Whether you’re employed and interested in changing jobs or out of work and hunting for employment, a good cover letter or a thoughtful note can help you get where you want to be. Here are some guidelines on how to write notes and letters that will help distinguish you from the rest of the pack in a competitive job market.
The purpose of a cover letter is to make a good impression and to generate enough interest to make the reader want to take a look at the enclosed résumé. Your letter should be brief and to the point. Most importantly, it should inspire the reader to take the next step and make contact with you.
There are two basic types of cover letters: customized and non-customized. The non-customized letter takes a generic approach and says, “Are you looking for someone with my kind of experience?” It is sent to a list of companies you might want to work for. Most experts caution against such letters because the response rate is usually extremely low. As one outplacement expert says, “You can send out 1,500 letters and résumés and wind up with only two replies. That’s a response of less than 1 percent.”
A customized letter is far more effective. It targets a particular position within a company and includes specific information about your qualifications for that job. Send this kind of letter when answering an ad (an option which brings up to a 5 percent return) or when writing to someone who you know has a position open at this time.
Your cover letter is a sales tool, and the product you are selling is yourself. To succeed, you first have to do your homework and research the company you’re targeting. Head for the library and check out publications that evaluate companies, like Standard & Poor’s. Study business publications like the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. Information is also available through trade associations and on the Internet. If possible, obtain a copy of the company’s latest annual report; it will provide you with the kind of detailed and up-to-date information you want. If you’ve been referred to a specific firm, the person who sent you may be able to give you some background information about the company. When you’re armed with this type of knowledge, you can refer to it in your cover letter. According to one executive recruiter, “People are always impressed when you mention that you noticed something in the company’s annual report.”
Organize what you want to say, and keep your letter short—never more than one page. Use formal but simple and precise language. People who try too hard to write eloquently usually turn out something forced and artificial instead.
For a general guideline, follow this three-paragraph model:
Paragraph 1: This is the only shot you have to grab the reader’s attention, and you have only a sentence or two in which to do it. One good way to get noticed is to mention the name of the person who referred you. In your first sentence you might say, “Charley Jones suggested I write to you regarding the position of account executive.” If you don’t have a specific referral, mention an accomplishment of yours that would be of value to the company. These devices will help create a reason for the interviewer to see you.
If you’re answering an ad, refer to what the ad says. Is the firm looking for a salesperson with experience in marketing and knowledge of a particular territory? You might say something like “You’re looking for a sales executive experienced in marketing and familiar with the New York City metropolitan area. I have successfully sold and marketed consumer services and have lived in northern New Jersey for twenty years.”
Tasteful humor can sometimes work, too. Take the following example of a burned-out attorney who quit his job as an assistant D. A. for a quiet life in the country. A few years later, ready for a comeback, the lawyer wrote to his former boss, “I have decided to return to a life of crime.”
Now, that’s a great opening.
Paragraph 2: Focus on how you and your skills can be a match for what the company is looking for. Talk specifically about how you can make an important contribution to the firm. Don’t just say, “I’m a good salesperson.” Say something quantifiable, as in “Last year I increased our region’s sales by 20 percent.” Briefly mention some relevant skills, such as expertise in client relationships or computer networks.
If you’ve learned a company is making a technology shift and you have specific skills that can help them through it, you can say something like this: “I’ve done this before, I’ve done it under budget, I’ve done it on time—and I can do it for you.”
An outplacement executive gives this advice: “We suggest leaving plenty of white space and using bulleted lists when appropriate. This will make it easier for readers to pick out the information you want them to focus on.”
Paragraph 3: Reinforce the idea that your experience will help the company, and remember that the goal of the cover letter is to get an interview. End your letter with a sentence like this: “I’ll call you on November 15 to discuss an appointment for an interview”—and make sure to call on that day. Sign off with “Sincerely” or “Very truly yours.”
It’s not appropriate to mention salary in your cover letter. You can discuss that topic in your face-to-face meeting.
If possible, find the name of an individual to whom you can address your letter. Blind ads can be misleading; they sometimes don’t even mention the name of the company. “If there is no name, it’s safest to address your letter to the Human Resources department,” says an executive recruiter.
When you’re writing to a search firm rather than directly to an employer, keep in mind that these companies can get fifty or a hundred unsolicited résumés a day. “In my business, anything is better than a cold call or an unsolicited résumé,” says one recruiter. “The number of people I’ve placed through unsolicited résumés is zero. The people I pay attention to have been referred by someone I know.” While it’s unrealistic to expect an immediate response, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of standing out from the pack.
Tell the recruiter what you do at the beginning of your letter, as in “I am currently a vice president of marketing at a large teaching hospital in Chicago, and I am writing at the suggestion of Peter Kim.” Avoid statements like “I’ve heard you are an excellent health care recruiting firm.” “I hate that sentence,” says one recruiter, “because you don’t know the first thing about my firm—and you know it and I know it.”
