get it done: write a cover letter by jeremy schifeling

Get It Done: Write a Cover Letter

By Jeremy Schifeling

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!

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.

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.

2) Find Out: Do You Need a Cover Letter?Beforeyouwriteasinglewordthough,findoutwhetheryouevenneedacoverletteratall.

Seriously.

Whileagreatcoverletterintherightsituationcanbethedifferencebetweengettinganinterviewornot,thebestcoverletterinthewrongsituationisn'tworththewordsyouputonpaper.

Therearetwotimeswhenyoudon'tneedacoverletter:

1)Coverlettersaren'taccepted.

2)Coverletterswon'tactuallyberead.

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

2) Cover letters won't actually be read.Manycompaniesthatdon'tvaluecoverletterswon'tcomeoutandtellyouthat.Often,ifyou'reexpectedtoemailyourapplication,theinstructionsmaysaysomethinglike:"[email protected]"-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!

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.

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.

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.

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.,[email protected])oraprofessional-soundingpersonaladdress(e.g.,[email protected])-andbesuretocheckitregularly.Stayawayfromworkemailsinceyoudon'twantyourcurrentbossseeingyourcorrespondencewithyourfutureboss!

Inadditiontoavoidingthesedeadlycoverlettersins,writeyournameandcontactinfointheupperright-handcornerofthepage,justlikethis:

JaneDoe123MainSt.,Anywhere,AL12345

[email protected]|123.456.7890

Notethatcenteringthisinformationandputtingthemailingaddressandemail/phonedetailsonsinglelineswillallowyoutosaveafewlines.Andremember,everylinecounts-yourcoverletterisbeingreadtonexttohundredsofothers,soyoucan'taffordtowastethereader'slimitedattention.

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([email protected])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:



January1,2012

JillSmithHiringManager,AcmeInc.

DearMs.Smith,

Notethatyoushouldaddresstherecipientformally,evenatlesstraditionalfirms.It'sjustaprofessionalcourtesyandnoonewilleverjudgeyounegativelyfordoingso.Theonlyexceptionisifyouknowtherecipientpersonally,inwhichcaseyoucanaddressasthemyounormallydo.

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.

However,asyoucansee,theSurprisingFactisn'tjustsomethinguniqueaboutyou(beingoneofGoogle'sfirstusers)butsomethinguniquethatdrawsanaturalconnectiontothecompany(beingoneofGoogle'sfirstusersmakesyouanaturaltohelpthemlaunchnewproducts).

That'sbecauseassoonasyou'vegrabbedtheirattention,youwanttostartmakingthecaseaboutyourfitwiththecompany...

Butfirst,here'showoursamplecoverletterislooking:

JaneDoe

123MainSt.,Anywhere,[email protected]|123.456.7890

January1,2012


DearMs.Smith,

December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfromthatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.

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:



January1,2012


DearMs.Smith,

December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenas

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.

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:

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:



January1,2012


DearMs.Smith,

December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfrom

thatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.


Finally,inadditiontomypassionandfit,IwantyoutoknowthatIhavewhatittakestodeliverhugeresultsforAcme.Soherearehowmyqualificationsstackuptotherole:


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

trainingopportunitiesthroughouttheregionIwascovering.

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:



January1,2012


DearMs.Smith,

December14,1985wasthedayIfirstrealizedhowIwantedtospendtherestofmylife.Goingdoortodoor,sellingcookiesformylocalGirlScouttroop,IrealizedthatI'dneverbeenaspassionateaboutanythingasmakingthesale.Althoughmyfriendshadlongsincegonehometodrinkcocoa,IkepttrudgingthroughthesnowuntilIhadknockedoneverydoor.Andfromthatdayforward,startingasasalesprofessionalwithP&GandlaterasaregionalmanagerforGeneralMills,Iknewthatsaleswasmylife.SoitgivesmegreatpleasuretoapplytoserveasAcme'snextVPofSales.


Finally,inadditiontomypassionandfit,IwantyoutoknowthatIhavewhatittakestodeliverhugeresultsforAcme.Soherearehowmyqualificationsstackuptotherole:


Asaregionalsalesmanagerfor

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

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.

An OfferAsanewauthor,I'dlovetogetyourfeedbackonthisbook.JustsubmityourreviewonAmazon-andbehonest,Iwanttoknowwhat'sworkingandwhat'snot.

Asasmallthankyoufortakingthetimetoshareyourthoughts,I'dbehappytoreviewacoverletterforyou.Justsendittocoverletters@outlook.comand,dependingonthevolumeIreceive,I'lltrytoofferfeedbackwithinafewdays.

Thanksforreadingandgoodluckoutthere!

-Jeremy

About the AuthorAsaformerrecruiteratTeachForAmericaandsomeonewho'sreviewedapplicationsattopcompanieslikeLinkedIn,Jeremyhasseenhisfairshareofcoverletters.Butasaformerteacher,whathelovesmorethanreviewingapplicationsishelpingothersputthemtogether.SoJeremy'swrittenthisbooktosharehisexperiencewithothers,inthehopesthattheycanputtheirbestfootforwardandlandtheirdreamjobs!

CopyrightIntroduction - AKA the Only Page of Mumbo-Jumbo in This Book123456789101112An OfferAbout the Author

get it done: write a cover letter by jeremy schifeling

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