Unlock the Door for the Interview
Many of us focus heavily on crafting a dazzling resume,
and then we dash off a quickie, obligatory cover letter. This is a serious
mistake because employers often weight the cover letter higher than the
resume in making final interviewing decisions. The resume
primarily provides an insight into your qualifications, while the cover
letter gives a "between the lines" picture of you.
Some surprising tidbits can be gleaned from your cover letter. Here are
a few nonverbal impressions that can come from a cover letter:
- Attention to detail—correct letter format, grammar, and
spelling
- Team player—verbiage employer-focused as opposed to self-focused
- People person—polite or friendly expression and tone
Another key item for your cover letter is a high-impact "sales message."
Think about commercials you've seen on television and what made you remember
those commercials. A "sales message" in a cover letter needs
to have a similar impact. This is what makes the cover letter a major
key to unlock the door for an interview.
Your Career Action
Lock in Your "Sales Message"
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- Review as many sample cover letters as possible and identify those
that are particularly interesting—ones that deliver a strong, positive
"sales" message. You may use Internet resources or library
texts containing cover letter samples.
The following web sites have many excellent cover letter samples; however,
once you get to the web site, to find cover letter information, you
will have to use some search techniques such as:
- Enter the keywords "cover letter" in the search box
if the web site has one.
- Click on an "Articles" or Archive" button, if
available, and search for a cover letter topic.
- Look for a button labeled "Careers," "Career Information,"
"Job Search," or another similar label and then search
for the cover letter topic.
- Copy and print at least five good letters.
- Highlight those sentences that really grab your attention or seem
particularly appropriate for your own job search.
- Using your highlighted samples as guides, devise two or more key "sales
messages" for your cover letter.
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The
messages in your cover letter must be factual and may showcase significant
accomplishments detailed in your resume. Remember to be objective
and truthful—you won't make any friends with employers if you
engage in "false advertising." |
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