get it done: write a cover letter by jeremy schifeling
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Get It Done: Write a Cover Letter
By Jeremy Schifeling
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Textcopyright2012JeremySchifelingAllRightsReserved
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How to Get It DoneIntroduction
1)UsetheBook-Don'tReadIt
2)FindOut:DoYouNeedaCoverLetter?
3)FindOut:Who'sYourAudience?
4)FindOut:WhyWriteaCoverLetter?
5)ChooseaFormat
6)EnterYourAddress
7)SelectaRecipient
8)GetTheirAttention
9)GetThemtoLikeYou
10)ShowThemWhatYouCanDo
11)SettheStageforFollow-up
12)Follow-up!
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Introduction - AKA the Only Page of Mumbo-Jumbo in This BookEverybodylovesadvice.Ourwebforumsteemwith"expertise."Ourbookshelvesheavewiththeweightofself-helpbooks.Andourconversationalcupsrunnethoverwithfreeadvice.
Butyouknowwhateveryonelovesevenmorethanadvice?
Gettingstuffdone.
I.e.,actuallybeingabletoloseweight,repairaleakyfaucet,orplanavacation.Notjusttalkingaboutit.
So,inaworldwithsomuchadvice,whydoessolittleeverreallygetdone?
Theanswerhastodowiththewayallthisadviceishandedout.Thinkaboutthelasttimeyougotsomethingdonereallyquickly-say,vacuumingyourhouse.
Didyouhavetothinkthroughaplanofattack?Didyouhavetocobbletogethervacuumingtipsfromfriendsandfamily?
Heck,no.
Youfollowedaclearlistofinstructions:
1)Plugthevacuumin.
2)Turniton.
3)Vacuum.
Sowhydoesalloftheadviceinourliveslooklikethis?
1)Reada500-pagebookonvacuumingtheory.
2)Trytosortoutgoodvacuumingadvicefrombadvacuumingadvice.
3)Wastealotoftimenotactuallyvacuuminganythingandthengiveupandhireamaid.
Because,believeitornot,it'softeneasiertofillupa500-pagebookwithlotsofvagueideasthantofigureoutexactlywhatneedstobedone.
Andyet,that'sexactlywhatthisseriesdoes-ittellsyouwhattodo.Nomore,noless.
Sothere.That'stheonlypageofmumbo-jumbointhisbook.
Nowlet'sgetdowntogettingstuffdone.
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1) Use the Book - Don't Read ItThisbookwalksyouthrougheverystepinwritinganawesomecoverletter-fromstaringattheblinkingcursoronablankWorddocumenttojumpingoutofyourchairwhenyoufindoutyougottheinterview!
AllIaskisthisonesmallfavor:Don'treadeachstep.Doeachstep.
Inotherwords,don'tthinkofthislikeyourtypicalself-helpbookwhereyoureadthrougheverythingfronttoend,thinktoyourself,"Wow,whatagoodidea,"andthenputitbackontheshelf,neverhavingaccomplishedanything.
Instead,afteryoulookthroughastep,gooutanddoit.Nosinglestepwilltakemorethan30minutes.Andthen,whenyougettotheend,you'llhaveanamazingcoverletter.Notjustsomevagueideaofhowtowriteone.Promise.
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2) Find Out: Do You Need a Cover Letter?Beforeyouwriteasinglewordthough,findoutwhetheryouevenneedacoverletteratall.
Seriously.
Whileagreatcoverletterintherightsituationcanbethedifferencebetweengettinganinterviewornot,thebestcoverletterinthewrongsituationisn'tworththewordsyouputonpaper.
Therearetwotimeswhenyoudon'tneedacoverletter:
1)Coverlettersaren'taccepted.
2)Coverletterswon'tactuallyberead.
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1) Cover letters aren't accepted.Firstofall,findouthowyou'reexpectedtosubmityourapplication-email,webform,carrierpigeon,etc.Ifyouneedtosubmityourapplicationonline,checkoutwhatthesubmissionformlookslikeaheadoftime.Ifthere'snospacetosubmitacoverletter-great,you'redone!Thecompanyistellingyoucoverlettersaren'tvalued-sononeedtowriteone.
Unfortunately,it'snotalwaysthatclear
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2) Cover letters won't actually be read.Manycompaniesthatdon'tvaluecoverletterswon'tcomeoutandtellyouthat.Often,ifyou'reexpectedtoemailyourapplication,theinstructionsmaysaysomethinglike:"Sendyourresumetorecruiting@acme.com"-withnomentionofcoverlettersonewayoranother.
