Is the cover letter dead? No, it is actually quite important to have a concise, well-written cover letter accompany a resume to help present a clear picture of the candidate as well as demonstrate the level of one’s communication skills. Securing a job is very similar to closing a sales deal. The cover letter allows the candidate to sell oneself to the hiring audience.

Michelle Hopkins of Plano, Texas recently started a writing and editing job. Her cover letter was a major factor in securing the position. Because she was seeking a writing position, she “threw out” the rules of maintaining a brief cover letter and wrote one that conveyed her personality as well as her writing skills. She also felt it beneficial that an actual person reviewed her resume rather than a computer program.

Hopkins commented, “I feel like a big factor in why this cover letter/resume/writing samples ‘hit’ was that it was seen by a person and was not screened by a computer program. I’ve found many companies use those programs where they are looking for keywords, and I received numerous form rejection letters I do not think I would have received if a person had looked at my letter and application.”

Hopkins was right. Debra Nicholas, the managing editor who hired her, said that she personally reviewed all of the cover letters and resumes that were submitted by more than 100 applicants. She found a diverse range of submissions. Some applicants included cover letters while others did not. Because she was looking for a writer, those that included cover letters that provided an interesting introduction were given a second look. Nicholas said, “The cover letter brings a person into one place, completing the package. The best cover letters were clever, conversational and informal.”

In fact, Nicholas said that she began to see a pattern in cover letter style with respect to when the person was educated. Those who were older (e.g. baby boomers) tended to have more formal cover letters while younger candidates were more inclined to include many links to personal and professional websites to paint a clearer picture about themselves. Nicholas noted that the links were helpful in allowing her, as the interviewer, to get a better picture of the candidate. However, some of the links were harmful to the candidate in that they demonstrated poor writing ability, a dislike for the writing field or were unprofessional in nature. It is important to monitor to your digital reputation.

So, how did Hopkins win over Nicholas? Nicholas said, “She really showed that she wanted the job, not that she was just applying for it. She did her research and followed up.” Additionally, Hopkins’ cover letter and resume were free of grammatical and spelling errors. Errors will definitely get a candidate’s cover letter and/or resume placed in the rejection pile.

The cover letter is alive and well. Here are some helpful tips on crafting one.

1. Don’t use a form letter.
2. Be concise, but also be complete.
3. Be careful of grammar and spelling errors.
4. Address the cover letter to a specific person whenever possible.
5. Develop a position-specific cover letter so that it is tailored for the job you are seeking. Do this by speaking to the requirements detailed in the job posting.
6. Don’t re-hash your resume in your cover letter.
7. Proofread, proofread, and did I mention, proofread?
8. Close with a request for an interview and your contact information.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 31st, 2010at 8:42 pm and is filed under cover letter, general tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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