Do you really need to write a cover letter?
And if so, how do you write one that stands out
to recruiters that are scanning hundreds
of applications at a time?
In this video, I'll explain what an employer really wants
from a cover letter, the ideal cover letter format, and three
key strategies to boost your cover letter's impact
and quality.
Be sure to stick around for the last one,
because it's an insider look on how to amplify your cover
letter so that it ends up in the hands of people
that can make a real difference in your job search.
All right, let's get into it.
What do employers really want from a cover letter?
Well, let's start with your resume.
Your resume provides a ton of great information about you,
but at the end of the day, it's just an outline
of your professional history.
Sometimes, though, employers and recruiters
want you to connect the dots for them, explaining not just
your professional history but why
you are the best, most qualified candidate for the role.
So therefore, a great cover letter
serves both as a professional introduction
of sorts and a sales pitch, leaving the recruiter intrigued
to learn more about you.
Now, in terms of when to submit a cover letter,
I think we all know, don't submit one
if an employer does not ask for one or says no cover letters.
We all know it's probably important to submit one
if it says cover letter required,
or you're directly asked for one.
However, it can be kind of tricky navigating the cover
letter optional statement.
So here's a few quick things to navigate or think
about when you are deciding whether or not
you should go through the effort of writing a cover letter.
The first thing to know is that most, though not all,
cover letters do go unread.
So obviously, that's something to consider.
It's a lot of time and effort for something
that may not help you actually get in the door.
That being said, even when it comes
to first rounds of interviews, the second interviewing
enters the equation.
A lot of people find that having written a cover letter
is really beneficial for their performance in an interview.
That's because you're having to consciously think about,
what's my angle in terms of how I'm presenting
my professional history, and why am I best suited for the job.
So keep that in mind.
It may not get you in the door, but it
may help boost your performance once you're there.
The second thing to know is that submitting a cover letter
is often considered a extra step of commitment and interest
to the role.
So that means a lot of people will default
to cover letter optional, oh, I should write a cover letter
in every single case.
Where this rule falls apart is that although it
does show commitment, it's never smart to submit a cover
letter that you haven't been able to give
your full attention.
So maybe if you didn't have time to think about,
how am I strategically angling myself for this role?
Maybe didn't have time to proofread,
or maybe it's just a generic cover letter
that's not tailored to the job application in particular
at all.
In that case, it's far better to submit no cover letter
and let your resume speak for itself rather than maybe
hindering your application by submitting a cover
letter that's less than representative
of your professional standard.
And the last thing to know is that if you
are making some kind of change in your career,
be it re-entering the workforce after time off,
you're changing industries, you're
looking for maybe a more senior job title
than you have had in the past, cover letters are
a great opportunity to supplement your resume
and give additional context to those kinds of changes.
Look at it as an opportunity to tell your professional story.
So if you're someone that's making that kind of change,
keep in mind that a cover letter is a really useful thing
to provide.
All right.
And finally, I'm going to be moving on to the ideal cover
letter format.
But before I do, if you've watched this far,
please give us a like, subscribe to our channel,
and hit the notification bell so that you
stay updated on this important career advice.
Here's the optimal format for writing a cover letter.
Step one is to start with your header.
This should include your name, contact information,
and the employer's contact information.
And pro tip here, whatever you do
in terms of formatting and font styling, so font size, the font
you select, et cetera, try and keep
it consistent with what's on your resume
so that your application as a whole
looks thoughtful and cohesive.
Then include a greeting.
It's best to be specific here if possible.
So do your best to do some research,
if it's not obvious based on the job application,
and try to find the exact name of the person that
will be reviewing applications for this role.
If you can't find their exact preferred title,
whether it's Mr. or Mrs. or some other title,
just say dear first and last name.
And if you can't find who the hiring manager is at all,
just go with Dear hiring manager.
It's best to stay away from overly formal language,
so that would be to whom it may concern
or to whom it may concern at company X.
That's just because it feels a little dated, so
better to stick with those options instead.
So then you can write the first paragraph.
And the goal here is to grab attention from that first line,
and explain why you're interested in this particular
role and company.
And you also want to explain the key experience
or qualifications that you believe make you the best fit.
Now, there are two critical tips for nailing this section.
Tip one here is to grab your reader from the very start.
Instead of having this more generic self-focused opening,
try really boldly stating a selling point, something that's
different, unique to you, and will set you
apart from a ton of the other applications
that they're reading.
So an example would be instead of saying something
generic like, I am a detail-oriented people
person who is capable at problem-solving with out
of the box solutions, try something
the boldly states that biggest professional offerings.
And I've got three quick examples if you're curious.
The first would be in my last position as an English teacher,
I inspired hundreds of students to love reading.
How can I spread that love of reading and learning
throughout your school?
Or sales increased over 30% when I
took over the print media department
at my marketing company.
What would 30% do for your sales goals?
And finally, I've hired, onboarded,
and trained a dozen customer service representatives
in the last six months.
I can turn individual contributors
into a team of rock stars.
