How to Write a Solid Cover Letter

Go Beyond the Resume!

In trying to figure out how to write a good cover letter you've probably searched online to get some examples.  There's a lot of advice out there on what should and shouldn't be included. Articles talk about how long or short it should be and how it should be formatted. It's great advice and most of it is right on the mark.  But how good is the advice if you don't have an example to look at?  It's like having someone explain to you, in detail, how to make a cake. It's perfect, you've got the complete set of instructions and know it's within your skill set to accomplish.  The problem is, you've never seen what a cake looks like.  Let's remedy that, shall we?  

Related:  How to Market Your Career 

You already know that a good cover letter is short and to the point.  Your work history should be briefly described in a sentence or two as part of a brief introduction.  In another short paragraph you should describe an accomplishment that shows the contributions you can make.  Then you should conclude with why you're interested in working for this company, in particular.  And you should do it all while conveying your genuine interest and enthusiasm.  Easy, right?  

Beginning is the hardest part.  And when you begin your cover letter, there's always the question of who to address it to.  If you don't have a specific name and there weren't any instructions in the job description then don't address it to anyone.  Just start by introducing yourself.                   Like this:

Hello, my name is Perfect Job Candidate and I'm interested in the Answer to All Your Problems position you have open.

I'm an experienced Answer to All Your Problems, having worked most recently for A Good Company where I was able to apply my expertise to further their business goals.

I increased A Good Company's sales by $Impressive Dollar Amount by discovering an untapped market.  While attending a training/networking/meeting event I met a person from Another Company who was not one of our customers.  While discussing the services A Good Company provides, person from Another Company mentioned a service they would find useful but that we didn't offer.  I found that A Good Company could easily provide the service but wasn't due to a perceived lack of market.  When Another Company was offered these services, they happily employed A Good Company resulting in an increase in sales and the acquisition of a new customer.

I'm very interested in working for Your Company because of something neat I read about you on your website/your reputation for doing something really well that I want to be part of.  I'm impressed that you do what you do so well and would like to contribute my skills and expertise to further your goals.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Perfect Job Candidate
Phone number
Email
LinkedIn Profile (link)
Career Presentation Page (link)

Related: Find a Job Where Fewer People Are Looking

See? It's not that hard when you have an example to go by.  The introduction and career background is only two sentences.  A short paragraph about an accomplishment, another couple of lines about why you want to work there and you're done.  It's an easy format to follow and customize for each job you apply for.  A cover letter doesn't have to be hard, it just has to be good.

Best Ways to Screw Up Your Cover Letter

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Methods.  Call us, we can help!

Everyone struggles when it comes to writing a cover letter.  You're already giving them your resume.  Can't they just read it and see what you have to offer?  No.  No they can't.  Actually, it's more that they won't.  Most hiring managers only spend 20-30 seconds scanning your resume.  Mostly it's just used to give them something to do with their hands while they're interviewing you.  They get their information about why they should talk to you from sources other than your resume.  Your cover letter is one of them.  

Related:  Why You Should Be Actively Using LinkedIn

But, like most everything else related to finding a job nowadays, the cover letter has changed.  The length, format, and the information expected are different now than they were just a few years ago.  About 5 years ago I had my resume written professionally for the first time.  Included was a formatted cover letter designed to let me customize certain parts depending on where I was applying.  Five years ago this was pretty standard.  It doesn't fly anymore, and here's why.  Today's job market is tough and highly competitive.  Companies can be pickier about who they hire.  And they want to hire someone who wants to work specifically for them, not someone who's just looking for any job.  The fact is, if you're out of work you'd be grateful for just any job.  But you can't come across that way.  You have to present yourself as that particular company's ideal candidate who is also enthusiastic about the company itself.  And a boiler plate cover letter just doesn't do it.

