Almost every new client that comes into my office that already has a job application prepared has included a cover letter that is a modified version of a cover letter template they found somewhere, usually on the internet or in a book.
Using a cover letter template does have the advantage of being able to easily and quickly create a cover letter than sounds professional. It also has the advantage of showing you a format that looks professional.
However, is sounding and looking professional enough to make the right impression?
Short answer: No, definitely not. You should not use cover letter templates in my opinion which is based on my experience helping my clients... let me explain...
Early on working in a job center, I found an obvious trend that remained a mystery to me (and my colleagues) for a long while but I finally figured it out....
The trend I was seeing was that for many jobs, candidates that were obviously LESS qualified were getting called for interviews over candidates who were obviously MORE qualified... and... they the obviously less qualified candidates were often getting hired over the obviously more qualified candidates. I just did not make sense at first and it happened so often I became very determined to find out why. In fact, it was such a mystery to me I started following up and calling the hiring managers at the various companies and I reviewed and re-reviewed the applications of both the successful and unsuccessful candidates. I also interviewed again many of the job applicants to determine if I could find any factors that might not show up on the applications.
In general, here is what I found....
First, I had initially suspected that this apparent mystery might be explained by who knew who, i.e. perhaps less qualified candidates were getting the interviews and jobs because of who they knew or perhaps who their family and/or friends knew. Surprisingly, this seemed to matter in only a very few cases so it was definitely not what was causing the general trend.
Second, other factors that you might think would be the top factors on who got called in for the interview: the quality of the resumes, the amount of work experience, education and special training, the quality of references, etc did NOT seem to matter as much as you might think. I don't mean to say they don't matter at all because of course they do to some degree but they don't seem to matter anywhere near as much as the conventional wisdom would indicate. I say this because I saw a large number of exceptions where the very best candidate that would shine above all the others in all or most of the factors listed above would not even get called in for an interview where another candidate who was obviously less qualified based on the factors listed above would get called in for an interview and even often get hired.
Third, after a while I finally figured out that the factor that actually seemed to be making the biggest difference was the lowly cover letter that most people didn't put much thought into except to make it sound and look professional (i.e. a modified template).... AND FURTHERMORE... it was NOT necessarily the most "professional" sounding cover letter that that was winning the most interviews. It tended to be cover letters that were totally unique and were not modeled after a template - totally different. It tended to be cover letters that did a good job in somehow "marketing" the candidate and enticing those that were reviewing the applications to want to meet them in a person. Of course, actually getting invited in for an interview is more than 90% of the battle most of the time! You essentially get your foot in the door and it's not all that difficult to get hired at that point.
Here's the key to what I found: Hiring managers and others reviewing these applications are often so inundated with applications, especially now is this incredibly tight job market, they simply don't have time to review carefully each and every resume, call all the references, etc for every candidate. Most of the time, they reduce narrow down the applications by reading the cover letters. If they are really intrigued by the cover letter, then they often just pick up the phone and invite you in immediately (sometimes even unofficially BEFORE the formal interviews), or at the least, they will review the rest of your application more carefully if they like your cover letter.
I have used this software to help many of my clients create a totally unique cover letter that also contains the marketing language needed to entice the hiring manager to call them in for an interview. Almost no one can write in a style that will produce a more effective cover letter than what this software can produce in a matter of minutes. Sometimes we customize these letters a bit more but we get the "magical" marketing language by using this software. I should note that the software is designed to incorporate the appropriate "buzz words" for each major job industry. I also like how easy it is to use this software. I have tried other software but I've found this to produce the highest quality and most effective cover letters. You can check out this software for yourself by clicking here. My "mini-review" is found at the top of this page.
Good luck to you. I know how tough it can be but just you just need to persevere!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
7 Cover Letter Tips That Will Get You Hired! (plus a valuable bonus)
Hi! Hope you're enjoying the summer weather! - and yes, I am well aware that you'd be able to enjoy it more if you could just get hired, right?Well, help is on the way.... just keep reading...