Whileit'stempting,inthesesituations,justtosubmitacoverletteranyway,myphilosophyisthattheonlycoverletterworthsubmittingisagreatone.Andgreatcoverletterstaketime.Thus,it'sworthyourwhiletofindoutbeforehandwhethercompaniesactuallywantcoverletters.Thatway,youdon'twastetimeonanamazingcoverletterthatnevergetsread.
Howdoyoufindthisout?
Believeitornot,thebestwayistoask.Ifyouknowsomeoneatthecompany,byallmeanshavethemaskforyou.Ifnot,don'thesitatetowritetoarecruiterorhiringmanagerdirectly.It'sintheirinteresttogetthebestapplicationsso,ifyouasknicely,you'relikelytogetaresponse.Here'showtodoit:
DearMs.Smith,
I'minterestedinapplyingfortheSalesVProleatAcmeInc.BeforeIdo,I'dliketobecertainthatIpreparethematerialsthatwillbesthelpyoumakeyourhiringdecision.Assuch,wouldyoulikemetofurnishacoverletteralongwithmyresume?
Thankyouforanyinformationyoucanshare!
Allthebest,JaneDoe
Ifyoudon'thearbackandyou'retrulypassionateaboutthejob,thebestadviceistostillsubmitacoverletter.Thatway,nomatterthecompany'spolicy,you'llbecovered.
Butbydoingalittleresearchaheadoftime,youcanoftensavelotsoftimedowntheroad!
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3) Find Out: Who's Your Audience?OK,soyou'vediscoveredthatyouhavetosubmitacoverletter.Andyou'reraringtogetstarted.But,likeanygreatwriter,youfirsthavetoknowwhomyou'rewritingfor.Soherearethreeimportantpointsaboutyouraudience:
1)Itcouldbearecruiter(i.e,someonewhosejobisfindinggreatcandidatesbutwhowouldn'thavemuchcontactwithyou,onceyou'rehired)orahiringmanager(i.e.,someonewhosemainjobisn'tfindingcandidatesbutwhowouldbeyourbossorteammate,oncehired).Inmanycompanies,itwillbeboth.Butthenicethingaboutcoverlettersisthatitdoesn'treallymatter.Becauseeachwillbefacingthesamesituation...
2)Picturethisscene:It's6PMonaFridayevening.Theofficeisempty-exceptforoneglowingcube.Here,thelonelyrecruiterorhiringmanagersits,toilingawayinsearchoftheperfectcandidate.Infrontofhimorherisanywherefrom50-500coverlettersandresumes.Suddenly,theweekendseemsveryfaraway...Asgrimasthisstorysounds,it'stherealityformanyroles.Andit'sthereasonwhyyourcoverletterhastobeawesome:itsimplyneedstostandout!
3)Nowimaginethis:It'stwoweekslaterandinterviewsarestartingforthejob.Incomesacandidatewhodoesn'tseemqualifiedatall.Howdoesthecoverletterreaderfeel?Humiliated.Andwhatdotheydoabout?Nexttime,theyonlyofferinterviewstothecandidateswiththebest,mostobviousqualifications.
Thekeytakeawayhereisthatcoverletterreadersarebothinahurrybutalsocautiousinpickingcandidatestointerview.Sostarttoputyourselfintheirshoesasyoubegintowrite.Think,"HowcanIbothcatchtheirattentionbutalsoconvincethemI'masafebet?"Giventhat90%ofyourcompetitionwillinevitablysubmitgenericcoverlettersand/orfailtodemonstratesubstantialqualifications,recognizingthissingleinsightwillalreadyputyouinelitecompany.
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4) Find Out: Why Write a Cover Letter?Onelastquestiontoponderbeforewestartwriting:What'sthepointofthecoverletteranyway?
Especiallygivenalltheapplicationsrecruitersandhiringmanagershavetogetthrough,whywouldtheyeveraskformorematerial?Afterall,everycoverlettertheyreceivedoublestheamountofreadingtheyhavetodopercandidate(comparedtojustlookingatresumes).
Theansweractuallyhaseverythingtodowiththatcripplingworkload.Becauseaspainfulasreadinghundredsofcoverlettersis,doinghundredsofinterviewsisworse.Andyet,withoutthecoverletter,that'sexactlywhatrecruiterswouldhavetodo!
