Cover Letters that Get Job Interviews

In the slow economy Americans now face, with the job market shrinking just a little bit every day, the competition is fiercer than ever to find and secure good-paying, skilled jobs in a number of fields. As popular as the resume may be in helping land the coveted interview and a shot at the big time, no less important is the cover letter that accompanies it. A very good reason for this? Employers want to see a sample of your communication skills, whether or not you can convey your thoughts well in written form, and in turn put those same skills to proper use in a position with their company. A resume, while professional enough, lacks a certain ‘heart’. The resume is almost automatic, robotic in its presentation, and written without any real flair or passion or charisma that so many employers most want to see. How can you really express yourself from the inside in a resume, apart from presenting your skills, your education and a brief background of your experience?

The cover letter, or the letter of introduction, when included with a resume, puts you at the top of the ‘slush pile’ of applicants, and when written correctly, shows the employer your personality. If that sounds silly, think a moment about your attitude when you read about a job opening. Are you excited about it, because you fit the qualifications perfectly? Or are you less than enthusiastic about it, and figure ‘What the heck, I’ll apply.’? First off, don’t apply for the job if it doesn’t fit your needs. This letter is going to illustrate your FEELINGS, so make sure you are really excited about this particular job position, and you think that it meets your expectations 100%.

Writing the Opening

Start out with your basic formal and courteous greeting. Identify yourself, where you live, your reason for writing, and what you are looking for. Some examples:

“Dear Mr. Temple:

My name is Paul Ryan, from Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve been an engineer for approximately 10 years, but was recently laid off after a series of cutbacks initiated by upper management. I read about a job opening in the Plain Dealer last Friday, and after looking through the needed requirements, the skills being sought and the location for the job, this particular position would be a perfect fit for me.”

“To the management of Empress Maids:

Hello! My name is Carol Wilde, a recent arrival to your city from Los Angeles. My reason for writing to you today is in response to an advertisement that was seen at my local library, requesting the need for someone to assist in administration duties with Empress Maids Cleaning Service. Having been a housekeeper for several years, along with possessing clerical and secretarial skills, it seemed a great idea for me to apply and offer my resume.”

Notice that the pronoun “I” is not used heavily. You want the employer to see you as confident, not arrogant. Nothing turns off an employer faster than saying, “I can do this, I can do that. I feel qualified. I am the man (or woman) for the job.” Also, it’s a good idea not to go overboard with long words, or unnecessary verbiage. Ask any screenwriter — it’s very difficult to express tone and mood through words alone. The two examples show applicants who seem motivated, excited and friendly. As this is the first part of your letter, it’s the ‘establishing shot’, so to speak.

A Little About Me

Again, try not to go on and on about yourself. Remember, it’s a “little”. Just talk about your experiences for a few sentences, and any notable highlights you feel are important or interesting enough to warrant mentioning because it can have an impact on the employer’s decision in the long run. Remember that you have a resume that tells about your experience too, so don’t get carried away and talk too much about one particular job or position. Let’s see what Paul and Carol write next:

Paul: “Hanover Incorporated has been my primary place of employment the last ten years, since graduating with Honors from Pitt University in 1997. I was very fortunate to have bumped into this position after meeting with my career counselor, Brenda Baxter, in my senior year, and she was very helpful in getting me in the door. Since that time, my duties varied from field work to blueprints and technical applications. My concentration in the past few years has been in the field of digital designs and CAD, which is one of the main requirements you are seeking for the engineering candidacy at Temple Inc. My work was also instrumental in the design and construction of a power plant currently located in Toledo, Ohio, now offering electricity to nearly 500,000 people.”

Smooth, Paul. This is excellent. Already we know a little more about Paul’s expertise, his education and some significant events. Notice too that we can tell that Paul is able to work well with others, and is obviously quick to give credit where it is due. Paul would be effective in a supervisory role at some point, no question about that. Mr. Temple would certainly look at Paul as a good choice so far!

Carol: “My background in housekeeping spans approximately 20 years, actually for as long as my twin sons have lived within the family home. Since they have gone away to law school now, I felt it was a good time to re-enter the work force. My clerical and office skills come from my years before marriage, when I worked part-time in between college degrees as a data entry supervisor, responsible for maintaining databases, producing reports and handling numerous job requests from my co-workers, such as light computer repair, spell-checking and phone calls. My experiences in a bustling office environment, combined with several years of knowledge in housekeeping and good cleaning skills, make me a good candidate for the position of Administrator for Empress Maids.”

Very well done, Carol. In a few sentences, she tells us that she’s a wonderful mother who has provided for her family, has exceptional clerical and administrative skills, and is really confident about what she can do. We can tell she obviously has done a great job raising her sons, if they are off to law school — and she’s well-educated herself. From here, we can see that she’s competent, versatile and determined. These are some amazing qualities employers really want to see that stand out from the pack.

In Closing

It’s important to thank the employer for his or her time, and mention the resume if you like. You do not really need to say anything else. Do NOT try “I really hope you hire me.” or “I really need this job.” or even “You’ll be very glad you picked me.” That just defeats the message you were trying to convey to the employer in the first place.

Paul: “In closing, thank you very much for your time and the consideration of the enclosed resume. Have a great week and hope to hear from you.”

Paul Ryan

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Carol: “I hope my resume meets with your approval. Thank you very much for your time and am looking forward to a possible interview with you in the future.”

Carol Wilde

That’s it. Short and sweet. Your cover letter should segue seamlessly to your resume. When the employer has had a chance to see a little of your communication and writing techniques, and a peek into your personality, you can be sure that the employer will consider it a pleasure to meet you face to face. It can also guarantee that your resume will get a lot more than a casual once-over — provided your resume is just as hot, of course!