Five Tips to Writing a Better Cover Letter

A job seeker's resume is an important document. It provides the hiring company with your employment history, education and skills. However, a weak or poorly-written cover letter can minimize the impact of even the best resume. As E.M. Forster said, "Letters have to pass two tests before they can be classed as good: they must express the personality both of the writer and of the recipient."

Here are five precepts you should follow to compose an effective cover letter, even if you have already gotten lots of resume help.

The cover letter is a marketing document. It is your single most important tool to getting an interview. Therefore, you should use it as a selling tool. Briefly, here is some cover letter help:

1. Consider using a headline in your cover letter, which can quickly get the interviewer's attention. The headline will also separate you from most of the other job applications. Headlines should be centered at the top of the cover letter in bold print. Use a simple headline or one that promotes certain skills or experience. For example, say something like, "I am seeking an Interview for the position of Marketing Manager or Job Number 5432." This headline immediately tells human resources or the hiring manager your intentions. Promote yourself even more by using a skill-specific headline: "Marketing Manager with 10 years Consumer Packaged Goods Experience Seeks New Position." A skill-specific headline immediately tells the reader you are qualified for the position, especially if you match your headline to the qualifications of the job.

2. Address a specific individual by name in your cover letter, even if you are answering an ad. Do not address the recipient as "Dear P.O. Box Dude." Call the company if their name is in the ad. Talk to human resources or the hiring manager herself. Tell her you are applying for the job listed in the paper and wanted to know whom to address your cover. The same holds true if you are sending resumes out cold to companies. A reference book you are using may not contain the current person in the position. Call the company to obtain the person's name.

3. Keep your cover letter limited to four or five short paragraphs. Employers usually scan cover letters. They want to quickly find the most qualified candidates. Therefore, tell the employer for which job you are applying in the first paragraph, even if you mentioned it in the headline. Follow up with a brief synopsis of your career and education in the same paragraph.

Use the second paragraph to expand on your background. Be more specific as to the types of projects you worked on. Make sure you keep your credentials commensurate to the types of qualifications they want. Add a third paragraph that asks for the interview. For example, say something like, "In the course of an interview, I would be pleased to further discuss how my experience could be of potential benefit to the XYZ company."

4. Tell the hiring manager where she can reach you in the fourth paragraph. This includes a cell or home phone. Also, list the time frames in which you are most likely to be available. Avoid taking calls for jobs at work.

5. Lastly, thank the employer in advance for considering you for the position. You can include this section in the fourth paragraph, or create a fifth paragraph to thank the person.

For a more thorough description of cover letter development, Shimmering Resumes offers a detailed report that you can download at no cost.

Paul Freiberger is President of Shimmering Resumes, a resume-writing, interview preparation, and career counseling service based in San Mateo, California. Paul is the author of several books and the winner of the Los Angeles Times book award. He offers resume and cover letter writing services, job interview and job search campaign coaching nationwide. He can be reached at: Paul@shimmeringresumes.com, or, by phone at 877-796-9737.