The Elements of an Outstanding Cover Letter

Next to your resume, your cover letter is the second-most critical part of your employment-search package. It has been estimated that only about 50% of hiring managers or recruiters actually read cover letters, which might leave you asking, "Why bother?" But how do you know -- how can you know -- in which 50% the hiring manager you are targeting falls?

Play it safe. Write a cover letter for every resume you send out. And like the resume, tailor the letter to the company you're targeting. Nothing will shut down a reader's interest like a cranked-out, one-size-fits-all cover letter. And hiring managers and recruiters see so many of them, they can pick out the ones that are not tailored to them practically after they've read the salutation.

To understand a cover letter, it is necessary to understand its role. The cover letter's primary purpose is to illustrate the value you will bring to the company you are targeting. Think of the employer as having some problem or difficulty, and ask yourself what that difficulty is. Then ask yourself how you can demonstrate that you can help the employer resolve that difficulty. In so doing, keep in mind that what you say must always be relevant to that particular employer's needs. And finally, ask yourself the key question: Are you putting the employer's needs ahead of your own?

Once you have defined the problem or difficulty the employer is having, illustrate from your professional history an instance where you resolved a similar problem. Suppose you were writing to a company that had seen its overall sales eclipsed by a rival. In your opening sentence, you could express your understanding of the problem's origins, and demonstrate that you had been following the employer's ups and downs for quite some time.

Your next paragraph could connect directly with your experience dealing with the same scenario at one of your own previous employers. What did you do to regain lost market share? How quickly did sales come back? What part did customer satisfaction scores play in the recovery, and how did you figure in that scoring?

Finally, show the employer that his/her needs are more important than your own by reiterating your successes in your field. Tell the employer how much you want to help turn those numbers around. Remind the employer how strong a fit you would be on the employer's team. And close with a suggestion to meet, either by your calling the employer or an invitation for the employer to call you.

See how long it takes before that employer contacts you for an interview.