How to Write Great Cover Letters

How to Write Great Cover Letters

You have an impressive resume, you know how to present yourself well in an interview, you know what kind of position you are best suited for. . .now all you need is a chance to get your foot in the right door. Just what can you do to make that happen?



Make sure you write a knockout cover letter, advise career planning specialists. "A cover letter is your chance to explain to an employer why he or she should consider you for the job," says Jennie Z. Rothschild, Ph.D., executive director of Jewish Vocational Service on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. "The best cover letters are specific and give examples that directly relate to the job you are trying to get.""Your cover letter is a targeted sales tool which should be tailored to the specific position you are seeking," adds Ann Harrell of the Johns Hopkins University Career and Life Planning Center on Alexander Bell Drive in Columbia.





The cover letter is also a good opportunity to show potential employers your writing skills, says Jennie Rothschild, and for those job-seekers whose native language is not English, a chance to show that you are comfortable with the language. Whatever your writing and language skills are, though, make sure that your letter has no mistakes. "Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!" emphasizes Ann Harrell. A cover letter, like most business correspondence, says Ms. Rothschild, has three basic parts: *Paragraph 1, in which you state: who you are; how you heard of the position or the company; why you are writing.

"Your goal in this paragraph," says Ann Harrell, "is to convince the reader why you are the only candidate to interview." *Paragraph 2, in which you discuss: why you are interested in the position and/or company; how your qualifications fit the specific skills needed for the job; some specific examples of how your past experience has prepared you to do the job for which you are applying; any other relevant skills, qualities, achievements, and experiences that make you the best candidate for the job.

"The second paragraph is your chance to shine," says Ms. Harrell. "Discuss your experiences and
skills that match the criteria for the position. If you met your contact through networking, refer
to your meeting notes. Use the company information you found if this is a cover letter for a direct
mailing." *Paragraph 3, in which you: repeat that you are hoping to be considered for the job; give
specific information about your plans to follow up; thank the employer for his or her consideration.
"And then be sure to follow through," says Ms. Harrell. When closing, "Sincerely" or "Sincerely
Yours" with your typed name and signature will be appropriate.




Jennie Rothschild suggests these additional DOs and DON'Ts:



DOs...

• In the first paragraph, name the title of the job for which you are applying and be specific about how you heard about the position or company.
  
• Try to find out the name and title of the person who will be able to hire you and use the name, instead of writing "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam."
  
• Write the letter based on exactly what the ad or job listing says the employer is looking for; try to give an example from your experience for every qualification listed in the ad.
  
• Type the letter and use paper and font that is the same or looks similar to your resume. Don't forget to sign your name.
  
• Reread the letter carefully and check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It's a good idea to have someone else proofread the letter as well.
  
• Keep the letter brief--under 1 page. Keep the paragraphs to 2-4 sentences each.
  
• Say that you are enclosing a resume.
  
• Include your phone number in the last paragraph.
  
• Make sure the envelope is clearly and properly addressed.
  

DON'Ts...

• Send a resume without a cover letter.
  
• Discuss salary unless the ad or job listing requires it.
  
• Repeat information that appears on the resume, except in the briefest, introductory manner.
  
• Generalize about personal qualities or past job titles. Instead, give specifics about your skills and experience.
  
• Talk about what the job will do for you.
  
• Give unnecessary personal information.
  
• Include anything that you will not be able to explain in an interview.
  
• Send Xerox copies.
  
• Say you will follow up without having a specific plan to do so.
  
• Staple or paper clip items.
  

Written By: Carol Sorgen

Resume Tips

"A great resume is not just a complete list of employment and education. . . it's got to be a selling document," says Kathryn Troutman, president of The Resume Place in Catonsville and author of the Federal Resume Guidebook. "Your resume needs to make very clear that you are highly skilled and an excellent candidate for their position, with energy and enthusiasm for your career," Ms. Troutman adds. "A resume is like a snapshot," agrees Nancy Leaderman, one of two resume specialists
(along with Debra Varron) at The Associated's Jewish Vocational Service, which offers a full range of employment counseling and programs, including resume preparation and job-seeking workshops.
"You wouldn't have a picture of yourself taken without combing your hair, putting on lipstick, or whatever it takes to make yourself look as attractive as possible. It's the same thing with a resume. . .this is your first impression."

In terms of the visual appeal of a resume, says Ms. Leaderman, a resume produced on a laser printer makes a big difference. "A good dot matrix printer used to be all right," she observes, "but with the availability of computers so widespread now, a laser printer is really the way to go."
Ms. Leaderman admits that the way a resume looks can be tied to the field the job seeker is exploring. "I think of resumes as akin to professional dressing," she observes. "A resume for the banking industry might certainly look different from a resume for the advertising industry. "In more conservative areas," Ms. Leaderman notes, "you won't waver from 12-point black ink on white or off-white plain bond paper. For more creative fields, however, we might suggest some graphic changes--using bullets, changing type size. . .things like that." Don't get carried away though, Ms. Leaderman advises.
Colored ink, for example, can be too distracting. "You want to catch the employer's eye but still be professional. If you want to impress someone with your creativity, send a sample of your work. . .don't use your resume to show how artistic you are."