The second tip here on nailing that first paragraph
is to express your motivation and explain why
this company should hire you.
Be explicit about that key offering
and why you're so excited to get the job.
For example, you could say something
like every time I see your products at the grocery store,
I pass by all the generic versions, and grab that one.
I'm already a loyal fan, and would
love to bring my enthusiasm to this team.
Now, if there are personal experiences not highlighted
in your resume that are applicable here,
go ahead and mention them, again highlighting that
as part of your key motivation.
So, for example, if you lived in another country
and this job requires international exposure,
go ahead and briefly foreshadow that personal nugget.
Next up, follow with a second paragraph.
And the goal here is to highlight the key achievements,
skills, and specialties that make
you very well-suited for this particular position.
Now, don't fall into the big trap of this section,
and it's applicable to cover letters in general,
but most people fall into that in this second paragraph, which
is do not simply restate or narrate your resume.
What's the point?
It doesn't add anything.
You're just wasting space.
The goal is to add more professional color here,
and make a strong case for yourself.
So instead of narrating your resume,
I really encourage you to focus on two or three
key professional accomplishments or experiences that directly
tie back to that job description and speak to the role
and that really impacted the bend and shape of your career,
Finally, finish it out with a closing paragraph.
If you're changing careers, this is a great opportunity
to explain how your former experience really well equips
you for this new opportunity, as well as why
you're making that change.
But regardless of your circumstances, briefly--
that's the keyword here-- briefly
summarize why you're interested in the role,
and why you're extremely qualified for it
and think you'd be the best fit, as well as finally making
a last call to action for the employer,
sharing that you're looking forward
to hearing next steps in the job process from them.
And then make sure to include your signature at the bottom.
If you'd like to learn how to create a standout resume
to accompany your now amazing cover letter,
then I highly recommend this video right here.
We explain the key steps to writing a winning resume.
Now that we know what to include in a cover letter,
I'll quickly breeze through three really impactful
strategies on how to make your cover letter an incredibly
successful one.
So the first strategy is to tailor your cover letter
to each job application.
Now, this is generally true for resumes as well,
but it's especially important for cover letters,
because it's all about making a case, making your argument.
And if you don't have a specific audience in mind
that you're speaking to, you're just sending a general cover
letter out, you're not making a very good argument.
It's really important to go ahead and make sure
that you are thinking critically about
how you're going to frame your past experience to most
convince this particular employer as to why you'd
be a great fit for this role.
If you don't, you're just sort of talking
about your past experience without connecting
the dots to this role in particular
and explaining how that past experience sets you up
for success in the future.
Now, of course, doing this successfully
requires a lot of research, both in terms of the job itself
and the company.
And my next tip here actually is a really great example
of how to implement that research in the cover letter
itself.
Strategy two is to transcribe exact phrases from the job
description and put those, reference them in quotes,
in your cover letter.
Now, this cannot be the sum total of the way that you
tailor your cover letter, can't just be a plug and play game,
because you've got to actually think about the overall
structure and argument you're making as well.
But by doing this, you're making it
really clear to the recruiter that you're
targeting this job specifically, and it
allows you to speak more directly
to the exact wants and needs of this particular job
application.
So, for example, if the job ad says
must be collaborative and work seamlessly with a distributed
workforce, pull that out by saying in my current role,
I work with a large team of colleagues across time zones,
so I understand what it takes to succeed in this role,
since it requires experience with a distributed workforce.
Refer to that phrase from the job description.
Finally, to really get noticed, strategically
share your cover letter.
And what I mean by that is don't just
stop at attaching this cover letter to your job application.
Instead, think strategically, and use all that great research
that you've done to identify one or two individuals who you can
reasonably assume will have a impact on the hiring decision
here.
And using the cover letter as the basis for your email
or note, message them directly.
For example, in terms of finding someone,
if you are applying for an HR coordinator position,
it is very reasonable to assume that the head of HR
may need to sign off on that decision
or may have some pretty big sway in making that decision.
So in order to find their contact information,
you can look at the company's professional website,
their professional social media profile, or even just
a broad internet search using their name
to see if you can uncover their email.
And if your cover letter is short and informal enough
to have that be the entire email,
great, go ahead and use that.
Or if it's more lengthy and a bit more formal,
not appropriate for an email, try and cut it down.
Then, finally, end with a call to action, something
like I look forward to discussing further the assets
that I can bring to your team.
Please reach out to me.
And give them your phone number and your email address.
This can be kind of a nerve-wracking strategy,
because it does put yourself out there a bit.
But, especially when you weigh out the fact
that they have a ton of applicants and probably
some applicants that have personal connections,
this can be a really great way of pulling your application out
of the stack and allowing yourself
to rise above those who didn't show that same initiative.
If you liked this video and found it helpful,
please give us a like down below.
Subscribe to our channel right here.
For more interviewing advice, as well as
cover letter and resume advice, check it out right here.
And if you want some information on the most common mistakes
that people make writing their resume,
highly recommend checking out this video.
Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you next time.