Uncovering the Cover Letter What They Are, Why They are Important, and How to Write One
Why is a Cover Letter so Important? • Tells the employer the type of position you're seeking and exactly how you are qualified for that position. • Highlights the aspects of your experience that are most useful to the potential employer • Calls attention to the skills, talents, and experience the employer is looking for
A Good Cover Letter = Time and Research The amount of work you put into a cover letter should be correlated with how badly you want a position! If there is a lot of cutting and pasting going on, it’s not a good cover letter!
Employer-focused Cover Letters • Cover letters should focus not just on the job, but the employer • Think of the employer as your client: what does the client want/need? • Employer Research: what are the key skills and knowledge areas? • Emphasize tangible evidence of your skills and abilities – What similar problems have you solved and what were the results? “A good cover letter is concise, has clear direction, and explains why the skills outlined on the resume are a good fit for the position” - Nonprofit recruiter
Two Types of Cover Letters • The Prospecting/Introductory letter – used to inform the employer of your interest and to inquire about available opportunities
• The Application letter – most common and is sent to an employer in response to a specific job or internship posting
The Elements of a Cover Letter • Return address • Salutation • First paragraph: “Interest generating” • Middle paragraph(s) “Value selling” • Closing Paragraph “call to action” • Closing
A cover letter should not be more than 1 page
Return Address • Examples 2025 N. Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL 60208 125 Eastman St. Cleveland, Ohio 44119
Salutation • Best if you have a specific person to which to address the letter • If not, use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Recruiter” • Double-check the spelling of the individual’s name • Use first and last name if not sure of gender or marital status
Interest Generating Paragraph • State your reason for writing and how you learned about the organization and/or position. • Include 2-3 sentences demonstrating your level of interest and knowledge about the organization.
“Each firm is different with different industry focuses and models. The (cover) letter should always be geared to the firm not the industry as a whole.” --NU employer in Management Consulting
How to Show Knowledge of the Company • Reference – a specific product or service – a recent news item – mission statement/company philosophy – an item about the company mentioned by a professional association
Where to Find Information about Companies • Hoovers • Company websites: look for press releases, ”in the news”, or “about us” • Trade Journals • LinkedIn • Facebook: Fan them! • Professional Associations • NU Alumni or other contacts
Examples of Interest Generators “I would like to apply for the position of marketing
Intern, which I learned about through the Northwestern CareerCat website. I am interested in Grey Global because of your mission statement of accelerating the potential for success of clients’ brands. I would like to be a part of that acceleration strategy. Grey Global’s use of viral marketing also appeals to my skills with social media.” “Allstate was listed as one of Fast Company’s 100 best companies to work for. The growth of Allstate’s personal liability department last year further increased my interest in working in the auditing department.”
Don’t Have Time to Research Companies? • Are you SURE you don’t have time? Don’t have time and don’t want to make time are 2 different things! • Make an extra effort to tie specifics of the job description with your skills in the “value selling” paragraph
“Value Selling Paragraph” • Emphasizes and elaborates on your strongest qualifications and key experiences relevant to the position – What key questions is the company/industry looking to solve?
• Highlights specific achievements related to desired skills – What similar problems have you solved and what were the results?
Which Skills are Important? • **Job description** – Review minimum and preferred qualifications – Address skills listed in job description
• Comparable Job Listings • Company website: look under “careers” , “jobs” or “employment” • Industry guides such as Vault/Wetfeet/OOH • Alumni/contacts in the company/industry
Example of Skill Representation • Good: “I am an editor with The Northwestern Lit Review. My job is to write under pressure, and to negotiate article changes with writers and their sources.” • Better: “I write very well under pressure. I successfully wrote a 1,000 page article on PostModern influences on literary criticism with just two day’s lead time. I also have excellent negotiation skills. I was able to negotiate by-lines between two other writers, resulting in better placement for both”.
Action Statement • These are your “next steps” • Always take the initiative to call if possible and follow up! • Statement of appreciation: thank the reader for his/her consideration, to request an opportunity to discuss the position, and to indicate how the employer can reach you. • If conducting a long distance search, let the employer know if you plan to visit their geographical area
Closing • Make it professional! – Sincerely, – Best Regards,
How to Head Straight for the … • • • • •
Spelling /grammar errors Wrong recruiter name/ company Too general or “generic” Too long Addressing what you hope to get from (rather than what you can give to) the employer
“It's usually very obvious when a student has used the career center guide and just altered a sentence or phrase or two” --Management Consulting Recruiter
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