There are a few things that used to be standard that are now considered deadly errors.  Doing these things can kill your chances of an interview.  Here's what not to do on your cover letter:

Related: Questions To Ask During Your Interview

1.  You know you're supposed to address your cover letter to the hiring manager.  But what if the company doesn't put that person's name out there anywhere and you have no way of finding it out?  Do not put "To whom it may concern".  Seriously.  Don't do this.  If you don't have a name to address it to, just start by introducing yourself.  Try,  "Hello, may name is Ideal Job Candidate and I'm applying for the position of The Answer to All Your Problems".  You've gotten around the tricky part of who to address it to and introduced yourself professionally.

2.  Make sure your cover letter is short, sweet and gets to the point.  Long cover letters aren't going to get read.  Keep it to just a couple of short paragraphs and avoid big blocks of text.  You should be able to give 2 or 3 reasons you can make a contribution while communicating your enthusiasm for the company or industry in that amount of space.  If it goes beyond a half page, you risk losing the reader's attention.  And boring someone before they even meet you does not inspire them to call.

3.  It used to be that all cover letters were painfully dry and professional.  One of the positive ways they've changed is that they've become a bit less formal.  This doesn't mean you should write your cover letter the way you text.  You still have to use proper grammer and spelling.  And don't forget complete sentences.  They're important.  People notice.  But you don't have to make it cold, impersonal and stiffly professional.  Communicating your friendly personality and enthusiasm for the job/company are a great way to stand out.  You'll come across as genuine and personable which is a whole lot more interesting than icily professional.  And if they find you interesting, they're more likely to want to meet you.

Cover letters don't have to be so hard.  Keep it short and to the point.  If you communicate your awesome personality and genuine excitement - ok, it might not be genuine at first but if you fake it long enough it will be - you'll stand out from your competition.  And, like anything, the more you practice the better you'll get at it.  Write a fresh cover letter for each job you apply to.  I know it takes time.  But if the cover letter gets you an interview, it was time very well spent.

Our next blog post on Thursday will give some examples of good cover letters and how to write them.  Now that you know what you shouldn't do,  it wouldn't be fair if we didn't give you some examples of what you should do.  And how to do it.

Figuring Out Your Personal Brand

Go beyond the resume and get noticed.
We can help.

Social media has taken over the world.  The way we interact with each other isn't on just a local level, anymore.  It's gone way beyond presenting ourselves to people we actually meet to presenting ourselves to people we'll never actually meet.  It's also grown our reach, as individuals, exponentially.  Which is a good thing.  Except when it's a bad thing.  Defining and developing your Personal Brand can keep it from being a bad thing.  But what is it, exactly and how do you do it?


Your Personal Brand is how others see you.  It's what comes to mind when they hear your name and colors their perception of you.  It's just like when a company brands themselves or their products.  Think of Apple.  Their logo just popped into your head, didn't it?  Fun, easy to use, sophisticated and fashionable are all things that come to mind when we think of Apple products.  That's what their brand stands for.  It works the same for you, as an individual.  Your individuality is a marketable product.  What do people think when they see or hear your name?  That's what your brand stands for.  And you can make it say anything you want.

Related: 21st Century Job Search Tactics

The way to start is to think of how you want to be perceived by others.  A good place to start is with some easy traits we want others to see we have.  It's important to be seen as knowledgeable in your field.  You probably want to be liked, most of us do, so make sure you seem approachable and friendly.    If you have a sense of humor, its really easy to communicate in your writing style and the way you answer others in comments or online discussions.  So, right there you have the basis of your Personal Brand; knowledgeable, approachable, friendly, and a sense of humor.  By being consistent in what and when you post you'll be perceived as reliable, too.  And reliability implies that you're trustworthy.  But actually be trustworthy. It's important.  Seriously.

Related: How Your Attitude Can Help Your Job Search

But how do you pull it off?  How do you communicate these traits to others, defining your Personal Brand?  Start by posting links to articles in your area of expertise to show that you're knowledgeable about these things.  Some places to post are LinkedIn groups that you belong to, Twitter, and Google +.  Take it a step further and start writing your own blog focusing on your industry and expertise.  You can post links to your blog through the same platforms listed before but can also add each entry as a page to StumbleUpon.  You can also pin each blog entry or article to your Pinterest boards.  The other traits of your Personal Brand will be determined by how you word your posts or blog articles and how you respond to the comments of others.  Wording your posts so they're informative, show your enthusiasm for the subject along with your sense of humor will communicate the rest of your branding message.  You'll come across as an expert who wants to help others that is friendly and approachable.


