What Your Cover Letter Says About You

“I am writing to determine if I might opt to accept a position with your organization.”

UGH.

I recently was called to serve on a hiring committee for a position in our department. As I entered my third straight hour of reading cover letters and resumes, I came to two conclusions:

First, that the next time someone asks me to serve on a hiring committee, I will immediately begin to fake symptoms of the most intense gastrointestinal disease I can possibly think of.

Second, cover letters truly set the tone not only for the résumé, but also for the person as a whole. The cover letter that started with the sentence above only got worse. Needless to say, he didn’t get an interview.

So, faithful readers, my suffering was not all for naught, for out of it comes this column: Cover letter missteps and how to avoid them.

Chek yer speling and grammer
Seem like a gimme? Seems that way to me too, but still there were many cover letters with spelling and grammar errors. There isn’t much forgiveness for “honest mistakes” either, like the misspelling of the hiring contact’s name (Is it Kris or Chris?), a misapplied gender (Mr. Chris[topher] or Ms. Chris[tine]?), or the misuse of an “and” when the company’s name uses an ampersand (&). Finally, spell-check will not save your butt when you use “to” instead of “too.” Proofread, proofread, proofread.

Don’t get so caught up basking in your spotlight that you fail to see I’m not dazzled
I read a lot of “I’d like this job because…” “I believe this job will give me the chance to…” “This opportunity will benefit my career in that…” Guess what—employers already know that. They aren’t quite so interested in what you will get out of this opportunity as what they will get out of hiring you. Tell them how you, your skills and your experience are going to benefit them. If your cover letter is more focused on your potential benefit than theirs, you’ve lost a chance to make a good impression.

Know what you’re applying for
A chunk of letters didn’t include the job title they were applying for; they opted instead for a generic interest in working for our department. Swell. There’s a custodial position coming open soon so shall we assume you’re interested? If your cover letter doesn’t match up your skills and abilities to the particular needs of a position, then how is an employer supposed to know what you want to do? It was painfully clear that many of that group of applicants were hoping to get an “in” with this job and transition into something else. They went straight to the “no” pile.

You are not as funny as you think you are
Harsh? Perhaps. But still true. Everyone thinks they are funny. And when you’re with your friends, flex that funny bone until people shoot beer out of their noses. However, when writing your cover letter, humor has a high probability of falling flat. Remember that you aren’t there to deliver your witty remarks in person, and as clever as they may sound in your head, they will likely not read that way to all two, three, 10 or more hiring professionals reviewing your application.

Finally, do what you say you’re going to do
Do you mention that you’ll make a follow-up call? Then do it. Do you say you’ll e-mail in a week with scheduling information? Then do it. Do you want to prove that you are able to follow through on your promises? You get the idea.

If you’re like 99.99999% of all job seekers, you don’t like writing cover letters. I personally find them a whopping pain in the rear. But, a few savvy steps can keep your entire application out of the circular file.

Happy job hunting!

Next month: How Facebook, Google and MySpace are changing the hiring process and what you need to know to protect your career interests

Erica’s 10-second tip for the month: Consider copying and pasting your header information (name, address, e-mail, phone) from your resume to your cover letter. Not only will you ensure that the employer will always know how to contact you (in case your application materials split apart), but it will also give these pieces a visual tie that makes your application stand together—and stand apart from the pack!

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