Hi everyone, it's Andy LaCivita founder of
Milewalk and the Milewalk Academy, and the
award-winning author of the Hiring Prophecies
here with today's episode of tips for work
and life, today we're going to talk about
cover letters.
When I say cover letters what I really mean
is any means you're going to use to introduce
yourself to the employer.
That could be a cover letter, if companies
still require one.
It can be an email, perhaps with your resume
attached, and it could be an application tracking
system where they allow you to provide some
notes about you, yourself, things that they
should know about you.
Really it's whatever means you're going to
use to introduce yourself.
Now, there's a couple of precursors that I
want to mention right before we dive into
the four sentences.
There's three things that your introduction
should do, and I believe you can do those
in four sentences, but I want to talk a little
bit about just cover letters and what the
purpose was.
Remember, keep in mind, cover letters are
from a long time ago when we didn't have computers
and we didn't have emails and we didn't have
application tracking systems, and you had
to mail your resume to an employer about a
job opportunity or a job opening that you
saw or was advertised.
You needed to insert that cover letter to
introduce yourself, to let them know what
it was you were applying for.
They didn't really understand that.
Now we have these systems that tag your resume
and your name to particular jobs that you
apply to, it's much different now.
Regardless you still need to effectively introduce
yourself, so regardless of whether you're
doing that in an attached document or whether
you're doing that in an email introduction
or whether you're doing that through an applicant
tracking system, there's three things you
ultimately need to do.
You want to make sure that when you do them
you're respecting the person's time.
The average person today, let alone the average
person who is recruiting for many positions,
gets about 150 emails every day.
Somebody who's hiring for a position might
get twice that many or three times that many,
so you want to make sure that whatever you
do you're being brief and you're respecting
their time.
Trust me when I tell you that most people
are moving at such a break neck pace, most
of those recruiters just want to open that
resume, look to see if you are a good fit
for that particular position or another position
in their company.
Many of them are not going to take the time
to read a lengthy intro or a lengthy cover
letter, so just keep that in mind.
Okay, one other little housekeeping item.
I talked a few weeks ago about how to build
your ultimate professional resume.
If you haven't seen that episode yet, check
it out on my blog, I put the link down in
the notes.
There's some good tips and tricks and formatting
items that I addressed in that particular
lesson or episode that I think is going to
be really helpful for you to understand as
we talk about these four sentences that you
need to do.
First thing, how to address that intro.
Dear whoever it is, and I know there are many
ways you can figure out who that is, or dear
sir or madam, or to whom it may concern, or
whatever intro you are comfortable using.
I'm writing to inquire about the opening for,
so now you're telling them exactly why you're
inquiring.
It's just one sentence, period, that's it,
let them know why.
Go to the next break, make a new paragraph
so that they now can get the meat and potatoes.
This is the what you offer and why you're
qualified.
I would just say that I offer X years of experience
in whatever your specialty is, and would make
me a strong candidate for this opening.
That's obviously your opinion, but I think
it's a nice way to collect that and give them
some insight that you do believe you are a
strong candidate.
They want to hear that.
Then what I would do is I would just add one
more sentence in that paragraph, and just
say the top portion of my attached resume
highlights my career profile and three significant
accomplishments that are also in alignment
with this position.
Now what you're doing is you're creating intrigue.
You're telling them exactly where they can
find the information that they need in order
to know whether or not you'd be a could candidate,
and it won't take them very long to see it.
Then I would make a break, and then the last
little sentence I would make is, I'd welcome
the opportunity to speak with you if you feel
I'd be a strong candidate for this or any
position in your organization.
It's extremely important that you add the
any other position in your organization.
People need help with how to think these days.
Everybody is moving so quickly, it's not because
they're not smart, but you just want to make
sure that they recognize that number one you're
open to it, and number two that they should
be thinking that way.
You don't want them to just open your resume,
look at it, and say, "Eh.
He or she's not a fit for the position that
they applied for."
You want to remind them to make sure that
they think about all positions in their company.
It may sound very obvious, it may sound like
common sense, but when you're moving so quickly
it's not always common practice.
Okay, so there it is.
I'm writing to inquire about what the position
is, I offer X years of experience, I have
strong these skills.
Top portion of my resume highlights my career
profile and my significant accomplishments,
which puts me in alignment with the position.
I'd welcome the opportunity and so on.
Now one other thing you might be thinking,
why not put those highlights and that detail
in the cover letter?
The cover letter's purpose, it should be brief,
it should tell them why you're qualified,
but you want to create intrigue.
You ultimately want to get them to open your
resume.
Most of them are going to be inclined to do
that anyway, so you don't need to give them
more in the email.
You don't want them to see this much.
I recommend reserving that for the resume.
Perhaps you put one significant accomplishment,
but I think you can do this in four sentences,
five at the very most.
That's it for today.
One other item I want to let you know, if
you like this type of information I've got
a training course coming up with everything
that's careers related, so it's all this in
much more depth.
Everything from finding your purpose, writing
resumes, cover letters, interviewing, all
the way to career acceleration and all that
good stuff.
Everything careers related.
Also, I'd love to hear from you.
If you have any insight, any questions about
this, drop down to the comments section, let
me know you're here.
Ask me any questions, share it.
I always welcome the shares, and until next
week, we'll see you.
