Five tips to help you kill your cover letter

So you’ve done some research online and found the perfect internship or full-time job. Now, how do you get noticed? Cover letters help recruiters get to know you as a potential candidate and can show off the skills you can offer a company. On the other hand, a poorly written cover letter can immediately move you from the top to the bottom of the potential candidate list. Here are some quick tips that can guide you into drafting a killer cover letter.

• Do your homework: Research the company and the type of role you’re applying for before writing your cover letter. What types of skills are necessary for this position? What is the environment at the company like? Do you have any contacts there? Make sure you have a firm grasp of the company, industry and position to ensure your cover letter highlights where you fit in.

• Make it custom: It’s important to not only properly address your cover letter, but also to make it custom for each company or role you apply for. There’s not a recruiter dreads more than reading a cover letter that starts “ My name is _____ and I am applying for the position of ______.” Instead, explain why you’re excited about the position and mention what you bring to the table specifically.

• It’s different than your resume: Odds are, a recruiter will ask for both your resume and your cover letter. The idea of the cover letter is to expand on what your resume says, not regurgitate it. Use your cover letter to explain a tough problem you fixed at work or show how you made a positive difference. Also, if you happen to have statistics on something you did, a cover letter is a great place to report and explain them. Remember, it’s important to tell a story and explain your process, not just state roles you had.

• Focus more on experience than education: You can (and probably should depending on your age) mention your educational background, but recruiters care more about experiences you’ve had in the workplace. If you’re a student or don’t have much work experience, think back to any class projects or positions in on-campus organizations that are relevant to the role you’re applying to. Demonstrating experience, whether its in the workplace or in the classroom, will help show recruiters your skills.

• Don’t be overly formal: While it’s important to not use a casual tone, being too formal will make your cover letter sound canned. Your cover letter should show your personality and make you stand out from other candidates, so it shouldn’t be generic. Don’t be afraid to add a little creativity in order to stand out, but keep it professional and mature in tone.

These five tips should help you in your journey of securing your dream job. Having an awesome cover letter will help you stand out amongst other candidates and show recruiters why you are an ideal fit for the position. Now get to writing!

By: Maddie Ballard