Most job seekers put a lot
of work into creating a résumé or CV, as indeed
they should. But most of them then treat the accompanying
cover letter as a formality - and that’s a tactical
error. Most people simply don’t understand the role
of a cover letter or the art of selling, and therefore most
letters are weak.
Six common mistakes include:
1. Does your cover letter essentially
say no more than “My résumé or CV is attached”?
If well-crafted, your cover letter is a key selling tool that
can dramatically improve your chances of getting job interviews.
2. Do you have one cover letter that you
use for many different jobs on offer? One of the roles of
a cover letter is to personalize your résumé
or CV for a specific employer and job opportunity, so you’ll
need to create individual cover letters for each position
for which you’ll be applying.
3. Does your cover letter load up on complimentary
adjectives, such as “highly motivated” …
“exceptional” … “proactive”
… “dynamic” … “hard-working”
… “customer-focused” … “outstanding”
… “inspirational” … “excellent”
and similar words? Adjectives are the weakest tool for persuasion.
Employers will be looking for men and women of action, those
who can and do get things done. You’ll get much more
selling power by using action words (i.e. verbs) liberally.
4. Does your cover letter load up on complimentary
buzz phrases, such as “a natural leader” …
“works well in a team as well as on own initiative”
… “proven track record” … “strategic
thinker” and similar statements? Such overused clichés
are tiresome for an employer to see repeated over and over
and they say nothing specific about what you can actually
do (or why you would be a better choice than one of the dozens
of other applicants who are also claiming to be strategic
thinkers and natural leaders with proven track records). They
further insult the recipient’s intelligence by implying
that you actually think that they are naïve enough to
be impressed with zero substance. Such buzz phrases are the
hiring equivalent of the cheesy pick-up lines that you can
find on the Internet, and they’re equally ineffective.
5. Is your cover letter written entirely
in a narrative style (as most other letters are)? Employers
get a lot of résumés, CVs and cover letters
and they’re usually extremely busy (that’s why
they’re hiring). They will not take the time to read
everything in your cover letter (and résumé
or CV) just because you provided lots of content. Rather,
they’ll typically give your résumé or
CV up to 20 seconds and your cover letter up to five seconds
before making their decision to keep you in the stack or drop
you in the waste basket. That isn’t enough time for
employers to get through much content unless you present it
to accommodate their reviewing approach.
6. Does your cover letter look well-organised,
concise and business-like? The fact that employers put upper
limits on review time for résumés, CVs, and
cover letters doesn’t mean that you’ll get the
full allotment. It’s quite common for an employer to
decide “I’ve seen enough” in as little as
one or two seconds if your documents aren’t impressive
at first glance. Since your cover letter is the first thing
employers see, it bears the burden of making that all-important
“good first impression”.
Relatively few job-seekers realize the
importance of the cover letter and fewer still understand
how to craft an effective one. Therefore, learning how to
design a strong cover letter is often the single most effective
way for most job seekers to boost their odds of getting picked
for job interviews.
Nick Thomas runs an international
writing business that helps job seekers get the interviews
they want with high quality professional resumes and CVs.
Your company uses a professional marketing service ... why
don't you? For UK clients: http://www.highimpactcvsonline.com
For US clients: http://www.highimpactresumesonline.com
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