"If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing."
How Important is Your Cover Letter?
A cover letter, for the uninitiated, is a document that typically accompanies a resume and offers additional background information on an applicant. The image to the side reflects one of three types of cover letters.
It might seem unimportant at first glance – what’s in it for the hiring manager? They’ve already met you through your resume! That said, take a look at the last two sentences of this post: “Remember that when we read your cover letter, all that separates us from you are 12 inches of paper.”
Does this make the cover letter an important part of the job search process? No question about it. Studies show that one in three employers uses interviewing for a final selection decision, and that more than 70 percent of them have a preference for a personal contact to follow up initial written applications.
Keep in mind that cover letters are used to complement resumes – they shouldn’t go “unnoticed” as so many do! Above all, they should be delivered with purpose and careful attention.
If You Don’t Use a Cover Letter
Then, you’re placing yourself at an enormous disadvantage. You can bet that every other candidate has provided one, and you could be missing out on your best opportunity to get additional information or references. Keep in mind that a few paragraphs of relevant information can go a long way to helping your job searching process move forward.
More than anything, when you don’t include one in your resume, you send the message that you believe there is little more to say about yourself. Why would you set yourself up for such a disadvantage?
When You Do Use a Cover Letter
When you use one to complement your resume, it should be teaming with purpose and relevant information. Use this section of the job search process to help pull information together in a way that gets the attention it deserves! In other words, expand on what is included in your resume by relating experiences, exposures and ambitions. Above all, cover letters are an amazing opportunity to grab the hiring manager’s attention and clarify areas of interest that aren’t covered elsewhere in the job search process.
What Does A Cover Letter Include?
A cover letter offers additional insight into an applicant’s background knowledge and experience. Salaries, descriptions and titles are fine, but recruiters want to know more about you.
If you spend any time at all in your cover letter, spend it giving a few bullet point examples of how your experiences relate to the job for which you are applying. Use this opportunity to highlight how your skills and interests mesh with those of the position. If a recruiter or hiring manager is looking to fill a position, they are looking for “fit.”
Use this section of the job search process to help pull information together in a way that gets the attention it deserves! In other words, expand on what is included in your resume by relating experiences, exposures and ambitions.
As much as possible, avoid writing too much and use the cover letter as an opportunity to get an interview. Try to keep the document short and sweet, most hiring managers won’t read more than two pages of information.
If you spend any time at all in your cover letter, spend it giving a few bullet point examples of how your experiences relate to the job for which you are applying. Use this opportunity to highlight how your skills and interests match those of the position.
Use this section of the job search process to help pull information together in a way that gets the attention it deserves! In other words, expand on what is included in your resume by relating experiences, exposures and ambitions.
You might also want to consider including a few sentences about yourself, such as how you answer the question “Why should I hire you?”
When You Can’t Include All Your Experience in Your Cover Letter
Don’t be intimidated if you aren’t familiar with all of these things. You can always look them up on the Internet.
Shorten your cover letter to a page or two and include only the most relevant or impressive positions and projects. No matter what you choose, be honest about your experience and focus on what is most relevant for the position for which you are applying.
If you need additional information on writing a cover letter, take a look at these resources from the U.S. Department of Labor:
How to Write A Cover Letter
Suppose you’ve updated your resume with all the latest skills, experiences and expertise from your time in school. You’ve included all the relevant activities you’ve completed, but when you look at your cover letter, you realize that there are some gaps in your experience.
You might be tempted to ignore these gaps and change the content to match what is on your resume. Instead, consider dividing the content of your cover letter into five parts.
Part I – Relevant Education
Create a list of relevant education and training as listed on your resume. Mention any awards or recognitions from these experiences if they are worth mentioning at all. List courses that you completed, even if they weren’t related to your field of interest.
Part II – Key Experiences
List any relevant experiences you have as closely as possible to the position for which you are applying. If more extensive experience is needed, use the additional pages of your cover letter as a way to describe these experiences.
Part III – Relevant Skills
List any relevant skills or qualifications that you feel will help distinguish yourself from other candidates for that position. The key word here is “relevant”; don’t include any that are extremely basic unless they are in some way related to the job for which you are applying.
Part IV – Interests and Ambitions
List any specific interests or ambitions that the position might encourage or support. This is a great time to address anything related to the job description or requirements.
Part V – Additional Pieces of Information
If your cover letter is running a little long, use this as an opportunity to include any other information that you feel might help your case. This could include references, testimonials or even additional copies of your resume (always remember to keep these in date!).
A Cover Letter for Every Job Search Situation
There are so many different situations where using the correct cover letter can really make an impact.
Conclusion
We’ve all been there: You’re taken on a job interview by an amazing recruiter, only to be told “That sounds great; I just wanted to let you know that I only want the best person for this position. The three top candidates are all calling me back, so I may not be able to offer you the job. However, we do have another position that sounds very good that we can offer you and you’ll probably be a great fit for it. Please take a minute to fill out our online application and we will call you when a decision is made.” You feel deflated; your hopes have been dashed without even a chance.