Let’s face it: the debate around a resume cover letter is endless. How to write a cover letter is in fact a daunting task for many of us. Studies find that recruiters’ opinions are diverse in this regard. While some hiring managers are inclined toward candidates who go the extra mile to pen down an impressive cover letter, some recruiters opine they are redundant.
As a career coach for success-hungry professionals of varying work experience and profiles, I have always vouched for a resume cover letter. Allow me to explain why I believe so:
Difference between a resume and a cover letter
A well-written resume narrates what you are as a professional, your accomplishments, strengths, and skills. It generally comprises bullets, sections, and short paragraphs. Similarly, in most cases, your resume remains the same, irrespective of the company you apply for.
A recruiter cover letter, or a resume cover letter, on the other hand, is a personalized message specific to the company you are applying for. It portrays your interest in choosing that organization as your next employer. A good cover letter contains 2-3 medium-sized paragraphs that explain your interest in working at that organization.
In other words, the cover letter delivers a personal touch to the recruiter over the candidates who do not add one. Historically, expert recruiters always found that candidates who attach cover letters take extra effort in applying for the role.
Hence, my answer to this question – “should you attach a cover letter or not?” is: Yes, you should.
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Resume Cover Letter Tips
Now that I explained why I believe a cover letter gives you the brownie points in impressing recruiters, let me walk you down through the best practices of writing a cover letter:
#1: Keep your cover letter professional
We have a common notion that a cover letter is yet another document – that’s an extension of a resume. We ignore the minutiae of the cover letter that are vital to making the impression at first sight.
I implement these tips to make a cover letter professional and impressive:
- Choose a professional theme for your cover letter. As a best practice, use the same color palette, theme, and fonts for the cover letter and resume.
- Address the recruiter with their name in a professional manner. Refrain from using “To whomsoever it may concern”, “Dear Recruiter”, “Dear Hiring Manager”, etc. Always do your research to identify the name of the person most likely to handle your cover letter and address them with their name.
- Provide the professionally appealing email address and contact details such as a personal website or portfolio links, if any, LinkedIn profile, Phone number, Address with City, and Country.
#2: Maintain optimal length
While there is no hard and fast rule about the length of a cover letter, I have always found 3 medium-sized paragraphs to be optimal. The secret to making the length of the cover letter to your advantage lies in how effectively you utilize it.
Let me share some best practices here:
In Paragraph 1: Talk about you
Explain your background, skills, and abilities. In a sentence or two, reveal what your dream-like work opportunity looks like. Ensure that paragraph 1 is not more than 5 sentences, and not lesser than 3 sentences.
In Paragraph 2: Talk about the role and company you are applying for
Discuss what caught your attention in this job opening and why you believe it helps your career. If you are changing careers, explain how your earlier experience in other domains helps you in this role.
Similarly, mention why you want to apply to this company. Highlight its mission, vision and social responsibility, work culture, accomplishments, and industry reputation, and how you are impressed with the organization.
A note here:
Always sounds genuine when praising the company. Recruiters are professionals who can identify if your words are genuine or not.
So how to get this section right?
Research the company on its website, community portals, LinkedIn, and employer review websites.
The optimal length of this paragraph is 5-6 sentences.
In Paragraph 3: Show the reason why you are the best -fit for the role
According to recent statistics, every job application garners a whopping 250 resumes! Of these, interviewers invite only 2% of candidates.
It explains why you should invest your time in conveying to the recruiter why you are the best fit for this position. I suggest you use the third paragraph for this purpose.
- Mention your accomplishments in your previous role and how you helped your employer with your skills.
- Add numbers and percentages to show the growth you achieved. For instance, you are a sales professional. Say, “I played a crucial role in helping my company achieve its target of 43% rise in sales.” In a gist, let numbers speak for your accomplishments.
- Provide value on how you can help the company with your skill set. For the sake of discussion, let us assume the role is of a sales professional. You could mention, “I strongly believe that with my sales skills, I can help the ABC corporation to achieve its sales growth with diverse strategies.”
Put simply, the third paragraph must show your promise to the recruiter that you are the go-to person for this role.
#3: Let the cover letter reflect your personality
How are you as a person? Constant learner? Enthusiastic about new challenges? Great communicator? A go-to team player? Sports champ? Book lover?
Let your resume cover letter display your positive aura.
Each word and sentence you pen on the cover letter must showcase your energy level as a professional and commitment to the role and the organization.
Maintain a balance between I and We.
Note that as much as companies need hard workers, they prefer great team players with excellent interpersonal skills who can handle complex and dynamic work situations.
Add a dash of your side in your recruiter cover letter.
Include a little about your extra-curricular and weekend activities as long as they elevate you as a professional. For instance, “active blood donor,” professional scuba diver,” and “certified trekking guide”, etc., add brownie points to your profile as they reflect your holistic personality impressively.
#4: Connect the dots in career breaks and non-linear career path
With changing career landscape, many of us have non-linear career paths. With recession and layoffs, career breaks are becoming more common too. The stigma about mentioning career breaks is slowly fading.
If you are one of such millions of professionals with non-linear careers or career gaps, never try to hide them. Explain what caused a shift in your career path or career break and how you utilized it for your career growth.
Elevate the professional courses and certifications you pursued during career breaks. If your work experience is diverse, spread across different domains, connect the dots on how one job helped you grow as a professional into another.
#5: Make a compelling conclusion
Use the last 2-3 lines of the resume cover letter to accomplish this: leave the recruiter feeling you are the best fit for the role. Because I completely believe you are the best one out there!
You are the best; all you require is a helping hand!
If you are looking for a helping hand to create a resume cover letter that makes you stand out from the crowd, I can help. Email me at coach@pushpeshsingh.com for expert guidance with your job hunt and resume preparation. You can also DM me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pushpeshsingh.
