Cover Letters: Selling your skills on paper

Cover Letters: Selling your skills on paper

What is a cover letter?

Your formal introduction

A ‘must’ with your resume

The first read, it can make or break your entry

Generating Interest

The goal is to get an interview! Should be brief and interesting Should highlight what you’ll bring to the job and

specific accomplishments Should be versatile, suitable for severable jobs,

but tailored when necessary

Pre-Cover Letter Research

Research the company, their mission statement, policies, procedures, etc.

Review websites, brochures, social media sites, etc.

Try to speak with current employees; this will provide a unique inside perspective.

Make sure you are qualified!

Getting Started

Once you know what the company is looking for, now it is time to make yourself stand apart from your competition.

Take some time to brainstorm Begin with a list of reasons why you are the

ideal candidate Once you begin to write, be sure you follow the

proper format!

Your Name Your Address Your City, State, Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email 

Contact NameTitleCompany Name Address City, State, Zip Code 

Dear Contact Person:I'm writing to express my interest in the Web Content Specialist position listed on Monster.com. I have experience building large, consumer-focused health-based content sites. While much of my experience has been in the business world, I understand the social value of the non-profit sector and my business experience will be an asset to your organization.

My responsibilities included the development and management of the site's editorial voice and style, the editorial calendar, and the daily content programming and production of the web site. I worked closely with health care professionals and medical editors to help them provide the best possible information to a consumer audience of patients. In addition, I helped physicians learn to utilize their medical content to write user-friendly, readily comprehensible text.

Experience has taught me how to build strong relationships with all departments at an organization. I have the ability to work within a team as well as cross-team. I can work with web engineers to resolve technical issues and implement technical enhancements, work with the development department to implement design and functional enhancements, and monitor site statistics and conduct search engine optimization.

Thank you for your consideration.

Signature 

FirstName LastName

Example

Avoid These 7 Killer Cover Letter Mistakes

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer1. Using the Wrong Cover Letter Format

The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional.

2. Making It All About YouIt may seem counterintuitive, but your cover letter, like your resume, should be about the employer as much as it's about you.

3. Not Proofing for Typos and Grammatical ErrorsEmployers view typos and grammatical errors as evidence of your carelessness. Proofread every letter you send.

4. Making Unsupported ClaimsToo many cover letters from college students and recent grads say the applicant has "strong written and verbal communication skills." Without evidence, it's an empty boast. Give some examples. Employers need proof.

5. Writing a NovelA good cover letter should be no longer than one page (three or four concise but convincing paragraphs). that are easy to read.

6. Using the Same Cover Letter for Every Job and CompanyIf you haven't addressed their company's specific concerns, they'll conclude you don't care about this particular job. It's time-consuming but worthwhile to customize each cover letter for the specific job and company.

7. Not Sending a Real Cover LetterThere is no gray area here: You must include a well-written, neatly formatted cover letter with every resume you send. If you don't, you won't be considered for the job.

Create the right impression: 10 Tips

1. Letter geared for specific job opening Adapt letter to the needs of the job you want Refer to that job in opening sentences

2. Describe your related skills Tie your experience to your skills Show how they directly relate to the job description

Create the right impression: 10 Tips

3. Make it personal Address letter to a specific person If you don’t have a contact, call and ask Use a comma after the name

4. Create a catchy opener Readers scan for content Open with attention-grabbing sentences Describe why you’re the best for the job

Create the right impression: 10 Tips

5. Include vital information Name, address, phone with area code Should be clearly visible First thing reader will need to contact you

6. Type and proofread It’s your first impression…make it good Be sure it’s neat and professional Errors will reflect badly on you

Create the right impression: 10 Tips

7. Keep it brief Use action words, active sentences Limit letter to one page Three or four paragraphs

8. Be confident, creative, enthusiastic It’s a tool to sell your best asset…you! Let your personality shine in your letter

Create the right impression: 10 Tips

9. Keep copies Keep a copy of every letter you send Past letters make job search easier Copies make follow up easier

10. Request a response Your letter is written to get an interview Ask for one!