Well, crap, you guys. I had a busy Monday. So here we are on Tuesday, posting I’ve Got a Case of the Mondays. I swear, I’ll be late for my funeral.
Today we’re talking about your cover letters. Cover letters tell the employer a little more about you. It’s where you get to make the connection between the job and why they should hire you. It’s basically a big “Objectives” section (that waste of space I made you take off your resumes).
You can do this. You’re all so smart. And it’s easier than you think. After today you’ll stop stressing out about your cover letters.
So here’s the thing. I hardly ever read a cover letter.
*gasp*
I KNOW! It’s so bad. It feels super good to get that off of my chest.
But just because I don’t read every 15 paragraph cover letter that crosses my desk, it doesn’t mean they’re not important or that you shouldn’t write one. You totally need a cover letter. Here’s why, when I actually decide I want to interview you (you know, because your resume was so awesome that it caught my eye), I will want to read your cover letter. Also, I personally know some really old-school HR folks that decide who to interview based more on the cover letter than the resume (in my opinion this is dumb… unless you’re applying to be an editor or a proofreader).
Here’s what I don’t want to see:
- I don’t want to read a book.
- I don’t want to know about your favorite restaurant.
- I don’t want to hear about a medical condition.
- Sports you played in high school mean nothing to me unless you’re 18-years-old.
All I want are three simple paragraphs.
PARAGRAPH ONE:
Tell me why you want to work at my company (do some online research about it). HR people are COMPANY people. We LOVE our companies. And we don’t want to deal with outsiders that don’t love our company as much as we do. So we want you to tell us how much you will love our company if you get to become an insider.
I know, it’s super shallow. It’s a game. You must play the game. And don’t argue with me about this in the comments section (because I’m trying to HELP you get the job by telling you the secrets of hiring managers).
PARAGRAPH TWO:
This is the part where you tell me why you would be a good fit, and you need to make this part personal to you. Make yourself likable.
PARAGRAPH THREE:
This is it, the final paragraph. Here is where you remind me that you’re a Rock Star, thank me for my time, and tell me you can’t wait to meet. ASSUME THE CLOSE! In other words, you tell them you’re looking forward to your interview.
EXAMPLE OF IT ALL TOGETHER:
October 18, 2011
Some Company
Some Street Address
Some City, State 12345
Dear Meredith (DO NOT start all your letters with the generic ‘DEAR SIR’),
I was so excited to see your advertisement for a Sales Consultant! I know all about your company from a customer’s point of view. I have purchased several cars from you in the past. The service we receive at the dealership has always been second to none. I have been reading your Google reviews, and I see that I’m not alone in singing Some Company’s praises. I’ve also been very impressed with how much you give back to the community. My sister’s cheerleading squad raised over $1,000 at the recent car wash they held at your store.
I’m an alumni of The University of Toledo School of Professional Sales, and my degree has taken me far in the world of retail. You should know that I worked full time in retail while attending college full time while carrying a 3.7 GPA. I’m ready to move from cellular phone sales to automobile sales. Cars are my passion, as I’m a bit of a gear head. Also, I know I can make you and me a lot of money.
With all of the corporate training I’ve received from Sprint, I know I’ll be an easy fit into your constantly changing sales environment. I am an expert with product knowledge, my closing ratio is 98%, and my customer satisfaction scores have been steady at 4.0. I look forward to our interview. Thank you for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Captain Awesome
(555) 123-4567
cawesome@gmail.com
See? It was easy-peasy!
Now, let’s hear your questions in the comments, and I’ll help you create the perfect letter.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome advice as always.
I always struggle with the “letter” format as I don’t know how formal I am suppose to be.
I need to remember that HR people are human too.
Thanks!
I feel like Paragraph 2 is me. Full time cellular sales, full time college, 3.87 GPA, it’s like YOU KNOW ME!
Good stuff, though. I always, ALWAYS fail at the cover letter. This is getting bookmarked!
I was thinking of the last person I was trying to recruit to sell cars…
A friend of mine once summarised cover letters as follows
“You’re great. I’m great. We could be great together.”
I think it’s a funny summary of what you’ve said above!
I love it!
YOU WIN AT EVERYTHING!
I’m feeling your pain right now. We’re hiring a new marketing person in a crazy-competitive city with very few jobs (Atlanta) and the resumes and cover letters that are crossing my desk are INSANELY bad. Here’s my tip: If the ad in the paper says the job requires “strong writing skills”, candidates should really consider proofreading their letters (and using spell check, for the love of God!). Those typos and misspellings send you right to the bottom of the pile.
P.S. Katie’s comment ROCKS!
Is there anything special or different that you would recommend in a cover letter for a teaching position in a school/school district? I always have a problem trying to figure out what exactly to put in a letter and, due to budget cuts and my being a Music teacher, I don’t have any experience with teaching in a classroom setting yet. Any help that you can offer would be great.
Few questions:
1. Do you have any managerial experience?
2. Were you a student teacher?
3. Do you give private lessons?
1. I was the Site Coordinator for a Before and After School Care program with the YMCA for one year.
2. Yes. I student taught for 3 months.
3. Yes. Piano,beginner guitar and voice lessons.
Jennifer left you GREAT advice. And you have great experience. Plus, you’re a HUGE plus over someone with experience in the land of budget cuts… they can get you for cheaper.
So connect what you’ve done with why you would make a great fit. Heck, I might even send them a You Tube video of you giving a lesson.
Make sure you mention the district and why you might fit in well with their philosophies there…look up their mission/vision statements and make a comparison with your own teaching philosophies…basically another version of the above, you’re great, i’m great, we could be great together! That really helped me get my first teaching job and I’m a drama teacher!
Thank you! I appreciate the advice!
How do you avoid paragraph two sounding like a written out version of your resume’s bulletpoints? I often feel that’s what it ends up – my gpa, my degree, why I’m good. How personal do you recommend going? Would you stray into why you’re interested in this field and why you think you’re good for it, or stick more closely to proven achievements?
I went as personal as to say I was a single mother. I think THOSE details show you work hard.
And yes, you can say why you’re interested in this field and why you would rock it out. But throw in some proven achievements as well.
And while I’m staring at my resume – any pet peeves about font choices for either one? I’m not talking crazy fonts, but calibri vs times, sizes of font, etc. Thanks!
Just don’t use a font that makes my eyes bleed.
I feel like I am learning more from you than the quarter long jobs (resume) class I took when I was in undergrad.
LOVE IT! Here’s the problem with what they teach in those classes, very few professors have actually spent anytime outside of college. I actually go and speak to the kids at our local university and tell them what life is really like, what they can really expect to be paid, and how to get promoted quickly.
I’m going to say this in that tone of Janice from Friends….(you know) OH MY GAWDD!!!
I love this! I’m totally, TOTALLY using this.
THANK YOU!
You’re welcome!
What do I do if I dont know who the head of HR is?? I looked it up online, but I can’t be positive that information is current! I’ll look like a complete douche if I address it to the wrong person!
How do you feel about addressing someone by their first name in the cover letter? I like the idea, but I might be a total jackass for liking it. I want to know you as Meredith, someone I’ll work with, rather than Mrs. Itssostuffytocallyoumissesssomething, but I’d kind of like to do the right thing. Thoughts?