Make Your Cover Letter Grab The Employer’s Attention
Make Your Cover Letter Grab The Employer’s Attention
So, how to make your cover letter grab your employer’s attention?

Companies and recruiting agencies can get thousands of responses for job openings. Under such circumstances, they will be able to give each letter a few moments to get the gist of the candidate’s proficiency, qualification and experience before moving on to the next one. If you are making a serious bid for that job, your cover letter must have that unique element to hold the recruiter’s attention and make them go through the entire content.

How do I make my cover letter stand out?

Making your cover letter noticeable requires skill and creativity. Some type of customization such as a motto, creative catchphrase or a unique title can help you get noticed. There is no doubt that they are not to be used as a rule and are entirely optional. Yet, it is necessary to give these elements a try just to make your letter look exceptional and different from others.

Where should you put your creative bits?

The creative tag can figure at the top of the letter so that they can catch attention immediately. It should not be mere words but must reflect your value to the organization. You can visit the website of the company to get an idea of how you can word your slogan to sync them with company’s objective. If the job is for a school teacher for instance, the slogan should reflect something about caring for students or helping them learn better. Similarly a candidate for a marketing position can have a slogan that talks about dealing with challenges, creating more closures and meeting obstacles head-on.

What about testimonials and cover letters?

Testimonials are another way of getting your cover letter to be different than that of others. Testimonials can be in the form of lines from recommendation letters, vendor appreciation notes and by way of performance evaluations, memos issued to staff or other types of acclamations. When compiled creatively, they can create a powerful impact on your recruiter or interviewer. It can send a clear message to the company that they can do better by getting you on their side.

Should you include goals and objectives?

If you want to make a statement about goals and objectives in your cover letter, make sure they are specific to the opening or your professional objectives. It should be able to convince the employer about your commitment and the difference it can make to your potential employers. It must amply reflect the value that your skills and talent will bring to the company.

Bottom line to make a cover letter:

Cover letters are serious business. It can be a game changer in a situation where competition for a particular opening is tough. It is an identifier when talent pool available is more or less of the same standards. A great cover letter can help you get that winning edge over others and help you land that coveted job. Just remember to incorporate the above stated elements effectively and judiciously on your cover letter.

Why The Cover Letter Is Dead
Why The Cover Letter Is Dead

In offering some advice today to a family member who is job hunting, I came to the realization that the cover letter is all but dead. The family member’s query was how to write a compelling/ interesting cover letter because he was looking to find ways to get his resume noticed by the hiring managers.

His inquiry wasn’t a bad one. Because it’s true. Cover Letter seems no longer popular nowadays.

He wanted his resume to stand out against the rest. It’s no secret that hiring/HR managers see hundreds of resumes per opening. Only a small percentage of them ultimately get considered. So as such, candidates want their resumes to stand out and show how they are best for the position. As a result you type a letter in an attempt to set yourself apart from the other applicants.

On top of the vast competition of applicants, there is also the resume itself. I have heard many reasons for resumes to be declined by hiring managers . Some of these are from spelling errors to poor formatting. Forget about whether you think you have the technical skills or not. The way your resume looks can determine your future employment opportunities. All of these factors result in why so many people put such a high emphasis on the cover letter.

Candidates realize the resume is your first impression, and not the cover letter.

You are making an attempt at setting yourself apart and explaining why they should consider you. As such, the cover letter becomes that outlet to make that impression.

We live in a social media world where 140 characters is the max attention our brain can offer. Consequently hiring managers would like to decide if you are a fit as quickly as possible. A study by The Ladders revealed that on average recruiters review resumes for about 6.25 seconds before determining if you are a fit. A cover letter unfortunately does not fit into this equation. While I am sure the candidate spent a good amount of time preparing what they would like to say, cover letters get skimmed over with little to no interest.

The other issue adding to this is not personalizing cover letters.

Too many times I have received a cover letter that looks like it has been copied, pasted and sent to roughly 15 different jobs without personalization. Nothing shows a lack of preparation more than this.

I have been in the recruiting industry for close to 7 years. I do not have the exact numbers, but in that time I must have submitted thousands of candidates to my client’s requirements. And although I do not have the precise stats, I do know this much; of all the candidates to get hired by my clients through me, I have never submitted one with a cover letter. I send my clients a copy of the candidates resume and put together an email that highlights their experience and how it relates to the position.

That is what I recommend to individuals who ask for advice when job hunting. It’s not enough to simply apply for a position in today’s society. You must get direct contact to separate yourself from the herd. That is the beauty of sites such as LinkedIn. In the past the hiring manager was a mysterious figure behind a job ad. Now you can pull up a posting on LinkedIn, and not only is the poster right there for you, there are even suggestions on how you could be connected with them.

It is on you as a candidate to find that person and reach out to them.

The recruiting and staffing industry is a multi-billion dollar business, because ultimately the hiring process is a personal experience. So rather than putting your effort into a cover letter, find that persons email address and put together a personalized message on why you are applying and a fit for the position. It doesn’t have to be too long, just give the person a reason to spend more than 6.25 seconds on your resume since you won’t have a cover letter.

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