Do cover letters really matter…
Hello Everyone,
I’ve been getting a lot of letters from people who read my “Your Career” column on MSNBC.com and one of the biggest issues that keeps coming up is how important is a cover letter.
From the many human resource experts I’ve interviewed over the years the answer seems to be a resounding “it’s very important”. But what makes a great cover letter? You definitely want to toot your own horn, and also make sure the letter is targeted to the actual job you want. Sending cookie cutter cover letters to hundreds of job openings on Monster.com is probably a bad idea. HR folks say they can tell a form letter from one that has been crafted for a particular position.
So what else? Should you be funny? Should you print the letter on funky paper? I once printed my cover letter on red paper. (Ok, ok, I was 19.)
Do you all have examples of great cover letters or cover letter ideas?
Would a quote from a great philosopher help?
How about this:
“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you break bread with indifference, you bake bitter bread that feeds but half a man’s hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.”
~ Kahlil Gibran
Hey, I’d hire him!
(And don’t forget, if you read my book From the Sandbox to the Corner Office and enjoyed it remember to write a review on Amazon.com.)
October 24th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
In my book I outlined a 3 paragraph framework for effective cover letters:
Paragraph 1 - state your purpose and interest in the company.
I am interested in the posting for the (name of position). I would like an opportunity to interview for this position. ABC Company is a recognized name in our community and I would consider it an honor to be part of your team. (or something similar..)
Paragraph 2 - point them to your resume, pertinent skills, but accentuate a particular project or skill - brag a little)
I’ve included a copy of my resume for your review. As you can see I have excellent experience relevant to the position and more than 10 years of direct industry experience. While I believe I can bring great talent to your team, I am particularly proud of my work on an XYZ project at my current employer. The project resulted in a significant reduction in expense and increased productivity by more than 30%.
Paragraph 3 - call to action…
Please review the information I’ve provided. I am actively looking for opportunities to advance my career and become part of a progressive organization. I will follow up on this correspondence in (3-7 days). If you need to contact, my email address and phone number are on my resume and below the signature in this letter. Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Or something like that…
October 24th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
My goodness — that’s a slacker’s mantra! Thank you, Kahlil, for putting voice to my vocational inertia!
That said, crafting a good cover letter can be more intimidating than the actual interview.