You can’t judge a book by its cover, but according to recruiters, you can judge a job candidate by their cover letter. A single glance at a cover letter is all it takes for a recruiter to form a strong impression of you as a potential employee. If your cover letter is impressive, it will earn a second look; if not, well, sorry.
Characteristics of an Outstanding Cover Letter
Uniqueness: Recruiters appreciate it when they see that you have put in the effort to personalize your cover letter for the specific opportunity. It’s important to make it clear that you haven’t just read the job posting, but you have also researched the company.
Addressing a Real Person: Take the time to search LinkedIn and identify the hiring manager. Address your letter to that individual. This demonstrates attention to detail and shows that you’ve made an effort. Even if you use the wrong name (as long as it’s a name of an actual employee from the relevant department), it’s better than using generic greetings like “Dear Sir or Madam,” “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “To Whom It May Concern.”
Relevance: Utilize the valuable space in your cover letter to emphasize your unique skills and how they relate to the opportunity at hand. Incorporate keywords from the job posting. Once again, this reveals attention to detail and will be beneficial if your letter is first scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS).
A Compelling Conclusion: Express gratitude to the recruiter or hiring manager for their time and request a meeting to discuss your qualifications in relation to the opportunity.
Common Pitfalls of a Mediocre Cover Letter
Excessive Wordiness: This is not the time to be long-winded. Keep your writing concise and focused. Begin with an eye-catching yet professional introduction that highlights your interest in the position. Then, move on to the second paragraph where you provide a bit more detail, ideally with a captivating statistic or example that entices the reader to review your resume. Close with a genuine expression of thanks and a hope for further communication as mentioned earlier.
Boilerplate Language: It’s tempting to reuse the same letter repeatedly, developing a “template” for your cover letter to save time. However, it’s evident when a job candidate is simply copying and pasting generic phrases that are not engaging to read.
Inappropriate Tone: Your cover letter should stand out for its professionalism and eloquence, not for being unconventional. This is not a creative writing class. Stick to the principles of effective writing (use active voice, show rather than tell), but don’t go overboard with a thesaurus or an overly avant-garde approach. Be yourself.
What Makes a Cover Letter Unappealing
Typos: Proofread, proofread, proofread. Strong communication skills are required for most positions, and your cover letter is one instance where your writing abilities will be evaluated. When applying for a job, you should be putting your best foot forward. If you submit a letter riddled with typos, it reflects poorly on both you and the company. Ask a friend to review your cover letter. After spending hours reading something, it’s easy to overlook obvious mistakes.
Copy-and-Paste Errors: Double-check your work before hitting send, especially if you’re applying for multiple jobs at once. Mentioning the wrong company, position title, or hiring manager’s name in a cover letter can be disastrous for your chances of getting the job.
Missing Contact Information: It may seem hard to believe, but sometimes applicants forget to include their contact details in their cover letters. Even the most well-written and captivating cover letter won’t go anywhere if the recruiter doesn’t know how to reach you.
As the old saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. And when it comes to cover letters, that saying holds true.
