5 Tips on how to write a cover letter with your resume
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Getting noticed is difficult when you’re starting out in any industry. You might think you’ve tried everything, but nothing is improving your chances.
Cover letters and resumes are some of the first materials employers and hiring managers see when they sift through potential candidates.
Resumes are pretty straightforward. They rely on data and experience that become like fill in the blanks questionnaires. Despite having numerous ways to structure, word and design your resume, you know the information will be consistent throughout your job process.
Cover letters on the other hand are broader and more fluid than resumes.
You might consider cover letters a way to introduce yourself to a potential employer. You’re wanting that letter to, not only show your experience related to the job, but you are also looking to show a bit more personality and individualism. This is almost always shown through your writing but you can add more by creating a personal branded letterhead to help you stand out from the crowd.
Most cover letters I look at or am told to emulate are stilted and lack description. I read a list of your experience that sounds similar to your resume. Cover Letters are not meant to sound like a regurgitation of your resume.
Cover Letters should add another level to your experience. Don’t just copy your resume job skills in a longer format. Show your potential employer that your experience has sculpted you particularly for the position you’re applying for.
How should you write an engaging cover letter? Let me tell you a few tips on how to write your cover letter with your resume in mind.
Tell a Story
I heard one of the best cover letters when I was attending a workshop during my time at University of Missouri. The writer had picked an experience from the varied work experience to showcase their transferable and technical skills needed to perform the necessary tasks within the job position.
Not only was it a great cover letter, it also allowed the prospect to show through example what they were capable of, rather than just listing what they could do without any reference as to how well they could do each skill.
On an end note, they got the job.
Show, don’t tell, your skillset
Even if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, show your potential employer that you have the skills needed for this position rather than listing off a range of appropriate skills to the position you’re applying for.
If you don’t have a story to weave all the skills necessary for a job together, try using your work or project experience to show how and what you learned when working in those positions. Maybe you learned communication skills by reporting on local government or leadership skills as a lead administrative assistant.
Use your experience to your advantage. Even using projects that you’ve worked on in a class is helpful to showcase a variety of skills.
Research the company and job position
When writing your cover letter, and your resume for that matter, keep the job description close by and maybe a page or two from the company’s website. Look for keywords that are repeated or emphasized throughout the company’s copy and jobs.
You’ve probably heard about having a unique cover letter and resume for each position you apply for. This is why. Each company will ‘read’ your cover letter and depict how many times you utilize their keyword strategy. It might not be a forefront strategy for many hiring departments, but having key phrases or words through your cover letter will help the readers subliminally associate with your cover letter more.
You don’t need to research very thoroughly, but you should be able to have a few keywords that associate the business with your experience.
Brand your Cover Letter
If you’re new to personal branding, this is a perfect time to work on it.
Branding your cover letter and your resume will help it look like a cohesive unit. This might not seem like a big deal, but to a hiring manager who is sorting through thousands of cover letters and resumes, it could help you stand out from the bland crowd who’s using a normal word document.
Applicants also seem to brand their contact information, or better yet make a personally branded letterhead, into their cover letter, making it much easier to find through the stack. You don’t need to make it as big as your name or logos, if you’re using them, but you have the ability to provide easy access to the hiring team or manager when offering this.
Express your Interest!
Don’t just tell them why you’d be a good fit for job. Express what interests you in the position as well. Employers are less likely to take you seriously if they only think your doing the job for a paycheck.
Need some help explaining your interests? Every position has it’s drawbacks or tedious work that is part of the position but here are a few ways to show your invested in getting the job:
Interested in the industry
Occupational growth/challenge
Company atmosphere
These might not get you major brownie points, but it will show that you want to improve and that you have an investment with the company besides the paycheck.
Cover letters are baffling to even the experienced job searcher. They can be tough when you don’t know how to effectively write about yourself, but it’s important to have a strategy in place when doing so.
Need more tips or steps on how to write an effective cover letter? Join my e-newsletter to learn more about cover letters, resumes and more to help on your job search.
