The Cover Letter That Will Land You The Interview

Scenario: You find a great job posting online that you are 100% confident you are qualified for and submit your cover letter and resume but never hear back and think, “How could they have rejected me? I met every requirement they’re looking for."

In this article, I’m going to reveal a cover letter method so powerful that it make a substantial impact on the number of callbacks and interviews you get. I will also provide you with a link to a word template. But first let's talk about fluff. 

At the end of this article, there is a link to download the Cover Letter Template in PDF or Word.

Lose the Fluff Or Lose the Job

Many professionals lean too much on buzzy fluff words and phrases making it difficult for the recruiter or hiring manager to find the parallel skills that match those listed in the job description. Here is an example:

Buzzy Fluff Bullet on a Resume

“Seasoned dynamic outside of the box marketing professional with a modern and successful approach to inspiring strategic marketing implementation”

Huh? I have no idea what skill this professional is trying to convey in the above bullet. Now, let’s rewrite that bullet to something more like this:

Well Organized Bullet on a Resume

"Marketing professional with the confidence to take calculated measured risks; who stays current by attending marketing conferences and following thought leaders in the marketing industry."

1. You list a character trait that I need in the job - Confidence
2. You let me know that you're capable of making decisions that are risky but measurable
3. You let me know that you stay current, follow trends and keep your skills sharp with continuous learning

If your resume falls into the “fluffy word” trap, there's a good chance you're not getting callbacks or interviews because the recruiter or hiring manager was not able to understand whether or not you truly possess the skills needed to do the job.

Stop Using Canned Cover Letters

You wrote a cover letter about how great you are with all of your successes and accolades mixed with a heavy dose of fancy fluff words to snazzy it up. No callback, no interview. I have read thousands of cover letters and I’m now to the point where I rarely read them anymore because most are canned template-style cover letters that are sent to every other recruiter with no thought about the specific skills my particular role is asking for. Stop the madness!

You can't expect to get our attention if you're not willing to put a little skin in the game. Now, let me show you how...

Here’s The Secret: Create a Cover Letter That Speaks In Our Language and Our Style

The problem is you're not speaking our language. Recruiters are hired guns under insane deadlines to produce candidates that meet the requirements listed a job description. Hiring Managers are under pressure to fill the position before they lose the headcount. Both look at your resume and cover letter and think, "Does this candidate have what I need to do this job. Where is it. I can't find it. I don't see it. What does this bullet mean. Too hard to interpret." NEXT!

In the following approach, I'm going to show you how to design a reader-centric cover letter that speaks in the recruiter or hiring manager’s language. Ready? Let’s get started.

Cover Letter - The Format

You're going to create a cover letter that has 1) a brief intro letter at the top with your contact information aligned right and 2) two columns. The first column will list the responsibilities and requirements of the position, and the second column will list bullets outlining your experience and skills relevant to each.

Cover Letter - The Top Part (Intro Letter)

Add a brief introduction at the top along with your contact information. Your introduction might read something like this:

December 26, 2017

Alan Smith

Abstract Business Concepts, Inc.

555 Louisiana Street

Houston, TX 77002

Dear Alan,

It is with great interest that I reach out to you regarding your Marketing Manager position. Below is an outline of the experience and skills listed in the job description along with my experience and skills relevant to each requirement. I am available by phone or in person at your convenience to discuss further and look forward speaking with you.

Sincerely,

______

With a little aesthetics added, your intro letter might look something like this:

Cover Letter - The Bottom Part (YOU WANT and I HAVE Columns)

Using the two columns you created, you're now going to list every responsibility and requirement the company is looking for and a brief bullet that describes your experience relevant. Label the first column, "YOU WANT..." and the second column "I HAVE..."

This bottom part of your cover letter should look like this:

Cover Letter - Now Brand It!

Now add the company's logo, colors from the company's brand, a few extras at the bottom of the cover letter and now it will look something like this when it's done.

Don't be afraid that it's two pages! The only time something two pages is a negative is when it's two pages of fluff and repetitive information.

Why This Works

1. You pre-qualified yourself, making it a thousand times easier for the recruiter or hiring manager to quickly recognize your skills and experience relevant to the position.
2. You gained immediate respect from the recruiter or hiring manager. They know this approach took time and energy.
3. It shows you're serious.
4. It separates you from the masses and that's how you get noticed. The only professionals who have ever used this technique on me are the ones I've taught it to. Trust me, you'll stand out.

A Word Of Caution: Learn To Find The Focus of the Bullet On Job Descriptions

A few more tidbits of advice before I wrap this article up. Learn to find the true skill being asked for within a bullet in a job description and then focus on showcasing the appropriate skill or experience accordingly. This is a very common mistake that professionals make when writing their cover letter. Here is an example:

Sample responsibility on a job description:

• Work with account strategy, project management and technology teams to develop media plans.

Observation: Clearly not the best written sentence, but that's not uncommon with job descriptions. This is why it is so critical that you, the applicant, learn how to identify the true skill that the sentence is asking for. Is it working with other teams, or is it to develop media plans?

Your response written the right way:

• In my current position at Spin-It Internet Marketing, I develop media plans and facilitate project meetings with key team members within technology, digital marketing and account strategy.

Your response written the wrong way:

• I am very capable of working with other teams on a variety of projects including media plans that align with our company objectives and overall marketing direction.

You made the focus about working with other teams instead of it being about developing media plans. Oh, and you also added a bunch of fluff.

This is a critical exercise. If you don't get this right, you end up with a really pretty cover letter that doesn't focus on what the hiring manager is looking for.

Stretch Goals In Lieu of Direct Experience

“I don’t’ meet one of the requirements. What do I do?!”

Assuming it’s not a deal breaker requirement such as “must have 5 years of Shopper Marketing experience” and you don’t have a clue what Shopper Marketing is, refer to the requirement as a “stretch goal.” Companies want employees who are willing to get out of their comfort zone to learn new things. For example, if you don’t have experience writing press releases but have attended writing courses and shadowed the person your company who writes them, state it as a stretch goal and that it’s one of the reasons you’re so excited about the job. Here is an example:

• Experience writing press releases

Response Using Stretch Goal Approach

• This is my stretch goals for 2015 and one reason I’m so excited about this position. In my current role, I am being mentored by our PR Director writes our press releases. I have also taken two courses from the XYZ Institute on Writing EffectivePress Releases. It is a responsibility that I am confident I can succeed at for your company.

If you like this cover letter style and want a copy of it click here to download a PDF version or if you use Word, you can download a Word version here. I hope this helps and would love to hear your thoughts on this style!

About the Author

Raegan Hill is Houstonian with over a decade in the recruiting industry and 15 years in corporate marketing. Her specialization is in the placement of traditional and digital marketing for corporations and marketing agencies. Her client base ranges from start-ups to Fortune 4. She’s also a career and job strategy coach and works with professionals who want to build an effective job search strategy. Raegan is a Contributing Author for "Hired! Paths to Employment in the Social Media Era", by Jeff Sheehan and Alfred M. Smith. To learn more about Raegan, go to linkedin.com/in/raeganhill or www.raeganhill.net.