Itallstartswiththeresume.
Yousee,resumesareagreatideaintheory.Theytakereallydifferent,hard-to-comparecandidatesandtheyboilthemdowntoone-pagesummariesthatcanbecontrasted,side-by-side.Thismakestherecruiter'slifeeasierinitially.Butthedarksideofresumesisthat,becausethey'resoshortandregimented,it'shardtoreallygetafeelforeachuniquecandidate.Plus,candidatescancreateoneresumefor1,000differentjobs,soarecruiterhasnoideahowcommittedthecandidateistohis/herparticularcompany.Asaresult,resumesandcandidatesallbegintoseemthesameafterawhile-necessitatinglotsofinterviewstosortcandidatesapart.
Butwhatiftherewasacompaniontotheresume?Asimilarlyshortdocumentbutonethatactuallyhelpedtodistinguishgoodcandidatesfrombadones,committedjob-seekersfromthosewhocouldcareless?
Enterthecoverletter.
Thecoverletterhasthreeimportantadvantagesoverresumes:
1)Itcangiverecruitersabetterfeelfortherealcandidate.Insteadofhidingbeyondbulletpoints,candidatescanfullyexpressthemselvesandshowofftheirpersonalities.
2)Itcansignalhowpassionateacandidateisaboutthejob.Becausegoodcoverlettersmustbepersonalizedtothecompanyandrole,it'simpossibletoputtogethergoodcoverlettersforthousandsofjobslikeyoucanwithasingleresume.
3)Itcanseparatethewheatfromthechaff.Sinceeachcoverletterwillberelativelyunique,it'seasiertochoosebetweenapplicantsthanwithresumes-whereeachapplicantseemssimilar.
Sonowyouknowwhymanyrecruitersrequirecoverletters.Andinsteadofseeingthecoverletterasyetanotherhasslethatmustbeendured,youcanstarttoseeitasanopportunity.Achancetostandout,showoffyourpersonalityandpassion,andgetaheadofcandidateswithsimilarresumes.
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5) Choose a FormatAtthispoint,you'velaidallthegroundworkforasuccessfulcoverletter:
1)You'vedeterminedthatyouactuallyneedtowriteone.
2)Youunderstandwhomyou'rewritingfor.
3)Youknowwhyyou'rewriting.
Solet'sgetdowntoit,startingwithselectingaformat.
Thiscanbeoneofthemostfunstepsinthecoverletterdevelopmentprocess-butdon'toverthinkit!Unlessyou'reapplyingforadesignjob(inwhichcasetheformatrepresentsyoursenseofstyle),yourwordsstilltrumpyourdesign.
OpenupWord(oryourwordprocessorofchoice)andyou'lllikelybeconfrontedwithavarietyoftemplates-includingahandfulofcoverletters.Choosethetemplatethatbestmatchesyourdesiredcompany'sstyle-Modernforaquirkystartup,Traditionalfora100year-oldlawfirm.
Ifyoudon'thaveaccesstotemplatesthough,noworries!We'llwalkthroughtheentireprocessofdesigningyourowninthefollowingsteps.
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6) Enter Your AddressBelieveitornot,manycoverlettersgoawryattheverytop.Thereasonforthisisthatcoverletter-writerslistanaddressthatgetsthemdisqualifiedrightoffthebat.
Specifically,theydooneoftwothings:
1)Theylistanout-of-townaddress.Forsomecompanies,thisisadeal-breaker.Theyjustdon'twanttobotherwithflyingcandidatesinfromelsewhere.Butifyou'repreparedtoflyinyourself,thendon'tletthemruleyouout!Ifyou'regettingreadytomovetoacity,listyourfutureaddress(evenifit'sjustafriend'splacewhereyouplantocrash).Andifyoudon'thaveaplacebutwouldbewillingtomove,thendon'tlistanymailingaddressatall.Whygivethemanexcusetokickyououtoftheprocessifyou'rewillingtodowhatittakestostayin?
2)Theylistaninappropriateemailaddress.Haveyoubeencheckingyourmessagesatsexymama85@yahoo.comsincehighschool?Thenguesswhat?It'stimeforanewaddress!Eitheruseanalumniaddress(e.g.,jdoe@alum.ucla.edu)oraprofessional-soundingpersonaladdress(e.g.,jane.doe@gmail.com)-andbesuretocheckitregularly.Stayawayfromworkemailsinceyoudon'twantyourcurrentbossseeingyourcorrespondencewithyourfutureboss!