Unless you want to have a different image for your Personal Brand.  You can communicate anything you want about yourself.  Or invent a new you, entirely.  That's the beauty of it.  It's all in what and how you communicate and how you respond to others.  Remember, you are the product you're marketing.  And you can make your product be anything you want.  It's entirely up to you.

Successfully Market Your Career and Get the Job You Want

Come see what we can do for you.

For a long time the resume was the most important tool used when applying for a job.  It was required.  Not having one meant no one would interview you.  It was an absolute essential.  And for a long time the standard resume format was static.  The layout and list of job skills was standard, expected and didn't vary much for decades.  And then social media happened.  And the recession happened.  And is still happening.  All of which made finding a job a whole lot more competitive.  

Related: Questions to Ask at the End of Your Interview

As a result, the resume evolved from a fact sheet about what skills you have to a marketing sheet designed to sell you and your career.  Even that's no longer enough.  You now have to promote yourself using your LinkedIn profile, as well.  And if you're just cutting and pasting that resume into the profile, you're doing it wrong.  In fact, more companies are refusing to even consider an applicant for a position if they don't have a LinkedIn profile.  Since you know they're looking and you know it's required, isn't it worth it to make sure it looks outstanding?


Most professionals have had 
their resume professionally written at least once in their career.  Really, you should have it done every 3-5 years to make sure it stays up to date.  Not just with what's changed in your career but that it's up to current formatting standards and providing the right kind of information.  It's a solid, worthwhile investment in your career.  And now that recruiters and hiring managers are looking you up online, it's just as important that you look good there, too.  The best way to do that is to have a professional set it all up and write it all out for you.  At least the first time.  After that, you'll have something to build on.  And you'll have a professional online presence that looks as it should look, as opposed to how you think it should look.

Related: Check Out Your Competition on LinkedIn

But you're a capable writer, you say.  You can do this yourself.  And maybe you can.  It's usually not the writing skills that keep you from having an outstanding profile or resume.  It's that you're humble.  You don't recognize your accomplishments for what they are.  Most of us take our achievements in stride and think it's nothing more than just doing our job.  But when you get an outside person looking at what you've done, you gain an entirely different perspective. A person who sees your achievement for what it is, an exceptional accomplishment, will write about it in an entirely different way than you will.  It will be presented as something impressive, deserving notice and recognition.  Which communicates to the reader (that hiring manager looking to fill the job you want) that you are also impressive and exceptional.  Which is exactly what everyone wants to hire.  But the right writer can also design your profile to come up when a hiring manager searches for someone with your experience.   Then, not only will they be impressed when they read about you, they will have found you easily, too.



The job market is more competitive than ever.  You have to make sure you stand apart from the crowd.  You can't do that with an average online presence and half filled out LinkedIn account.  You can't do that with an outdated resume that you've copied and pasted into that half filled out LinkedIn account, either.  You can only accomplish it if you go above and beyond what everyone else is doing.  A great resume is just the start.  An outstanding LinkedIn profile that's easily found in a search along with a personalized website that tells the story of your career pushes you right over the heads of your competition.  With the help of a professional, your career will get the attention it needs to find the job you want.  They'll present you as the answer to the hiring manager's problem; filling that position with an outstanding candidate that will do exceptional work.  You know it's you.  Make sure the rest of the world does, too.

Have a Successful Interview by Taking Care of Yourself

Stand out from your competition. We can help.

Looking for a job and interviewing is really stressful.  Especially if you're currently out of work.  So in the interest of Valentine's Day we're going to talk about love.  But not like you think.  It's about showing yourself a little love.  Not that kind of self love.  This isn't that type of blog.  We're talking about making the time to treat yourself well even when you're stressed out.