I originally published a slightly different version of the article below for syndication in ezines, online newsletters, and other websites but it has gotten such a good response I thought I'd post it here as well. I'm also going to give you guys a bonus tip at the end that was not in the original article. So, here's actually 8 cover letter tips, not 7, that will get you hired (remember, these are tips that I have found to be very helpful to my clients in a job center):
You Need To Focus On Getting the Interview, NOT On Getting Hired
When most people write their cover letter, they have in their mind the goal of getting the job. They forget that applying for a job is 2 step process. You first have to get an interview in order to get a job. When the hiring manager reads your cover letter, they are focused on who to bring in for an interview, not who to hire, so that should be your focus too. I can't emphasize the importance of this enough.
You Should Specifically Ask For the Interview
It is well known in business that one of the most effective ways to increase sales is to actually ask for sales. You can apply this strategy to your cover letter as well. If you specifically ask for the interview in your letter, this will drastically increase your odds of actually getting the interview. Notice I didn't say ask for the job. Of course, this has to be done with finesse to be effective (read the bonus tip to learn how to do this).
You Should Definitely Keep It Short and Sweet
Don't be long-winded and don't try to cram in too many details. You want the hiring manager to notice you and invite you in for the interview - that's all - end of letter. You can give them more details in the interview. Yes, I know it can be difficult to be succinct and almost painful to edit out certain things... BUT if you really want to get hired, your cover letter needs to be short and sweet.
How Does Your Cover Letter Look When You Squint Your Eyes?
Beyond what it actually says, you want your letter to be as visually pleasing as possible. Think of your letter as a piece of abstract artwork and blur out the words as you look at it. How does it look? Remember, white space can be really important in how your cover letter appears visually. How are the blocks of text laid out? Is there any way to move them around and make them more visually appealing? You may need to play around with the formatting and borders.
Will They Want To Ask You Out For a Beer After Reading Your Cover Letter?
People hire people they like. Yes, it REALLY IS this simple! This is true even when they try to be "objective." In reality, no one really is completely objective, no matter how hard they try to be. They may be doing it subconsciously but the hiring manager will hire the person they like the most 99% of the time. If you come across as a likable person, someone they might like to have a beer with (or maybe a cup of joe), your odds of being hired improve drastically. Again though, conveying this in your succinct cover letter will take some finesse and you may need some help in the writing of your cover letter to get this point across without actually saying it.
You Should NEVER EVER Use a Cover Letter Template!
Again, I work in a job center and the vast majority of job seekers that come through my door that have been struggling to find a job pulled a cover letter template off the net or from a book and then modified it. This is a big mistake I assure you!! While this may get you a "professional" sounding cover letter, "professional" (at least what's in those templates) is NOT what you need to get the interview. In our testing, unique letters beat templates virtually every time. In fact, when I work with someone who is has been looking for work unsuccessfully for months, it often only takes this one change to their application to start getting interviews. In fact, this is the most important thing I've learned working with my clients - and it's the thing that has made the most difference to the most people.
Do You Understand the Magic of Marketing?
You can have the best product in the world but if it isn't marketed well, it will never sell well. When you are applying for a job, you need to think of yourself as the product. One of the most effective ways to sell yourself is by using time-tested marketing phrases in your letter that will push all the right psychological buttons. You also need some marketing mojo throughout and some finesse.
I originally published a slightly different version of the article below for syndication in ezines, online newsletters, and other websites but it has gotten such a good response I thought I'd post it here as well. I'm also going to give you guys a bonus tip at the end that was not in the original article. So, here's actually 8 cover letter tips, not 7, that will get you hired (remember, these are tips that I have found to be very helpful to my clients in a job center):
You Need To Focus On Getting the Interview, NOT On Getting Hired
When most people write their cover letter, they have in their mind the goal of getting the job. They forget that applying for a job is 2 step process. You first have to get an interview in order to get a job. When the hiring manager reads your cover letter, they are focused on who to bring in for an interview, not who to hire, so that should be your focus too. I can't emphasize the importance of this enough.