Inadditiontoavoidingthesedeadlycoverlettersins,writeyournameandcontactinfointheupperright-handcornerofthepage,justlikethis:
JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345
jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
Notethatcenteringthisinformationandputtingthemailingaddressandemail/phonedetailsonsinglelineswillallowyoutosaveafewlines.Andremember,everylinecounts-yourcoverletterisbeingreadtonexttohundredsofothers,soyoucan'taffordtowastethereader'slimitedattention.
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7) Select a RecipientDoyoupreferreceivingjunkmailsenttoeveryoneorpersonallettersmeantonlyforyou?Well,peoplewhoreviewcoverlettersfeelthesameway-they'remuchhappiertogetapersonalizedcoverletterthatspeakstothemspecificallythanagenericletterthatcouldgotoanycompany.Andoneofthewaysyoudeliverpersonalizationisbychoosingapersontosenditto!
Iknowthissoundscrazy,butmostcoverlettersaren'treallydirectedtoanyoneinparticular.Instead,they'redesignedtobeasgenericaspossible.Haveyoueverthoughttoyourself,"IneedtosendabunchofcoverletterssoI'llwriteageneraloneandthenuseFind/Replacetochangethecompany'sname?"Ifso,theresulthaslikelystarted"DearSirorMadam..."
Unfortunately,nothingsaysyoucouldcarelessthannotlistinganactualname.Thisisespeciallytruewhenthejoblistinghasanameattachedtoit.Butit'seventruewhennonameislisted.That'sbecausesomeonealwaysreadstheletter-andfindingtheirname'snotthathard.
Here'showtodoit:
1)Askafriend.Ifyouknowsomeonewho'sworkingatthecompany,askthemtofindtheRecruiterorHiringManagerfortherole.
2)Finditonline.DoaGooglesearchforthenameofthecompany+theteam+"manager."Forinstance,ifyou'reapplyingforajobwiththeGlobalAccountinggroupatGranger,searchGrangerGlobalAccountingmanager.Chancesareyou'llfindaLinkedInresultoranothersimilarpage.Note,thisisbetterthansearchingonLinkedIndirectly,sinceyouoftenwon'tbeabletoseethemanager'snameunlessthey'reinyournetwork.
3)Askthecompany.Sendanemailtothefirm'sgeneraladdress(usuallyinfo@domain.com)orcallthemainline.Justtellthemthatyou'relookingtogetintouchwithsomeoneontheteamthat'shiringandwanttoseewho'sincharge.
Ifyoustillcan'tfindaname,youcanalwaysfallbackonDearHiringManager,whichatleastsoundsmorespecific!
Also,unlessyou'reapplyingtoaverytraditionalfirm,don'tbotherlistingthecompany'saddress.Itjustwastesalotofspaceonthepageandyoureallydon'twanttogobeyondasinglepage-again,outoftherespectforthereader'stimeandlimitedattention.Chancesare,anycompanythatwoulddingyoufornotremindingthemoftheirownaddress,isonethatyouwouldn'twanttoworkforanyway!
Thus,includingtoday'sdate,yourcoverlettershouldnowlooklikethefollowing:
JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345
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jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
January1,2012
JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.
DearMs.Smith,
Notethatyoushouldaddresstherecipientformally,evenatlesstraditionalfirms.It'sjustaprofessionalcourtesyandnoonewilleverjudgeyounegativelyfordoingso.Theonlyexceptionisifyouknowtherecipientpersonally,inwhichcaseyoucanaddressasthemyounormallydo.
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8) Get Their AttentionTherearethreekeygoalsofanycoverletter:
1)Getthereader'sattention.Aswe'venotedbefore,it'spossiblethatthey'rereadingyourletterafterhundredsofotherones.Soyouneedtoworkhardtostandout.
2)Getthemtolikeyou.Peoplefirstandforemosthirepeopletheywanttoworkwith.Yourcolleaguesaregoingtospendmoretimewithyouthantheirfamilies!Soit'snowonderthatmanymanagerswouldratherhireagood,likablecandidatethanagreat,unlikablecandidate.
3)Convincethemyoucandothejob.Ascriticalaslikabilityistothehiringprocess,you'vegottobeabletogetthejobdone.Andifyou'recomingfromadifferentindustryorfunction,it'sdoublyimportanttonailthispart.
