Writing winning cover letters

			Book Notes
					By Wendy S. Enelow and Louise Kursmark
			Excerpt from Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers, from JIST Publishing.

A great cover letter can make a difference in whether you get noticed or passed over for a job. It is a great tool that:

• Positions you above the competition.
• Sells your qualifications and your successes.
• Demonstrates your knowledge, experience, and expertise.
• Creates excitement, enthusiasm, and action (an interview).

How can one letter do all of this? Is it the words you write? Is it the style or the tone of your letter? Is it the visual presentation? Is it the color of paper and the typestyle you use? Is it the specific achievements you highlight? Is it the years of experience you have? Is it your educational credentials? The answer is all of the above.

Your cover letter can have a tremendous impact on the quality and success of your search campaign. It is designed as a personal introduction to who you are, custom-made for that specific opportunity, and allows you the chance to communicate a great deal of information about yourself both personal and professional. In theory, you are taking excerpts from your resume — as they relate to a specific position — and rewording them to communicate the same concepts, qualifications, experiences and accomplishments, just in different words. It is not a good idea to type word-for-word the exact language you've already used in your resume.

Cover letters can be fun to write, although you may not think so. But with the right perspective and a positive attitude, you will find that writing cover letters affords you great flexibility. There are virtually no rules for writing cover letters. This allows you to positively present just those skills, qualifications, achievements and credentials you want to bring to a specific reader's attention. Another advantage is that you can be creative in both content and presentation.

Ten cover-letter strategies

1. Make it easy for someone to understand "who" you are. Are you a sales representative, nurse, college professor, chemical engineer, restaurant manager, customer service agent or architect? Be sure to clearly communicate that information at the beginning of your cover letter. Don't make someone read three paragraphs to find this critical information. No one is going to take the time and energy to figure it out.

2. Use a unique and professional format when writing and typing your cover letters. Make your letters visually attractive and distinctive. Tap into your inner self to see how creative and professional you can be in writing the text and designing the presentation.

3. Emphasize your most relevant qualifications. Use your cover letters to highlight your skills, experiences, qualifications, honors and credentials that are directly relevant to the company's needs and type of position and/or career path you are pursuing.

4. Shine a spotlight on your most relevant achievements. Be certain to highlight your career successes, results and accomplishments that will be most meaningful to the intended audience of each specific letter.

5. Include information that you know about the company or the position for which you are applying. If you know any particulars about the company to which you are writing (for example, core issues, challenges, market opportunities, services or management changes), be sure to address those items in your cover letter. Relate specifically how your experience can meet the company's needs and provide solutions to its challenges.

6. Explain why you want to work for this company in particular. Do you want to work for the company because of its reputation, financial standing, products, services, location or market potential? Everyone likes a good "pat on the back" for a job well done. Company management is no different. Tell them what they're doing right that caught your attention.

7. Be sure your cover letters are neat, clean and well presented. Remember, cover letters are business documents, not advertising materials. They should be attractive and relatively conservative, not "over-designed."

8. Double-check, triple-check, and then have someone else check your letter to be sure that it is error-free. Remember, people don't meet you; they meet a piece of paper. And that piece of paper — your cover letter — reflects the quality and caliber of the work you will do on their behalf. Even the smallest of errors is unacceptable.

9. Keep your cover letters short. Cover letters are not essays. We recommend a one-page letter in nearly all circumstances.

10. Always remind yourself why you are writing each cover letter, and be sure to ask for the interview. Remember, securing an interview is your primary objective for each letter you write.

• Cover Letter Magic is available through JIST Publishing.

About JIST Publishing

JIST Publishing is an Indianapolis-based publisher and authority on the topics of career, job search, business and families in crisis. The JIST staff help people help themselves in career and life by publishing practical, self-directed products and training tools that are used in employment training, education, business, counseling, therapy and school settings.

From Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers, by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise Kursmark, © 2000. Used with permission of JIST Publishing, Indianapolis, Ind.