Get your cover letter and resume in synch -- Career Center Blog

June 4, 2012

Get your cover letter and resume in synch

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By Randy Woods
NWjobs

Ask most job seekers which document they spend the most time on and they will likely say their resume. True, the resume is an essential element of the job-search arsenal and is deserving of much attention, but it is almost never the first thing a hiring manager reads about you. Instead, it is the humble cover letter that, in today's digitized job market, does most of the initial heavy lifting in your correspondence with potential employers.

A cover letter is a seeming anachronism -- it no longer "covers" anything in a physical sense and is almost never seen in paper form anymore -- but it can make or break your chances with a hiring manager. If your enthusiasm for the job doesn't come through instantly in the cover letter, it's likely that your resume will never even get read, no matter how well-crafted and personalized it is.

In his recently released book, Gallery of Best Cover Letters, author David F. Noble, a job-search strategist and professor of technical communications, stresses the importance of using cover letters and resumes as a coordinated one-two punch. "A resume shows that you can do the work required," Noble writes. "The main purpose of a cover letter is to express that you want to do the work required."

To ensure that your cover letter and resume are synched up to maximize your chances of a response, Noble offers the following advice:

Point the reader toward your best qualities. A resume is a great way to list your skills, experience and accomplishments, but it is not as good at conveying your more intangible assets. "The cover letter should demonstrate qualities and worker traits you want the prospective employee to see," Noble says, "such as good communication skills, motivation, clear thinking, good sense, thoughtfulness, interest in others, neatness and so on."

Once this is established, the cover letter can then refer to your resume to give the reader examples of how you have applied these positive qualities in a professional environment.

Make it personal. If possible, address the cover letter to a specific person. "The more you know about the reader of your cover letter, the better you can tailor its content to appeal to that person," Noble says.

If you have ever had a conversation with the hiring manager, or have been referred through a third-party networking contact, be sure to mention this up front in the letter to remind the reader of your personal connection.

Demonstrate your knowledge of the company. Do your homework by researching the company through online resources and any networking contacts you have, he says. Note in your cover letter any instances where you have succeeded under similar circumstances.

For instance, if you read that the company is planning a major website overhaul, mention how you have been through the process in previous positions and how your input helped solve problems. This shows the hiring manager that the job is more than just another opening for which you're applying; it's a job that you care about and can actively see yourself performing.

Take your time. The message may be similar if you are sending out several resumes, but don't expect to simply cut and paste new names and company titles into the same document. Be sure to carefully craft a letter that is as personalized as you can make it within four or five paragraphs, and try to have someone proofread the final version for potential errors.

"Most people think that writing is 90 percent of the task of creating a cover letter and revision is 10 percent; it's really the other way around," Noble says. He also recommends printing out the cover letter to make sure there are no formatting errors, just in case the hiring manager prefers to share these documents with other colleagues in hard-copy form.

Let them know you really want the job. It might seem obvious or redundant to mention that you are looking forward to working at the company, but this message does not always come across. Many cover-letter writers focus too much on their qualifications and experience and forget to mention the simple fact that they'd be excited to be part of the team.

"If you display a ho-hum attitude in a letter," Noble adds, "the chances are that you will receive a ho-hum response -- which usually means rejection."

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.