OK,butbeforeyougettothat,you'vegottogettheirattentioninthefirstplace.Ifyoudon'tcatchtheireyerightaway,they'llneverappreciateanyofyourotherpoints.
Sohowtocatchabusyreader'sattention?Simplyput,startwithsomethingsurprising.
Mostcoverlettersstartwith:IwouldliketoapplyfortheXjobatYcompany.Blah,blah,blah...
Whilethisisstraightforward,it'salsoarecipeforgettinglostinaseaofidenticalcoverletters.
Soinstead,trythisformat:SurprisingFact->whichleadstothereasonyoudliketoapply.
HerearethreecategoriesofSurprisingFactopeners:
1)Earlyadopterofthecompany-IstillrememberthefirstGooglesearchIdidin1999.Eventhoughnoonehadheardofitatmyschool,Iknewrightawaythatthiswouldchangeeverything.AndsowhenIsawtheGoogleProductManagerrolelistedonline,Icouldn'tresisttheopportunitytobeapartofthenextproductthatchangeseverything.
2)Storyaboutthecompanymakingadifferenceinyourlife-I'llneverforgetmybrightredNikeAirs.Lininguponthatcold,NovembermorningwithallthebestX-countryrunnersfromaroundthecounty,Iwassonervous.Butlookingdownatthat"Swoosh"onmyshoe,IjustknewIcouldwin.AndI'mjustasconfidenttodaythatIcanhelpNikewinasitmovesintotheLatinAmericanmarket.
3)Whythecompanyorjobexcitesyou-I'vealwaysbeenanengineeratheart.WhetheritwastinkeringwithourbrokentoasterasachildorhelpingTargetfixitssupplychainissuessystembysystem,Ilovemakingthingswork.So,it'swithgreatpassion,thatIsubmitmyapplicationfortheDataEngineeringroleatFidelity.
Notethatineachofthesecases,theSurprisingFactincludeslotsofjuicyhumandetailsthatthereadercansinktheirteethinto.Whetherit'spaintingavividscene("cold,Novembermorning")orcallingoutaspecificexperience("tinkeringwithourbrokentoaster"),theselittledetailsmakeyourstorycomealiveandgetthereadertopayattention.
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However,asyoucansee,theSurprisingFactisn'tjustsomethinguniqueaboutyou(beingoneofGoogle'sfirstusers)butsomethinguniquethatdrawsanaturalconnectiontothecompany(beingoneofGoogle'sfirstusersmakesyouanaturaltohelpthemlaunchnewproducts).
That'sbecauseassoonasyou'vegrabbedtheirattention,youwanttostartmakingthecaseaboutyourfitwiththecompany...
Butfirst,here'showoursamplecoverletterislooking:
JaneDoe
123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
January1,2012
JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.
DearMs.Smith,
December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfromthatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.
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9) Get Them to Like YouSoyouhavetheirattention-nowwhat?
Useittogetthemtolikeyou.Because,attheendoftheday,peoplewanttohirepeopletheylike.
Now,aswe'vediscussed,thesecretpowerofthecoverletteristhatitcanillustrateyourpersonalityaswellasyourqualifications.Theonlycatchisthat,inyourrushtoshowoffyoursterlingpersonality,youmaycomeoffashavingaterriblepersonality!Afterall,wholikesacandidatewhojustbragsabouthimself?
Thus,whileyouwantthemtoliketoyou-youneedtoearntheirappreciationcarefully.Herearethreemethods:
1)Humility-Startbyadmittingthatyou'renotperfectorcompletelyunique.Forexample:"AspassionateasIam,IrealizeI'mjustoneofmillionsofDisneyfansoutthere."
2)Culture-Specifythatyou'renotagreatfitforeverycompany,butforthisoneinparticular.And,ifpossible,drawuponareferenceatthecompanytohelpgiveyoumorecredibility:"ButtheonethingIknowisthatI'dfitrightinwithDisney'scollaborativeculture.AftertalkingwithJoeSmithinmarketing,I'mtrulyexcitedaboutthepossibilityofworkinginsuchateam-drivenenvironment."
3)Testimonial-Ifyou'regoingtobrag,letsomeoneelsedoitforyou.YoucoulddrawaquotefromaLinkedInrecommendationorevenanoldperformanceevaluation:"AsmyformermanageratWarnerBros.said,I'excelinfast-pacedteamsettings.'SoI'mconfidentthatDisneyistherightplaceforme."