No matter who you’re writing to, the wrong way to start is by saying, “I am leaving my present company and looking for a new and challenging position.” You’re not looking for another company to challenge you; you’re looking to add value to their bottom line. It’s not their job to challenge you or make you happy, although that may happen.
Regardless of the medium used, the goal of your cover letter remains the same: to create interest and to encourage the recipient to remember you. Since many search firms and some companies scan résumés into computer files, they may prefer that you follow up a fax, which is not scannable, or E-mail, with hard copy. Such a follow-up is a good idea, too, because résumés can get misplaced and it’s always wise to have backup.
After you’ve been interviewed it’s absolutely necessary to send a thank-you note. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is another chance to say “Remember me” and to pitch yourself again. Since not all candidates write thank-you notes, it’s a way to remind the person that you really want this job. Simply thank your interviewer and express a desire to go forward with the process. Then briefly recap your discussion, and end your note by saying, “Please contact me if you have any other questions.”
One candidate, who later landed the job, wrote this short note: “Thank you for seeing me on Thursday. The management of Burke & Clark and the people I’ve met are truly impressive. I’m very interested in the position and know I can do a good job for you. I will welcome a chance to talk further.”
One human resources executive says, “I like a relatively short thank-you; in most cases, all the relevant information has already been shared. But do include something about how you felt, such as ‘My interview with Joe was particularly motivating.’”
Other experts prefer longer, more detailed thank-you letters that reiterate why you’re a match. Ultimately the length of the note is your own decision. Either way, however, pay careful attention at the interview so that you can mention in your thank-you letter the topics you discussed. “Drop in something to let them know that you were interested in what they were saying. You might even enclose a relevant clip,” says a consultant. Write within twenty-four hours while the interview is still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.
Some interviewers like to receive handwritten notes. Others prefer something more formal on 8½- by 11-inch paper, similar to a cover letter for a résumé. “It’s a matter of opinion,” says one expert. “You have to assess which format the recipient is likely to respond to better. But what’s important here is to send that note … that’s what matters. I recommend a note that is handwritten in blue-black ink with a fountain pen on a Crane’s card. It’s hard to get much classier than that.”
Always address your thank-yous to “Mr.” or “Ms.” unless the interviewer asked you to call him by his first name during the interview. In such a case it’s up to you whether to say, “Dear Joe” or “Dear Mr. Smith.”
Even if you don’t get the job, it’s smart to follow up any interview with a note. That contact might be useful to you in the future, and a thank-you note says, “Keep me in mind in case something else opens up.”
Says one seasoned career adviser, “If you were granted an interview, the company must have been interested in you. Only a tiny percentage of people write thank-you notes, and it’s impressive to receive this kind of follow up. Sometimes there’s a fine distinction between you and someone else. You can say something like ‘Thank you for informing me of your decision. Though I’m disappointed I didn’t get the position, I remain actively interested in your organization. Please keep my résumé on file.’”
One young woman who didn’t get a position that she competed for elsewhere in her company wrote this note:
Dear ———————,
I want to thank you for the opportunity to interview for the internship program.
Though I was not accepted, I did appreciate the chance to participate, and I enjoyed meeting you. The process was a valuable experience.
I hope our paths will cross in the future at MAF.
Sincerely,
Networking friends can offer you access to their connections and pass your résumé on to someone else you might not ordinarily be able to reach. It’s a good idea to make them aware of your search so they can let you know if they hear of anything. If they offer to help, follow up.
Did you just run into an old acquaintance at an industry event? Write a short note:
Dear ———————,
It was so nice to meet you at the sales conference in San Diego. It’s been a long time since we worked together at Peters Corp., and I enjoyed catching up.
I appreciate your offer to help me in my job search. I’m enclosing a copy of my résumé. Please keep it on file—just in case.
Again, thanks.
Sincerely,
This note establishes a common bond—the event you both attended—and reactivates your connection, which may someday be helpful. It’s the kind of note that creates a positive feeling about you, and you never know what it can lead to. Two weeks later Bob might get a call saying, “I’m looking for a new cost accounting manager, and I don’t know anybody. I guess I’ll have to put an ad in the paper.” This will give Bob the chance to reply, “An old friend of mine is a really good cost accounting manager. I have a copy of his résumé. Why don’t I send it to you?”
Always remember that you make an impression not only with content but with presentation as well. “You can cut your own throat by sending a sloppy cover letter or thank-you note with misspellings or other errors,” warns one executive recruiter. “When people are trying to evaluate a job candidate, they have so little to go on that even the most superficial things can give them an opportunity to make a negative assessment. Every detail is magnified.”
Never send a cover letter or a thank-you note on your current employer’s stationery. It’s in poor taste for you to use the company’s paper to get yourself another job.