In today’s economy you really have to stand out from the crowd regardless of what position you are applying for.
The fact of the matter is that you can have all the degrees and experience in the world and it probably still isn’t enough. Taking into account that Americans are now more educated than ever, chances most other people applying for the same job have the same level of education and experience as you, if not more. A lack of funds and resources are also making the ability to find a job incredibly scarce, so you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a lot of competition.
So how do you stand out from a sea of well-educated, heavily experienced people? It’s all about first impressions, baby.
Contrary to popular belief, your cover later can either make you or break you. In fact, if your cover letter doesn’t catch a potential employer’s eye, they may not even consider looking at your resume.
There’s no need to fret though. Rather than stressing out about the importance of cover letters, use these tips to make yours as employer friendly as possible.
Get to the point, already.
There is no need to ramble on and on about how badly you want this job. It just makes you sound desperate more than anything.
Instead try giving employers exactly what they want by cutting to the chase. Employers looking to fill a position don’t have time to read through three pages of why you want this job, what experience you have dating back from your teenage years as a bus boy, or how it’s always been your childhood dream to work for this company.
Simply state your name, why you want this job, and a brief summation of why you are the right person for the position; which brings me to my next point.
Keep it relevant.
If you are applying for a position as a sales executive, your potential employer is not going to care about how you were Employee of the Month as a fresh college grad working at the local McDonald’s. They want your sales experience and nothing else.
The same applies for any other position you could possibly applying for.
Keep it professional.
It is your job to show that you can handle a professional environment, so do so right off the bat with your cover letter. Be cordial, use 12pt Times New Roman black font, and make sure to double check your grammar and spelling. There is probably nothing worse than getting a cover letter that has bad grammar.
Tell them what makes you unique for the job.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, these days everybody’s got a degree and a lot of people were laid off from a job that gave them tons of experience. On a similar note, companies only have so many positions to offer to a sea of people looking for work.
Bottom line is you need an angle.
What makes you unique from the others? Did you do consulting work on the side when you lost your job? Did you ever run a business? Have you taken an active role in an organization? What special skills can you bring to the table?
Showing your potential employer that you can take charge in bad times, that you have unique experience relevant to the position, or that you know how to deal other people are all great places to start.
Above all, if even after you’ve written a stellar cover letter you still don’t get the job, remember to keep your head up and keep trying. Simply brush it off and move on to the next one.
Thanks for this!! I hate writing cover letters and find them to be a waste of my existence. And this was before I took it upon my myself customize them.
Now it’s a lot worse.
But I think having a well written CV could make or break you since I think so many people hate job hunting and just want it to end. But the process is prolonged if you don’t take the time to make it more efficient. So having a good CV definitely helps.