Ifyoucanblendthesedifferentelementstogethersmoothly,youcancreateacompellingportraitofyourself.Onethat'sbothagoodfitforthecompanyandeminentlylikable.
Seeanotherexampleinoursampleletter:
JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345
jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
January1,2012
JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.
DearMs.Smith,
December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenas
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passionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfromthatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.
Iknow,however,thatthereareevenmoretalentedsalespeopleoutthere.SoIthinkmygreatestqualificationfortheroleismystrongfitwithAcme'sculture.FromtalkingtoJimDell,I'velearnedthatthesalesforceisextremelyambitious-andthat'sexactlywhatI'mlookingfor.AsmyfirstbossatP&Gsaidaboutme,"Janeisneverhappywithaneasygoal,shealwaysshootsforthemoon."SoI'dlovetoaimhighwithAcme'senterprisingteam.
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10) Show Them What You Can DoNowthatyou'vehookedthereader'sattentionandgottenthemtostartlikingyou,you'vegottosealthedeal.Inotherwords,you'vegottoblastawayanylingeringdoubtsaboutyourabilitytodothejob.Becausenomatterhowmuchtheylikeyou,theydon'twanttobeembarrassedbybringinginsomeonewho'sunqualified.
Here,thebesttacticistosystematicallytakedownanyobjectiontheymayhave.Youdothisbygoingbacktothewordsthereaderlovesbest-theonestheywrote!Specifically,taketherequirementsfromthejobdescription,puttheminthefirstcolumnofatwo-columntable,andstartknockingthemdownonebyoneinthesecondcolumn.Notonlydoesthismakeiteasyforyoutostructureyourqualificationsbuttheuniqueformatwillcatchthereader'seye-asalways,acriticalfeatwhencompetingagainsthundredsofothersimilar-lookingapplications.
Herearesomeexamples:
JobRequirement MyQualification
ProficiencyusingMicrosoftapplications
DeepexpertisewithOfficesuite,taughtcolleaguestouseadvancedExcelfunctions
ExcellentcommunicationskillsWrotemarketingcopyforadseenby2MMreaders,presentedto500attendeesatannualconference
Teamplayer
CollaboratedwithteamofdesignersandengineerstobuildanewiPhoneapp,leadingto$500Kinnewrevenue
Thereareacoupleofcharacteristicsthatdefineagoodresponsehere:
1)Uniquestories-It'sonethingtosayyouhaveOfficeexperience.It'sanothertosayyou'vetrainedteammatesonit.Byaddingaquickstorytoeachpoint,yougainsignificantcredibilityandkeepthereader'sattention.
2)Quantification-Anotherwaytodemonstrateskillistoattachanumbertoyourwork.Again,anyonecanwriteadcopy.Butonlysomeonewithseriousqualificationswillhavethechancetoreachtwomillionpeople!
3)Clearimpact-You'rebeinghiredtomovetheneedle,notjustdostuff.Sowhereverpossible,trytoshowtheimpactofyourwork.Whetherit'stherevenueyourappgeneratedorthepositivebuzzyourpressreleasecaused,seeifyoucanillustratetheoutcomesyoucreated.
Now,sincethisapproachissounconventional,twoquestionsinevitablyarise:
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1)Isn'tthisthesameastheresume?
Whileit'struethatsomeofthepointsyoucalloutinyourdefensemayalsositonyourresume,it'salsolikelytruethatapplicationreviewersmissedthem.Thisisbecausethestandardwaytoreviewaresumeistoglanceatthetitles(thecompaniesyouworkedforandtheschoolsyouattended)andskimoverthedetails.There'sjustnotenoughtimetolookatthespecificpoints.However,coverlettersneedtobereadmorecloselysincetheirformatislesseasilydigestible.Andthus,yourawesomeaccomplishmentsaremorelikelytogetviewedonthecoverletter.
Thisisespeciallyimportantifyou'retryingtochangefunctionsorindustries.Inthesesituations,reviewerswon'tfindanyfamiliarheadlinesonyourresumewhentheydotheirquickscan.Forexample,ifthey'rehiringforanAccountantandallyourtitlessayProjectManager,they'relikelytotossyouout(rememberthatreviewerstendtoberiskaverse!).Butifyou'reabletocatchtheirattentionwithapowerfulcoverletter,theymayactuallytakethetimetoseeallthetransferrableskillsyou'vebuiltupinProjectManagement(organization,detailorientation)thatcouldserveyouwellasanAccountant.