All of the fun things that come along with stress work to sabotage your performance.  The sleeplessness, poor diet, lack of exercise and general lack of having fun all contribute to you having a bad day.  Or a bunch of bad days.  All in a row.  Which then makes you more stressed resulting in another bad day.  It just keeps rolling back on itself.  And when you're feeling bad, you don't perform well.  And that can be disastrous when you go for an interview.


When you're frantically spending every minute of every day searching online and working your network to find a job, it's hard to make time to take care of yourself.  But it's really important.  And you have to start prior to the night before your interview.  Because that's just not going to work.  If you establish some of these habits you'll find you're sleeping better, eating better and feeling better.  And when you feel better, you'll perform better.  Not only will you increase your probability of performing well on your next interview but your job search, and everything else you do, will be more effective.

Related: A Positive Attitude Helps Your Job Search

We all know that we should eat healthier.  No one is under any illusion that fast food is healthy or that ice cream is good for you.  But they are quick, cheap and make you feel better when you're down.  If you make the effort to eat healthier just for one work week, Monday to Friday, you'll see a huge difference in your energy level.  Having more energy puts you in a better mood, too.  Just by putting aside the take out and cooking at home, and yes this means fresh vegetables, you can increase your productivity and performance.  You'll have more energy and a more positive attitude to devote to your job search and interviews.  

In addition to eating healthier, we all know we should move around more.  That doesn't mean you have to start clocking miles running around your neighborhood but a walk now and then won't kill you.  In fact, besides getting some fresh air you'll also increase your heart rate and blood flow.  Getting your system moving helps you think more clearly.  Which is especially helpful when crafting all those cover letters you send with your resume.  It also boosts your mood, and who doesn't need that?  Besides, when you're out of the house you see other people.  And you never know who you might run into.  It could be that all important contact that leads to your next job.

Related: So You Got Laid Off

The last piece of the stress puzzle here is getting enough sleep.  Stress robs us of that.  We lie wide awake at night obsessing over every fear, rejection and set back we've suffered.  The human brain seems to think that 2am is the perfect time to mull it all over.  It's not.  But we all do it.  The way to get around that is work at the two other suggestions you just read.  Eat better and move around more.  If you eat healthier and get some form of exercise in you'll also sleep better.  You'll be in a better mood, have more energy and work off some of that stress which will allow you to relax at night and actually sleep.  A good night's sleep can work miracles.  That alone is worth making the effort to eat better and exercise.  Sweet, sweet sleep.

Take the time to care for yourself a little bit.  Being more energetic, happier, less stressed and well rested will come through when you're applying for jobs.  And it will help your performance not only on those job interviews, but when you meet people that may be able to help you find a job.  People like to help happy people.  So do yourself a favor and help make you happy.  It's worth it.

Have a Great Interview - Make it a Conversation, Not an Interrogation

Last week I wrote an article about what questions you should ask at the end of your interview.  It was so well received I decided to expand on the topic a bit.  I'd also like to say a quick thank you to everyone who commented across various forums.  I've enjoyed responding to you and really appreciate the time you took to ask questions and give your opinions.  Keep it coming!

Related: What to Ask During Your Interview

When you go for an interview you 
want it to go really well.  In fact, you want to be so amazing they can't even dream of hiring anyone else.  At the end of your interview you want to be seen as the only answer to their hiring question.  Easier said than done.  The other candidates will be just as qualified and skilled as you are.  They'll be just as experienced and knowledgeable, too.  The trick is to make yourself stand out.  In a good way.  But how do you go about it?

A typical interview is a question and answer session where you capably answer the questions asked of you.  It's sort of like a friendly interrogation.  Or maybe not so friendly, depending on your interviewer.  But a great interview is a conversation with both sides taking part asking, and answering questions of each other.  So, how do you manage that?

