A cover letter is a brief letter that accompanies your resume. It should be targeted towards the company and essentially demonstrates that you have done the research, read the job ad carefully and interested in that job. A cover letter can add a little oomph to a resume and prove that you not only care, but are professional as well. In fact, many hiring managers will not even look at a resume without a cover letter.
A cover letter does not have to keep you up at night. It is a fairly straightforward document that just demonstrates your interest. Many people will write a lengthy cover letter detailing their skills and re-iterating their resume. This is not needed.
Another big mistake people make when it comes to cover letters is to make a generic cover letter that you hand to every job. The point of the cover letter is to demonstrate that you have actually read the ad, thought about the position and put some effort into creating a cover letter to show this. Although many employers will simply skim through the cover letter and then head straight to the resume, a cover letter is still incredibly important.
So what should your cover letter look like? First of all, it’s a good rule of thumb to mirror the language used in the job opening. This will demonstrate that you have read the ad and can cater towards what they are looking for. Next, make sure your cover letter is brief. It should be no more than three to four short paragraphs.
The point of your cover letter is to sell yourself- to make the hiring manager want to flip the page and read your resume. With this in mind, you need to be upbeat and positive in your cover letter. You also need to directly link your skills to the job you are applying for. This demonstrates a deeper level of thinking that companies look for in their employees.
A cover letter should begin with “Dear Madam/Sir” and end with “yours sincerely, your name.” The first paragraph should briefly explain where you found the ad opening and what the position is. Then you need to explain why you are right for the job. The second and third paragraph should discuss a few key attributes/experience/skills that make you right for the particular job position. Be brief about this- two to three sentences is all you need for each paragraph. The final paragraph should demonstrate your level of enthusiasm with something like “I look forward to hearing from you” or “I hope to be a part of the team.” And that’s it. You are done.
A cover letter may seem like a waste of time but, in reality, it is the one document that seals your professional, enthusiasm and credentials into a nice lovely bow. You wouldn’t read a book that did not have a cover page right? So why would a hiring manager read a resume without a cover letter?
David Couper is a career coach and writer who for the last twenty years has worked in Europe, Asia, and in the USA with major organizations including the BBC, Fuji Television, Mattel, Sony, and Warner Bros.
He has successfully coached individuals at all levels including CEOs of major companies wanting a new challenge, frustrated souls wanting to make their dream come true, and front-line employees laid off and desperate to get a job.
David has published seven books. His works on interpersonal skills, counseling in the workplace, and management issues (published by Connaught, Gower, HRD Press, Longman, Macmillan/Pearson Publishing, Oxford University Press) have been translated into Swedish, Polish, and Danish, and published in the UK and the USA.
David has a degree in Communication, a postgraduate qualification in education, is certified in a number of training technologies, and has a Masters in Psychology. He is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, Society of Human Resources Professional, Writers Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television.
He has dual US/UK citizenship and speaks French and Japanese.
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