2)DoIhavetolistalloftherequirements?
Nope!Infact,it'sbettertojustlistthefivekeyrequirementsthatarecriticaltotherole.Thiskeepsthecoverletterononepage(remembertheimportanceofspeedforthereviewer)andleavesyoumoreroomtodescribeyourmostimportantqualifications.
Howtodeterminethekeyrequirements?Justthinkaboutwhatwouldbeessentialtoperformingthejob.InthecaseoftheAccountingjob,bookkeepingexperienceandexpertisewithQuickBookswouldprobablycountaskey.Whereasthegenericrequirementofbeinga"hardworker"isn'talwaysworthrespondingto.
Seehowitallcomestogetherinoursamplecoverletter:
JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345
jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
January1,2012
JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.
DearMs.Smith,
December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfrom
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thatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.
Iknow,however,thatthereareevenmoretalentedsalespeopleoutthere.SoIthinkmygreatestqualificationfortheroleismystrongfitwithAcme'sculture.FromtalkingtoJimDell,I'velearnedthatthesalesforceisextremelyambitious-andthat'sexactlywhatI'mlookingfor.AsmyfirstbossatP&Gsaidaboutme,"Janeisneverhappywithaneasygoal,shealwaysshootsforthemoon."SoI'dlovetoaimhighwithAcme'senterprisingteam.
Finally,inadditiontomypassionandfit,IwantyoutoknowthatIhavewhatittakestodeliverhugeresultsforAcme.Soherearehowmyqualificationsstackuptotherole:
JobRequirement MyQualification
Experienceleadingasalesteam
AsaregionalsalesmanagerforGeneralMills,Imanagedateamof25salesprofessionals,achieving25%growthinrevenueoverfouryears
Abilitytoparticipateinexecutivedecision-making
IworkedwithmyVPatGMtocraftanewsalesstrategyforthewholecompany,presentinginfrontoftheCEOandboardatthefirm'squarterlymeeting
Skilledatenteringnewmarkets
InmyfirstsalesroleatP&G,Isawanopportunitytosellcleaningproductstocollegestudentstobuildbrandloyalty.Despitedoubtwithinthecompany,thissegmenthasnowbecomea$50MM/yearbusiness.
Goodatoperatinginambiguoussituations
Whileservingontheboardofalocalchildren'scharitywithmanydifferentprograms,Ihelpedtheorganizationdefineitsmissionstatementtofocusitsresourcesonteaching10,000kidstoreadeachyear
Amazingmultitaskingabilities
InthemidstofearningGM's"SoutheastSalesProfessionaloftheYear"Award,Igotmypilot'slicensebyorganizingmytimeeffectivelyandmakingthemostof
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trainingopportunitiesthroughouttheregionIwascovering.
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11) Set the Stage for Follow-upIfyouputnothinginyourcoverletterfromthisbookexceptforonesentence,makeitthisone:"Iwillcontactyounextweektodiscussthepossibilityofaninterview."
Thisisbecause,aspowerfulasthecoverletterisatgettingyourcandidacynoticed,beingnoticedisn'talwaysenough.Notwhentherearesomanycandidatesvyingforjustonespot.
No,theonlysure-firewaytogetthejobistogetinterviewed.Andgettinginterviewedoftenrequiresfollow-up.
Thus,letthelastlineofyourcoverlettersetthestageforyoutofollow-upsoon.Thisway,ifyoudon'thearbackfromthecompany,you'vegotawrittenpledgetofollow-up.Andwhoareyoutobreakapromise?
Here'showitlooksinoursampleletter:
JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345
jane.doe@gmail.com|123.456.7890
January1,2012
JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.
DearMs.Smith,
December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfromthatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.
Iknow,however,thatthereareevenmoretalentedsalespeopleoutthere.SoIthinkmygreatestqualificationfortheroleismystrongfitwithAcme'sculture.FromtalkingtoJimDell,I'velearnedthatthesalesforceisextremelyambitious-andthat'sexactlywhatI'mlookingfor.AsmyfirstbossatP&Gsaidaboutme,"Janeisneverhappywithaneasygoal,shealwaysshootsforthemoon."SoI'dlovetoaimhighwithAcme'senterprisingteam.