Related:  What Should & Shouldn't be on Your Resume

1.  At some point during the interview you'll be given an explanation of the position, responsibilities and how it fits within the company.  Ask how the department/group goes about deciding what projects to pursue.  Ask at what level are these decisions made, is it a very high level managerial decision or is it discussed as a team?  Knowing how the group operates not only lets you know whether this is a system that will work for you, but by asking shows your interest in being an involved and contributing team member.  Side note - I can't take credit for this one.  It was suggested to me in a comment on LinkedIn by Andrei Chapoval.  Thanks Andrei!  

2.  A favorite question of mine to ask is about the company culture.  The right time to ask is during lunch, if it's that sort of interview, or while walking as they're showing you around.  Showing an interest in the culture demonstrates that you're interested in fitting in.  One of the most important aspects when I hire someone, aside from skill set/experience, is their personality and how well they'll fit with the rest of the group.  The most important thing you'll get out of this is insight into how comfortable you'll be working there.  It's important to know before you accept any job.  Simply ask, "What's the company culture?  What is it like to work here?"  You'll get valuable information and make yourself look good, all at the same time.


3.  My other favorite 
question to ask is, "What do you like best about working here?"  People love to talk about themselves and their work.  Interviewers included.  I have yet to have anyone not answer this for me.  Not only will you learn a lot about the company but, by asking about others, they begin to form a connection with you.  We all like people who seem interested in what we have to say, and we only hire people we like.  Now, most of the time the answers are an enthusiastic list of the benefits and joys of working for that company.  If the person is especially talkative I'll ask the follow up question, "What do you like least about working here?"  The answer to this question can be particularly eye opening and give you some idea of any warning signs that this might not be the place for you.  Remember, you're not the only one on best behavior wanting to give a good impression.  They are, too.

Related:  Your Resume Isn't Enough, Anymore

There are a couple of benefits to turning your interview into a conversation rather than a one-sided interrogation.  You'll be seen as interested, engaged and ready to be a contributing team player.  You'll learn invaluable information about the company that wouldn't otherwise come up that could help make your decision of whether or not you want to work there.  And most importantly, it will help you build a connection with the people interviewing you.  Just don't ask your questions like you're interrogating them.  Ask them conversationally and casually. Get the other person talking.  Humans love to talk about themselves.  And as long as you're being interviewed by a human, you'll be on the right track to success.

How to Get the Spotlight on Your Job Search

You've probably been looking for a job for a while now.  Most people have.  Or just never stop, even if  they have one.  When you're fully involved searching and applying and writing cover letters, you're also talking about it to people.  So you feel like the whole world knows you're looking for a job and what you have to offer. But does it?  Does it really?

Nope.  It does not.  So how do you get some attention to your job search?  How would other people find out about you, your career, and what you have to offer?  How about the fact that you're looking to offer it somewhere other than where you're offering it now?  How do you go about letting the world know what you're up to?

There are a few things you can do to get some attention.  In a good way.  First you have to ask yourself how you want to be known.  Or what you want to be known for.  This will help you define your message and your Personal Brand.  Then you have to get the word out.  And it's actually not that hard and every method listed here is free.  It just takes a little bit of your time and some consistent effort.

Related: How to Behave on LinkedIn

So you figured out how you want to be perceived.  And if this is something you need help with, let us know.  It's a big part of what we do for you.  The quickest way to get the word out is announce it on LinkedIn.  Now some people will argue that they don't want their current employer knowing they're looking for another job.  Fair point.  You don't want to lose the job you have because you're looking for another one.  But you don't have to announce it to your network, which probably includes your coworkers.  Join a few jobs groups.  Career Rocketeer is a good one, Jobs & Careers is another.  But really, you can just search "Groups" using keywords like "jobs", "job openings", etc and find a few to join.  Then start a discussion introducing yourself to the group.  List the industry you work in and any expertise.  Then put that you're looking for, or open to, new opportunities.  Just make sure you have it set on your profile that your connections are not updated on your activities.  This can be found in your settings on your home page.  That way no one you're working with will see what you've posted.

