Writing a great cover letter that is specific to each job search application is a must in today’s career marketplace. Using a one-size-fits-all, general cover letter for all your applications and communications is not an effective means to uniquely present yourself in a job search. The following six cover letter tips will help you write a concise, impactful cover letter, that will improve your chances of getting noticed and receiving that call for the coveted interview:

6 Ways to Ensure Your Cover Letter is Read

1. Ensure your cover letter is short

No more than a computer screenshot or a couple of scrolls on a smartphone. That’s it! Hiring managers and associates do not read much more than that length. If it is longer, you run the risk of your letter getting skipped over.

2. Address your cover letter to a person

An actual person! Do not send it “To Whom It May Concern” or “Hiring Manager.”  Do the homework and research who you should be addressing your cover letter to for your submission. 

3. Specify how you found the person that you are emailing. 

Most people have an instinctive response like, “How did they get my name?” when receiving an unsolicited, yet personalized inquiry. To be sure your email is received positively, indicate early on in the cover letter email how you came to discover the person in order to put the receiving party at immediate ease to continue reading. Whether it was research on LinkedIn or your former co-worker that led you to reach out to this person, informing the recipient of how your email landed in their inbox makes the person feel better.

4. Be explicit as to what job you are looking for

Do not leave it up to the hiring manager to decide which job you are applying to or where you may fit within their organization. If you do, your cover letter may get filed under the “T” file (Trash).

5. Do not write the cover letter as a prose version of your resume.

Period. It is not meant to be a regurgitation of your resume. A cover letter is supposed to summarize to the reader the value you will bring to the prospective organization and how your background fills a need they have. Nothing will put your credentials in the ‘no’ pile faster than a lengthy, synopsis of your career history with no ties as to how your credentials benefit the hiring organization.

6. Help the reader connect the dots as to why they call you

Use bullets, and no more than 3-5 bullets, to outline how you are a fit for the prospective position. Lastly, of course, end your letter with the professional niceties of thanking the person for their time and assertively offering to follow up to set up an interview time. Polite enthusiasm and humble persistence are never out of style and always stand out in a positive light in today’s marketplace.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer