The Agony and Ecstasy of Cover Letters

I'm currently looking for work, which means I am writing a LOT of cover letters.  The more you write these essential job search tools, the better you (should) get at it.  However, if you are writing cover letters all the time, its easy to slip into formulaic and generic mode — which translates to a hiring manager as uninspired and uninteresting.  Here are some tips to help you get started on the letters you have on the back burner right now.  

1.  Customize to the job you are applying to.  Yes, we all know we should be doing this but what does is it really mean?   You'll need to think critically about the job description and find something in your professional life that directly translates.  I go through the description line by line and jot down applicable skills and projects for each point.  Use these as your starting point to craft your letter.  (You should also be doing this with your resume every time too!)

2. Use the same language as the job description.  If you see a qualification on the job description that matches something on your resume — out with the old and in with the new.  Change the wording on your cover letter and resume to reflect the new opportunity.  Mirroring the culture of your potential employer can demonstrate that you'll be a good fit there.

3. Use examples to prove your qualifications.  Compare these sentences: "I am a competent and successful project manager,"  and "Over the past summer at X company, I assumed the role of project manager for a content management initiative. Under my direction and careful planning, the project was successfully completed two months ahead of schedule and $10K under budget."  

Saying that you have excellent skills is not adequate however true that may be.  Proving you have the skills with an example is essential and if you have numbers to back it up, even better.

4.  You don't need to stick with the same old boring letter format for every letter.  Especially if you are applying to a job in a creative field, make it interesting.  Your only guidelines are addressing the job description and remaining professional and courteous.  Remember that hiring managers are reading several, sometimes hundreds of cover letters — having one that stands out will separate you from the pack.  

5.  Don't forget to let your excitement for the job come through in your writing.  I always try to let my enthusiasm for a new opportunity shine through.  Think about it from the hiring manager's point of view, if it sounds like you aren't really interested in the job, then why would they hire you?

6. If you are stuck, do some research to give you inspiration.  Some quick keyword searches on the Internet will yield thousands of cover letter examples for any given job title (cover letter librarian, for example).  Use them to give you ideas about formatting, opening or closing your letter, or transitioning from one point to the next.  Keep in mind, if they are on the Internet, they are fair game for your hiring manager to search for too, so keep yourself honest and original and don't borrow word for word.  If you are in the library and information field like me, I would suggest Open Cover Letters.  

okay so that thing I said I was going to do . .

Post more and share my experiences about the new (now old) job?  Didn't do that.  However, better late than never!  My first job as a knowledge management consultant ended last week.  In the end, I did exactly what I was hired to do, although at times it felt like we were never going to get there.  It was a great learning experience for me, and for the steering committee I worked with.  I left at a time when we all could sit back and reflect on how far we'd come and I was touched by the difference I helped to make in a relatively short time.

Among the many things I learned was how life works in a corporate atmosphere and how projects can seem to be going nowhere but then quickly pick up the steam they need to carry through to a successful end.  After a slow month or two, suddenly a term I wasn't familiar with, change management, was keeping me up at night and reading article after article about user adoption and success strategies, as the project started to ramp up again.  Its a slow process to build business champions who not only believe in the change they are advocating but also fully understand it too.  All work in helping the team to understand what we were moving towards was valuable.

I found that my librarian skill set - the ability to organize and classify information, a deep understanding of search strategies and strong research skills were a valuable commodity in the business world.  As a new kind of worker there, one who's focus was on making documents (information) readily available, transparent and organized, I brought a perspective that was needed and appreciated.  I would advise my traditional librarian colleagues to investigate the field if they are interested in a change.

I'm now on the look out for what is next for me, and not limiting my search in any way.  Life is an open book, and I hope to be well versed by the time I get to the last page.