Good Cover Letter Gives You A Leg Up

Plenty of daunting chores await the job hunter, from writing a knockout resume to acing an interview. But writing an enticing cover letter might be the toughest task of all.

“First, it’s not easy to describe your skills,” says Richard Beatty, author of “175 High-Impact Cover Letters” (John Wiley & Sons, $10.95). “Second, most people only write cover letters once or twice over a lifetime, so it doesn’t come naturally.”

But learning how to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your accomplishments and promotes your attributes is crucial. That’s because a cover letter does more than introduce a resume. It should “show what distinguishes you from other candidates who may have similar qualifications,” says Judi Lansky, a Chicago career counselor.

In fact, a new Accountemps survey of 150 executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies found that 66 percent of respondents consider cover letters to be as important as, or more critical than, resumes when they’re screening applicants.

Here are six tips for writing cover letters that command attention:

Think strategically. “People get hired because they have the right technical skills and they fit the organization’s culture,” Beatty says. “Therefore, your cover letter should feature statements about the results you achieved in your current job, and it should include some personal traits. If you’re applying to a fast-growing organization, you might say, ‘I’m action-oriented, and I’m not afraid to take risks,’ because young companies value an entrepreneurial spirit.” But if you’re applying to a large organization, you’re better off describing yourself as team-oriented.

Focus on your skills. “Don’t tell the company what great products they make and how great it would be to work for them,” says Robin Ryan, author of “60 Seconds and You’re Hired” (Impact Publications, $9.95). Instead, explain how your experience matches the company’s needs and describe how your background would enable you to make an immediate contribution. You might present four relevant accomplishments in bullet points (“increased market share 70 percent” or “saved $19 million through Total Quality Management initiative”). When answering an advertisement, Lansky suggests listing the job requirements and your qualifications in two columns in the middle of the page.

Be concise. Limit letters to one page and no more than four paragraphs. Keep sentences short and punchy, not cluttered with flowery language. “‘Your ad in the newspaper for a project engineer really piqued my interest’ is a more exciting opening sentence than ‘I’m submitting my resume in application for the position of project engineer that you advertised in the newspaper,”’ Beatty says. Or acknowledge the ad indirectly: “Ten years in retail management and sales is the background I would bring to your position of assistant store manager.”

Reference referrals. If you’re writing to a hiring manager at the suggestion of an employee, Ryan recommends mentioning the name in the first sentence: “Kathy Jones suggested I contact you, as she is familiar with my background in accounting and thought there might be a need for someone with my skills in your department.” As Beatty points out, “Hiring managers are more likely to respond, out of a sense of business or social obligation, if you’ve been networked to them.” If you don’t have a referral, an effective way to begin is by posing a question that conveys your experience: “Are you in the market for a skilled financial analyst with a successful track record? If so, I may be the person you’re looking for.”

Avoid gimmicks. Forget colored letterhead, unusual graphics and fancy typefaces. White bond stationery and clean type are best. Dazzle readers with your substance, don’t distract them with unnecessary glitz.

Skirt salary requirements. Most classified advertisements ask applicants to disclose their salary history because companies want to screen out anyone who earns too much or too little. “Ignore the salary question, unless the ad says, ‘If you don’t share your salary history, we won’t consider you’,” Ryan says. In that case, give a range: “My salary, which is consistent with what most retail drugstores pay their assistant managers, has been in the $30s, plus bonuses and benefits.”

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