You Should Specifically Ask For the Interview
It is well known in business that one of the most effective ways to increase sales is to actually ask for sales. You can apply this strategy to your cover letter as well. If you specifically ask for the interview in your letter, this will drastically increase your odds of actually getting the interview. Notice I didn't say ask for the job. Of course, this has to be done with finesse to be effective (read the bonus tip to learn how to do this).
You Should Definitely Keep It Short and Sweet
Don't be long-winded and don't try to cram in too many details. You want the hiring manager to notice you and invite you in for the interview - that's all - end of letter. You can give them more details in the interview. Yes, I know it can be difficult to be succinct and almost painful to edit out certain things... BUT if you really want to get hired, your cover letter needs to be short and sweet.
How Does Your Cover Letter Look When You Squint Your Eyes?
Beyond what it actually says, you want your letter to be as visually pleasing as possible. Think of your letter as a piece of abstract artwork and blur out the words as you look at it. How does it look? Remember, white space can be really important in how your cover letter appears visually. How are the blocks of text laid out? Is there any way to move them around and make them more visually appealing? You may need to play around with the formatting and borders.
Will They Want To Ask You Out For a Beer After Reading Your Cover Letter?
People hire people they like. Yes, it REALLY IS this simple! This is true even when they try to be "objective." In reality, no one really is completely objective, no matter how hard they try to be. They may be doing it subconsciously but the hiring manager will hire the person they like the most 99% of the time. If you come across as a likable person, someone they might like to have a beer with (or maybe a cup of joe), your odds of being hired improve drastically. Again though, conveying this in your succinct cover letter will take some finesse and you may need some help in the writing of your cover letter to get this point across without actually saying it.
You Should NEVER EVER Use a Cover Letter Template!
Again, I work in a job center and the vast majority of job seekers that come through my door that have been struggling to find a job pulled a cover letter template off the net or from a book and then modified it. This is a big mistake I assure you!! While this may get you a "professional" sounding cover letter, "professional" (at least what's in those templates) is NOT what you need to get the interview. In our testing, unique letters beat templates virtually every time. In fact, when I work with someone who is has been looking for work unsuccessfully for months, it often only takes this one change to their application to start getting interviews. In fact, this is the most important thing I've learned working with my clients - and it's the thing that has made the most difference to the most people.
Do You Understand the Magic of Marketing?
You can have the best product in the world but if it isn't marketed well, it will never sell well. When you are applying for a job, you need to think of yourself as the product. One of the most effective ways to sell yourself is by using time-tested marketing phrases in your letter that will push all the right psychological buttons. You also need some marketing mojo throughout and some finesse.
It's Probably Better If You Don't Write the Cover Letter Yourself
The vast majority of job candidates can not write the kind of cover letter I describe above. This doesn't mean you aren't the best person for the job. It just means you you don't have the ability to write the best possible cover letter that is going to market you in a way that they can see that. Getting help with your cover letter is probably the most important thing you can do to give yourself very best chance possible to get the job you want.
For a REALLY Easy and Effective Solution, You Should Use This Software
In working with my clients I have discovered this software - it is by far the easiest method I have found for creating the perfect cover letter that will market you well. It was developed by a true marketing genius. This guy gets paid a fortune just to write one page of sales copy - he's known throughout the marketing world as a wizard with words and is in very high demand. With this software, you can get his help without having to spend a fortune. You can go here and get more details. It is the best cover letter help I have seen on the market anywhere and I've reviewed and tested MANY products. In addition to creating a really great cover letter, this software is super simple to use. You simply answer a few questions and then click a button... and yes, it is set up to be tailored for each job industry and will create a cover letter that is UNIQUE to you and you alone (these are the questions I get asked most often). Many of my clients have created a cover letter using this software and we have seen tremendous success with it.
The vast majority of job candidates can not write the kind of cover letter I describe above. This doesn't mean you aren't the best person for the job. It just means you you don't have the ability to write the best possible cover letter that is going to market you in a way that they can see that. Getting help with your cover letter is probably the most important thing you can do to give yourself very best chance possible to get the job you want.