Related: How to Tell Your Out-of-Work Story 

Another great way to get noticed is to start your own blog.  Using Google's Blogger or Wordpress you can start blogging for free.  Focus on your industry and your area of expertise.  Site, and link to, other articles or news that would be of interest to others in your field.  Once you start publishing original, quality content you start to become known as an expert in your area.  You can even post links to your blog in the discussions sections of those job groups you joined at LinkedIn.  



One more great way to let people know is Twitter.  Start following recruiters and HR professionals.  You can follow the companies you're interested in working for and respond to their tweets.  Your name will start to look familiar so when they post a job you can apply for, they'll already be a bit familiar with you.

Related: Using Twitter to Find a Job

Finding a job isn't something you can do alone.  You need your professional network and the support of family and friends.  Getting your name out there will attract the right kind of attention and you'll start to receive more support.  And the more people who know you're looking, the more support you'll have.  Which will translate into more job leads.  Which, eventually, will lead to that elusive job you've been after. 

Questions You Should Ask During an Interview

There's plenty of information out there about what kinds of questions to be prepared for in an interview.  If you're lucky, you find someone who can tell you how to answer those questions.  But there's that part of the interview, at the end, where they ask if you have any questions for them.  You've probably been asking questions here and there throughout the process but you should still have a couple reserved specifically for this part of the conversation.  They're not just asking you to be polite, they want to see how interested you are in working for them.  But what should you ask?  Here are three great questions that make you look good and keep them on their toes.

Related: Common Interview Questions & How to Answer

1.   "What is your definition of success in this position for the first 6 months?  And further on, for the first year?  What do you expect the person filling this role to accomplish?"

Now, hopefully they've actually thought about this.  You'd be surprised at how often a hiring manager doesn't really consider this at all.  Frequently they're just hiring a replacement for someone who left and figure on just maintaining the previous status quo.  Asking this shows you're looking not only to complete the daily tasks but go above and beyond to actually achieve something and take this position to the next level.  

2.   "What plans or programs do you have in place for employee career development?  Is there an established or expected career path for this position?"

Every company claims to be invested in employee career development.  Unfortunately, that just isn't true.  They have to say it because it's expected and it sounds good.  And they really can't just come out and say that they don't care about your career and you're on your own because no one would want to work there.  The only way to know where this company stands, is to ask this question.  If you have a choice, you want to work for a company that actively retains their employees.  One of the ways they do that is through career development and established career pathways for advancement.  In this job market, however, many companies don't bother because they know most people are just happy to have a job.  And whether you'll actually be able to advance or not in the position you're interviewing for may not matter when you just need to keep a roof over your head.  But it's good to know where you stand from the beginning.  It means the difference between working to build a long-term career at that location or doing everything you can to build up your resume so you can move on after a few years.  You'll know as soon as they answer that question.

Related: Less Common Places to Look for a Job

3.  "What is your timeframe for filling this position?  Do you notify candidates whether or not they've been hired?"

The worst part about a job interview is the wait to hear back.  It's agonizing.  You lose sleep, you obsessively check your phone and stay stressed until you know.  And sometimes, the only way you know is that that you haven't heard from them.  In the meantime, you've worried about it for weeks, or even months.  By asking this question you'll at least know when they plan to fill the position.  If that time goes by and you haven't heard anything and the interviewer has given you a contact email or phone number, you can check and find out for sure.  But at the least, it gives you an end date to your worrying and stressing.  That way, you have a little more control by knowing what to expect which will always relieve some stress.

If you're worried you might not remember these questions when you get to the interview, write them down.  Take a small notebook with you to take notes and have these questions ready to go.  Make a few notes while they answer.  Not only will it help you remember what they said but it makes you look genuinely interested and engaged.  Now you'll remember your questions and show that you're taking the job seriously.


When you're asked if you have any questions, make sure you have something prepared.  At the very worst you can mention questions you asked during the interview and say that they've been answered.  Or, you can ask a follow up question to something you asked about earlier.  But whatever you do, ask something.  Just not about when you can take time off or when you can expect a company car.  Don't do that in the interview.  Just don't.