In a cover letter, it’s okay to use a bit of humor-as long as it’s kept polite, professional, and directly related to the job you’re trying to get. This shows that there’s a thoughtful person behind this letter and this resume, one who has put consideration and effort into applying for this job. One way to do this is to include some personal trivia in the first few lines, or include a bit about what drew you do this particular company or job opening. The cover letter is more of a conversation between you and the reader. The resume is a ruthless, efficient snapshot of your professional accomplishments. The cover letter gives you a chance you don’t really have with your resume: the opportunity to show a bit of your personality. “To whom it may concern” technically does the job of addressing a reader, but is there a colder, more generic opening? I don’t think so. You want to engage the reader whenever possible. But if there’s a contact name mentioned in the job posting, make sure you’re addressing your letter or email right to that person. This may not always be possible if you’re submitting via an online system. Whenever possible, you should address it to a specific person. Nothing is going to turn a reader off faster than having to read something addressed to “Dear whomever” and followed by several paragraphs of super-generic chitchat. The first thing you should do is make sure you’re personalizing the cover letter. Tailor your cover letter to the audience. Think of it as the highlight reel of your accomplishments and your goals. Your cover letter is a chance to set the narrative that you support with the bullet points in your resume. The earlier you can fit those in, the better, and the cover letter/email is your earliest chance.Ī cover letter also acknowledges the human reader beyond the robot eyes-a human reader who can use the information in your note to add context to your resume. And those programs function based on key words and phrases that the hiring company most wants to see. There’s a good chance that it will be a software program reading your note first, before it’s screened by a human with hiring power. Instead of a blunt “here you go, resume is attached,” it’s a way of framing your resume and setting the narrative before the reader has a chance to scan the resume itself.Ī cover letter (or email) is also a chance to fit in some extra key words. If you’re submitting your resume digitally, that means your cover letter is an email introduction with an attachment. What’s the purpose of a cover letter?Ī cover letter is an introduction to your resume. And a well-written cover letter can still mean the difference between getting an interview or having a reader reject your application package without any further consideration. But when you do need to have a cover letter to go with your resume, it’s important to have one ready to go. The short, honest answer: not always, especially when you’re simply uploading your resume into a digital application engine. How does that square with the modern job search, which has become almost entirely digital? Do you still need a cover letter in an era where you’re either emailing a resume or dropping it into a vast database? When you see the phrase “cover letter,” it probably conjures up an image of a bygone era, with an old-fashioned letter, painstakingly typed and sent via snail mail.
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