For a REALLY Easy and Effective Solution, You Should Use This Software
In working with my clients I have discovered this software - it is by far the easiest method I have found for creating the perfect cover letter that will market you well. It was developed by a true marketing genius. This guy gets paid a fortune just to write one page of sales copy - he's known throughout the marketing world as a wizard with words and is in very high demand. With this software, you can get his help without having to spend a fortune. You can go here and get more details. It is the best cover letter help I have seen on the market anywhere and I've reviewed and tested MANY products. In addition to creating a really great cover letter, this software is super simple to use. You simply answer a few questions and then click a button... and yes, it is set up to be tailored for each job industry and will create a cover letter that is UNIQUE to you and you alone (these are the questions I get asked most often). Many of my clients have created a cover letter using this software and we have seen tremendous success with it.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Is Your Cover Letter Focused On the Wrong Thing?
Working in a job center, I read a lot of cover letters. Most of them seem to focus on wrong thing and I can truthfully say that the vast majority of job applicants would help their chances a lot if they would just ask for help on their cover letter.
Now, most experts will tell you that you are making a mistake if you focus on listing your accomplishments in your cover letter, no matter how good they are. They tell you to shift this focus to what you can offer to them. I don't disagree with the latter being better than the first but I have a very different take on what you should focus on in your cover letter - and my take is based on experience helping real clients in a job center.
Here's the bottom line. Both strategies above focus on getting hired when you should instead be submitting a cover letter that will inspire those reading it to invite you in for the interview.
That bears repeating and rephrasing:
In your cover letter, you should focus on getting an interview - NOT on getting the job - and to do this you need help.
Getting called for an interview is more than 90% of the battle - and you can't get the job if you don't first get the interview for 99% of all jobs. Let your cover letter serve as your first impression that gets you noticed and liked enough for them to want to meet you in person. Your cover letter needs charisma and charm. You need to come across as a dynamic person they just have to meet.
You need marketing language to accomplish this. You need succinct marketing language that draws them in with just a few sentences. To do this, I can't recommend highly enough this software. It has worked so well for so many of my clients I know it can help you too. It will definitely give you an "unfair advantage."
Now, most experts will tell you that you are making a mistake if you focus on listing your accomplishments in your cover letter, no matter how good they are. They tell you to shift this focus to what you can offer to them. I don't disagree with the latter being better than the first but I have a very different take on what you should focus on in your cover letter - and my take is based on experience helping real clients in a job center.
Here's the bottom line. Both strategies above focus on getting hired when you should instead be submitting a cover letter that will inspire those reading it to invite you in for the interview.
That bears repeating and rephrasing:
In your cover letter, you should focus on getting an interview - NOT on getting the job - and to do this you need help.
Getting called for an interview is more than 90% of the battle - and you can't get the job if you don't first get the interview for 99% of all jobs. Let your cover letter serve as your first impression that gets you noticed and liked enough for them to want to meet you in person. Your cover letter needs charisma and charm. You need to come across as a dynamic person they just have to meet.
You need marketing language to accomplish this. You need succinct marketing language that draws them in with just a few sentences. To do this, I can't recommend highly enough this software. It has worked so well for so many of my clients I know it can help you too. It will definitely give you an "unfair advantage."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Cover Letter Help Is On the Way
I work at a career center where I help people in their job search. One of the most important things I've learned is that it's the cover letter, not the resume, that is the single most important factor to getting called for an interview. Therefore, I concentrate much of my effort doing everything I can to give job applicants cover letter help. Recruiters, HR personnel, and business managers all get so many resumes they have to very quickly go through the stack and make some super quick decisions to create two piles. The bigger pile consists of the discards. The smaller pile consists of the resumes that were accompanied by really GREAT cover letters that caught their attention. Notice I said great cover letters, not good cover letters, and not even very good cover letters. You must have a GREAT cover letter to compete well these days and that is nearly impossible to write on your own. Even people who are very smart and very well educated can't write a cover letter in a style that is going to motivate most hiring managers to call them in for an interview. In fact, most educated people usually write rather boring cover letters that are sure to get their resume thrown into the discard pile.
