Cover Letters: Selling your skills on paper

What is a cover letter?

 Your formal introduction

 The first read, it can make or break your entry

 A ‘must’ with your resume

Generating interest

The goal is to get an interview!

 Should be brief and interesting
 Should not be a carbon copy of your resume
 Should highlight what you’ll bring to the job
 Should be job specific
Presenting yourself in two ways

A cover letter comes in two basic forms…

 Letter of interest
 Letter of inquiry
– Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably;
however, they are different
Letter of Interest

 Targeted for a specific position

 Outline skills to meet company’s needs
 Helpful to use position announcement’s terms,
lingo
Letter of Inquiry

A marketing tool to…

 Obtain an informational interview
 Correspond with a networking contact
 Conduct company/industry research
Create the right impression: 10 Tips

1. Letter geared for specific job opening

 Adapt letter to needs of the job you want
 Refer to that job in opening sentences

2. Describe your related skills

 Tie your experience to your skills
 Show how they directly relate to the job description
Create the right impression: 10 Tips

3. Make it personal
 Address letter to a specific person
 If you don’t have a contact, call and ask
 Use a comma after the name

4. Create a catchy opener

 Readers scan for content
 Open with attention-grabbing sentences
 Describe why you’re the best for the job
Create the right impression: 10 Tips

5. Include vital information

 Name, address, phone with area code
 Should be clearly visible
 First thing reader will need to contact you

6. Type and proofread

 It’s your first impression…make it good
 Be sure it’s neat and professional
 Errors will reflect badly on you
Create the right impression: 10 Tips

7. Keep it brief
 Use action words, active sentences
 Limit letter to one page
 Three or four paragraphs

8. Be confident, creative, enthusiastic

 It’s a tool to sell your best asset…you!
 Let your personality shine in your letter
Create the right impression: 10 Tips

9. Keep copies
 Keep a copy of every letter you send
 Past letters make job search easier
 Copies make follow up easier

10. Request a response

 Your letter is written to get an interview
 Ask for one!
Interview Skills

 70-80% of interview questions are competency

or skills based:
– “Describe a time when…”
They are open ended and you should be able to provide
detailed examples of your experience.
Quantify your contributions! Be specific!
• What role were you in?
• Who was involved?
• What did you actually do?
• What were the results?
Interview Skills

 Ask the interviewer questions:

– What do you see as the greatest challenge for this
position?
– What qualities do you see as most important for this
position?
 This will help reveal what’s important to the interviewer.
 Play off of their answers.
Interview Skills

 Most people like to connect with other people.

– Avoid generalized answers.
– Give answers that will invite the interviewer to think
about what you’ve said.
Interview Skills

 Make notes immediately after the interview.

– What questions did the interviewer ask.
– What went well?
– What could have gone better?
– Did you think of other questions to ask the
interviewer after you left?
Interview Follow Up

 Email or mail based on the organization.

– Thank them.
– Reiterate why you are a good fit.
– Close by saying you look forward to the next step.
Interview Follow Up

 Call
– If the interviewer says they will let you know
something by Tuesday and it’s now Thursday, give
them a call.
 Identify yourself and what position you interviewed for
 Ask them where they are in the hiring process
 Let them know you are still interested in the position
Prepare for the interview

 Research the organization

 Take a few copies of your resume
 Know where you are going
 Show up on time
 Bring job references if they’ve asked for them
 Bring a pen and paper to take notes
 Bring a copy of the job posting
 Bring a list of questions you may have
 Dress appropriately for the job