In terms of what actually goes in your resume, Kathryn Troutman of The Resume Place advises job-seekers that the resume has to say not just where you've worked, but how well you've performed. "Think accomplishments," she recommends. "If you have been a production supervisor in manufacturing for 10 years," she says, "tell the reader what you have accomplished, in addition to your responsibilities. For instance, 'As a Production Supervisor, successfully used a team management style of supervision to increase productivity; decreased injuries through new safety programs;
promoted staff to management through an emphasis on training and development; implemented TQM throughout the plant; and directed installation of digital controls in the manufacturing equipment.'


"This approach shows that the person is a highly effective production manager," says Ms. Troutman. Be specific and be focused, adds JVS' Nancy Leaderman. "Use active verbs (for the grammatically-challenged who may not remember their junior high English classes, active verbs are the ones that don't use helping verbs). Use verbs such as maintained, supervised, managed, as opposed to saying, was responsible for." Many prospective employers "scan" a resume first--either with an optical scanner or with the human eye, looking for key words or phrases. This is done, say resume specialists, not so much as a hiring tool, but as a way to sort through the sometimes hundreds of resumes received for an advertised position. "A great resume for scanning provides these key
words in order to 'maximize hits' for the best-qualified applicants," explains Kathryn Troutman. In other words, don't just write, 'Directly supervise 12 employees.' Instead write, 'Directly supervise 12 Customer Service Representatives entailing training on computer system, troubleshooting,
scheduling to meet peak demands, and maintaining employee records.'" In order to find the key--or "buzz"--words of your industry, Ms. Troutman suggests, read the "want ads" in the newspaper. Find 5-10 ads for your field; look for phrases used over and over again. Use these words or phrases in your resume. And what if you don't have all the skills the ads are calling for?
"Get them," says Ms. Troutman.

A great resume for 1999 always includes details of your abilities with computers, Ms. Troutman adds. Don't just write: "Skilled in use of PCs with WordPerfect." "That's not good enough in this computer-driven job market," Ms. Troutman observes. "Write about your level of skill in each major program. A secretary, for example, can write, 'Proficient with WordPerfect 6.0, including graphs, charts for presentations, as well as word processing and file management; act as office LAN administrator
for 15 management and secretary staff; install software upgrades and provide user training and support." For those looking for a federal job, Ms. Troutman notes, the former Form 171 has been replaced by the new Federal Resume, a 2-4 page document which includes "security details" such as social security number, citizenship, addresses of employers, and other details not usually
required by private industry employers. Indeed, within private industry, says Nancy Leaderman, job-seekers are leaving out personal information that was once considered standard on a resume--age, health status, marital status, and the like. "Both employers and employees are more sensitive to the appearance of bias," Ms. Leaderman observes in explaining this current trend.

Just how long should a resume be? "That's a judgement call," says Ms. Leaderman.
"If you can get all the information on one page, fine, but that's not always the case, especially if you have at least 10-15 years' experience, or a list of publications you've written. . .if you need more room to get all your skills in, then go to two pages." The length of the resume might also depend on the format you use--chronological or functional.
A chronological resume-which works best for most people--emphasizes employment dates and perhaps increases in responsibility over time.
A functional resume, on the other hand, places less importance on dates and more on the skills gathered through the years. A functional resume can work best, says Ms. Leaderman, for career shifters, those with an inconsistent work history, and those who may be a bit older than the average
job-seeker but don't want to call attention to the fact. Some people may, in fact, have both a functional and a chronological resume, or even several different versions of the same resume, highlighting different objectives and different skills. "The purpose a resume serves varies from industry to industry," Ms. Leaderman remarks. "In sales, for instance, just a brief resume can often get you an interview; in other fields, a more detailed resume is the only way to get your foot in the door."


After completing your resume, don't overlook other job-seeking tools such as cover letters and thank-you notes, says Ms. Leaderman. In your cover letter, she advises, respond to what an individual ad has listed; be as specific as possible. "Go beyond the qualifications," Ms. Leaderman stresses.
"Make yourself stand out from the others." And don't forget thank-you notes-- for referrals, for interviews, even for jobs you wind up not getting.
"You never know when something else will open up," says Ms. Leaderman.

One final thought says Kathryn Troutman--"If you're not excited about your resume,
no one else will be either."

Written By: Carol Sorgen