Most of the large companies have already downsized a good deal and they're looking for ways to downsize some more. The small to medium businesses really can't afford to hire more people because of how uncertain the future economy is now. They are in therefore in a holding pattern and that means they are not hiring. That means that there are way more people applying for jobs than there are open job positions. The job market has gotten so tight it is scary in fact. At the career center, I see people all the time who are used to living a very nice lifestyle not even being able to buy groceries for their children.
If you want to compete in this extremely competitive job market, you'd be a fool not to take every step you can to give yourself an advantage. You've got to be in the top 1% of the job applicants if you want to guarantee you'll get a job in this tight market. I highly recommend obtaining a really good cover letter software package that can help you write a killer cover letter. Click here for the package I recommend above all the others. It will give you better cover letter help than most professional job coaches. That's why I recommend it to all my clients. The reason it is so good is it was developed by a guru of marketing whose job was to write sales copy designed to maximize profit by motivating people to buy products and services. He is the king of successfully motivating people to a specific action such as buying a certain product or getting the hiring manager to call you in for an interview. He is in high demand because his sales letters perform better than any others in the industry. He just has a way with words that a powerful almost hypnotic effect on people. It's marketing magic. He has applied this extraordinary ability to his cover letter software. This software is so powerful I have seen it produce amazing results. I've worked with many people who were not getting any response at all from sending in their resumes and cover letters. Then, they get this software and use it to generate a cover letter that knocks it out of the park. Voila. All of a sudden, they start getting invited to interview for jobs. They say money can't buy happiness. Well, for $39.95 I've seen this cover letter software send people shrieking for joy. If you are job hunting, I'm sure it could provide cover letter help for you too.
Most of the large companies have already downsized a good deal and they're looking for ways to downsize some more. The small to medium businesses really can't afford to hire more people because of how uncertain the future economy is now. They are in therefore in a holding pattern and that means they are not hiring. That means that there are way more people applying for jobs than there are open job positions. The job market has gotten so tight it is scary in fact. At the career center, I see people all the time who are used to living a very nice lifestyle not even being able to buy groceries for their children.
If you want to compete in this extremely competitive job market, you'd be a fool not to take every step you can to give yourself an advantage. You've got to be in the top 1% of the job applicants if you want to guarantee you'll get a job in this tight market. I highly recommend obtaining a really good cover letter software package that can help you write a killer cover letter. Click here for the package I recommend above all the others. It will give you better cover letter help than most professional job coaches. That's why I recommend it to all my clients. The reason it is so good is it was developed by a guru of marketing whose job was to write sales copy designed to maximize profit by motivating people to buy products and services. He is the king of successfully motivating people to a specific action such as buying a certain product or getting the hiring manager to call you in for an interview. He is in high demand because his sales letters perform better than any others in the industry. He just has a way with words that a powerful almost hypnotic effect on people. It's marketing magic. He has applied this extraordinary ability to his cover letter software. This software is so powerful I have seen it produce amazing results. I've worked with many people who were not getting any response at all from sending in their resumes and cover letters. Then, they get this software and use it to generate a cover letter that knocks it out of the park. Voila. All of a sudden, they start getting invited to interview for jobs. They say money can't buy happiness. Well, for $39.95 I've seen this cover letter software send people shrieking for joy. If you are job hunting, I'm sure it could provide cover letter help for you too.
Cover Letter Help - How To Find Out Who To Address It To
Another post that surprised me on a recent survey of a job board was this:
Now this guy needed cover letter help!
He had found out about a job online and was planning to submit his resume. He knew it was better to address a cover letter to a specific person, rather than the generic "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear HR Manager." He was desperately trying to find out the name of the person by searching the website online but couldn't find it. Several other people on the board chimed in and suggested he try certain online business databases to find out who he could email.
This was quite a lengthy discussion and I was quite amused that this "tech generation" didn't see the obvious...
Pick up the phone, the old fashioned phone, and dial and make friends with the person or persons on the other end of the line. Secretaries, administrative assistants, and office managers are often the real powerhouses, the engines, of businesses and organizations. They hold the key to everything and help everything flow along smoothly. Show them the respect they deserve, be kind, have a sense of humor, be patient, and you will get all the information you need... including who to address your cover letter to. Hope this helped. Be sure to check out this incredible tool to help create a totally unique cover letter.
