for jobs, employers have the luxury of looking not just for any employee but for the right employee. If you are enthusiastic about the job for the right reasons, it will help your odds of ending up among the finalists.
Writing a good cover letter can get your the interview and set the stage for you to make the interview pay off. The examples I've given are just that, examples, but with some careful thought and the right tools you can find not only any job, but a job you love.