Finally,inadditiontomypassionandfit,IwantyoutoknowthatIhavewhatittakestodeliverhugeresultsforAcme.Soherearehowmyqualificationsstackuptotherole:
JobRequirement MyQualification
Asaregionalsalesmanagerfor
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ExperienceleadingasalesteamGeneralMills,Imanagedateamof25salesprofessionals,achieving25%growthinrevenueoverfouryears
Abilitytoparticipateinexecutivedecision-making
IworkedwithmyVPatGMtocraftanewsalesstrategyforthewholecompany,presentinginfrontoftheCEOandboardatthefirm'squarterlymeeting
Skilledatenteringnewmarkets
InmyfirstsalesroleatP&G,Isawanopportunitytosellcleaningproductstocollegestudentstobuildbrandloyalty.Despitedoubtwithinthecompany,thissegmenthasnowbecomea$50MM/yearbusiness.
Goodatoperatinginambiguoussituations
Whileservingontheboardofalocalchildren'scharitywithmanydifferentprograms,Ihelpedtheorganizationdefineitsmissionstatementtofocusitsresourcesonteaching10,000kidstoreadeachyear
Amazingmultitaskingabilities
InthemidstofearningGM's"SoutheastSalesProfessionaloftheYear"Award,Igotmypilot'slicensebyorganizingmytimeeffectivelyandmakingthemostoftrainingopportunitiesthroughouttheregionIwascovering.
IameagertospeakwithyouaboutthevaluethatIcanbringtoAcmeandtheclientsyouserve.Assuch,Iwillcontactyounextweektodiscussthepossibilityofaninterview.
Thankyouforyourconsideration,
JaneDoe
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12) Follow-up!Soyousentoutyouramazingcoverletter?Great.Butthere'sstillonefinalsteptolandaninterview:
1)Putareminderonyourcalendartofollow-upinoneweek.
2)Ifyoudon'thearbackfromthecompanywithinaweek,sendafollow-upnote.Itdoesn'tmatterwhenthedeadlineforapplicationsis-companiescananddohireatanytime.Sodon'tsitaroundwaitingtohearbackwhilethey'rebusyhiringsomeoneelse!
3)Letthemknowthatyou'restillveryinterestedintheroleandthat,givenyourperfectfit,you'dbehappytoansweranyquestionstheymighthave.
Ideally,you'vedoneyourhomeworkandknowwho'sreviewingapplications,soyoucansendapersonalnotelikethis:
DearMs.Smith,
Aspromisedinmycoverletterfromlastweek,Ijustwantedtofollow-uponmycandidacyfortheSalesVProle.
Asaveteransalesleaderwithadeeppassionforsettingandachievingboldgoals,I'mconfidentthatIcanhelpAcmetakeitssalesdevelopmenttothenextlevel.
Thus,pleasedon'thesitatetoreachoutwithanyquestionsaboutmycandidacy.I'mhappytoshareanyadditionalinformationthatwouldhelpwithyoursearch.
Thankssomuch,
Jane
Youcanalsoreachouttocontactsatthecompanytoadvocateforyouandsendanadditionalfollow-upthenextweek.However,betweenyourpowerfulcoverletterandyourfollow-up,you'vegivenyourselfthebestshotpossibleatgettinganinterviewand,ultimately,agreatjob.
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An OfferAsanewauthor,I'dlovetogetyourfeedbackonthisbook.JustsubmityourreviewonAmazon-andbehonest,Iwanttoknowwhat'sworkingandwhat'snot.
Asasmallthankyoufortakingthetimetoshareyourthoughts,I'dbehappytoreviewacoverletterforyou.Justsendittocoverletters@outlook.comand,dependingonthevolumeIreceive,I'lltrytoofferfeedbackwithinafewdays.
Thanksforreadingandgoodluckoutthere!
-Jeremy
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About the AuthorAsaformerrecruiteratTeachForAmericaandsomeonewho'sreviewedapplicationsattopcompanieslikeLinkedIn,Jeremyhasseenhisfairshareofcoverletters.Butasaformerteacher,whathelovesmorethanreviewingapplicationsishelpingothersputthemtogether.SoJeremy'swrittenthisbooktosharehisexperiencewithothers,inthehopesthattheycanputtheirbestfootforwardandlandtheirdreamjobs!
CopyrightIntroduction - AKA the Only Page of Mumbo-Jumbo in This Book123456789101112An OfferAbout the Author
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