Good luck to you all in your job hunting.
Now this guy needed cover letter help!
He had found out about a job online and was planning to submit his resume. He knew it was better to address a cover letter to a specific person, rather than the generic "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear HR Manager." He was desperately trying to find out the name of the person by searching the website online but couldn't find it. Several other people on the board chimed in and suggested he try certain online business databases to find out who he could email.
This was quite a lengthy discussion and I was quite amused that this "tech generation" didn't see the obvious...
Pick up the phone, the old fashioned phone, and dial and make friends with the person or persons on the other end of the line. Secretaries, administrative assistants, and office managers are often the real powerhouses, the engines, of businesses and organizations. They hold the key to everything and help everything flow along smoothly. Show them the respect they deserve, be kind, have a sense of humor, be patient, and you will get all the information you need... including who to address your cover letter to. Hope this helped. Be sure to check out this incredible tool to help create a totally unique cover letter.
Good luck to you all in your job hunting.
Cover Letter Help - Should I Include a Cover Letter With My Resume?
I was reading through an online job discussion board recently and I came across a few threads I just couldn't believe. People were actually asking, "Should I include a cover letter with my resume?"
At first, I couldn't believe job seekers would actually ask a question that has what I consider to be such an obvious answer. However, the more I read I realized these poor stressed out job seekers had been reading the advice of others on the net who were actually advocating for NOT sending a cover letter with your resume.
What bone headed so called expert started this round of really bad advice, who knows!
I just want to warn you that if you see this suggestion, ignore it! The cover letter is usually the first thing most employers look at when reviewing resumes and many won't even read your resume if you don't include one of they don't like what they see in the cover letter. The cover letter is an essential part of any job application. Do not omit this important step. In fact, you should spend time customizing your cover letter for each application. The only exception would be in the employer explicitly states not to send a cover letter in the job advertisement. However, this should be very rare and the only time I can think of is if they are asking you to submit it online and they are running it through some automated software to check for keywords. Even then though, you can use the body of your email as a cover letter of sorts... just abbreviate it a little.
You most definitely need a cover letter, in fact you need a cover letter that is going to set you apart from other applicants. It is actually MORE important than your resume. Check out this site for a tool that will help you create a very unique and professional cover letter. It has really helped my clients get more interviews.
At first, I couldn't believe job seekers would actually ask a question that has what I consider to be such an obvious answer. However, the more I read I realized these poor stressed out job seekers had been reading the advice of others on the net who were actually advocating for NOT sending a cover letter with your resume.
What bone headed so called expert started this round of really bad advice, who knows!
I just want to warn you that if you see this suggestion, ignore it! The cover letter is usually the first thing most employers look at when reviewing resumes and many won't even read your resume if you don't include one of they don't like what they see in the cover letter. The cover letter is an essential part of any job application. Do not omit this important step. In fact, you should spend time customizing your cover letter for each application. The only exception would be in the employer explicitly states not to send a cover letter in the job advertisement. However, this should be very rare and the only time I can think of is if they are asking you to submit it online and they are running it through some automated software to check for keywords. Even then though, you can use the body of your email as a cover letter of sorts... just abbreviate it a little.
You most definitely need a cover letter, in fact you need a cover letter that is going to set you apart from other applicants. It is actually MORE important than your resume. Check out this site for a tool that will help you create a very unique and professional cover letter. It has really helped my clients get more interviews.
Amazing Cover Letter Creator - One Key Factor That Makes It Work
I forgot to mention before one key factor that makes "Amazing Cover Letter Creator" it work so well. One of the questions it asks you is what type of profession. This can be education, insurance business, office management, etc, etc... The key here is that Jim Sweeney has built into his cover letter software program the essential keywords and key phrases that are used in each industry and then he beautifully merges these keywords with his own marketing magic words which of course is the recipe for making the hiring manager go, "WOW, I've really got to get this person in here for an interview!"
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