Write Great Cover Letters for Your Next Job

Q. I’m ready to send out my resume and someone I respect told me not to include a cover letter—just a short personal note thanking the receiver for looking at the resume. Is this something new? —Ed V.

A. It’s new to me. A good cover letter is designed to make the receiver want to look at your resume—just as a good resume helps make the receiver want to interview you. My experience, and that of all the sources I could locate, say the same thing: Always mail a cover letter with your resume. The cover letter is your chance to show how your resume is different. It lets you tailor the presentation of your skills, experience and education to the specific employer/employee situation you’re seeking.

Make It Personal

The more personal you make your letter the better. If someone you know also knows the person you’re writing to, get permission to include that name in the letter. Always try to write to the appropriate person, instead of settling for “Dear Sir or Madam:” make sure you have the name spelled correctly. Be sure to put the person's title on both the letter and envelope. This will ensure that your letter gets through to the proper person, even if a new person now occupies the position.

A cover letter will also receive more attention if you say why you’re interested in the company. Your reason should reflect some solid research you’ve done on the firm. You could mention a new product or project the company is developing; a philosophy the company has sponsored; a recent trend or problem affecting the firm; even something as benign as "Sterling is a recognized leader in its field." Your knowledge of the company shows your level of interest in it. The reader can spot that interest quickly.

Type and Proofread Carefully

Type your letter perfectly on 8 1/2 x 11 inch bond paper. Keep it clean and free of errors. Don't try the cheap and easy ways— like photocopying the body of your letter and typing in the inside address and salutation. You’ll give the impression that you’re mailing to many other companies and really have no particular interest in anyone. Be sure to sign your cover letters.

Open with a “grabber”—an attention-getting sentence or paragraph that describes your skills that are appropriate for the job. Briefly summarize your experience and education, and say tell why you think you’re qualified for the position, and request an interview. In some situations you may want to attach work samples, publications, or other supplementary materials

The body of your cover letter gives you a great opportunity to highlight your talents:

"As the senior manager’s troubleshooter, I was often called to intervene in disputes, negotiate contracts, and otherwise deal with personnel problems and critical technical issues.” To highlight your organizational skills, you might say: "I was hired at Sterling reorganize the accounting department, which was barely functioning at the time because of staff turnover, low morale, lack of department guidelines, and poor use of office space. At the end of two years, I was commended by the company president for 'unparalleled organizing skills.’ ”

Close your letters by including your phone number and e-mail address. Politely ask for a response, and note that you’ll follow up to ask for interview arrangements. Now here’s something I believe in strongly: precede or follow your mailings with a phone call. Get the name of the person who will decide to interview you. Without this name, anyone in the office could be screening your letter and resume.

What Not to Say

Robert Half, founder of Robert Half International, says that "flippancy, careless errors, tactless remarks, irrelevant or extraneous material and attempts at humor should be avoided at all costs." He also name four things not to say:

• Don’t say what you expect the company to do for you. ("I see this position as a

wonderful opportunity to learn about the marketing side of the automotive industry.")

Instead, say what you think you can bring to the company.

• Don't present your accomplishments in a way that boasts, "Here’s what I've done."

Instead, phrase them to suggest, "Here is what I can do for you." For example, "I have

the experience and ability to help you increase production efficiency. While I was

supervisor at Sterling Company, department overruns decreased 32%."

• Don’t include personal information such as age, weight, height, marital or financial status,

and religious or political affiliation unless it is relevant to the situation you are seeking.

• Avoid adjectives and adverbs. Get rid of every "very" you find and lukewarm words as

"good," "wonderful," "exciting." Instead, use strong, perhaps even unusual, nouns and

verbs like engineered, re-organized, executed, discovered, imaginative, stimulating.