Career Prep Coach's Corner
Cover Letters Matter!
By: Angie Temming, MLT Career Prep Coach
Surprisingly, some candidates actually question the value of a cover letter. As a Career Coach, my question is “Why not?” As one of possibly hundreds of candidates, your cover letter is another grand opportunity to position yourself for the employer and role. It’s also a great way to showcase your solid writing skills and demonstrate your knowledge of the organization. In fact, a good cover letter should supplement, rather than regurgitate, information already offered on your resume.
In developing robust examples for both a cover letter and job interview, think in terms of SAR = situation + action + result. While resumes present actions and results, an effective cover letter also describes the pre-existing situation, challenge or goal; why you decided to take action; and how you did it. For example, your resume may highlight your university, major, graduation date, GPA and relevant coursework. Instead of reiterating much of the same in your cover letter, share a specific class project, your approach and what you’re now capable of doing as a result of this effort. If you worked on a team, even better – cite your role and specific contribution. Similarly, consider leadership and professional development activities listed on the resume. In your cover letter, provide more detail, like why you pursued and/or were selected for such an endeavor; your goals and how you went about reaching them; and the overall impact on the organization and/or your value as a candidate.
In respect to structure, use the same font size and type as on the resume, stick to one page and vary sentence construction to convey a mature writing style. In your introduction, state your purpose for writing the letter; mention the name of a referral, if applicable; and succinctly position yourself as the ideal candidate in one to three sentences: “With X, Y and Z, I believe I am strong candidate for this position.” The next two or three paragraphs are the heart of the letter where you’re expected to share specific examples mentioned above. In your close, again summarize your value as a candidate; express your excitement about the opportunity and eagerness to arrange an interview; and thank the employer for their time and consideration. Last, but not least, proofread your work, because a grammatical error will go undetected by spell-check and could cost you an interview.
