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To Send or not to Send: The Why’s and How’s of Writing a Powerful Cover Letter

However, even though you never know whether the cover letter you have carefully crafted will end up being read, you should write and send it every time. Why? Because most Hiring Managers will give your application bonus points just for submitting one. After all, the fact that you took the time to write a cover letter demonstrates your motivation, initiative, and genuine interest in the position. And if actually read, a compelling letter will set you well apart from other candidates.

So don’t forgo a chance to get bumped to the top of the employer’s list and follow these five useful tips to take your cover letter from passable to powerful:

    1.  Be focused

The cover letter gives you a perfect chance to state your case and present yourself as the best possible candidate for the position. Take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate your professional value. Tell the HR what makes you better than others. Do you have any accomplishments you’re proud of? What can you do for your potential employer?

And in case you were wondering: yes, that means you write a different cover letter in response to each job posting you apply for. You can either create a general template and add relevant details for every application you send out, or have a long comprehensive version of a cover letter ready, deleting unnecessary facts to suit each vacancy.

     2.  Don’t repeat the resume 

If you do, you’ll waste your own and HR’s precious time. Your goal is to reinforce the facts and figures you’ve put on your resume, adding some “juice” to mere words and numbers. People love stories, they get invested in the narrative, so do your best to tell a compelling tale that the recruiter will be interested to read. Specify, quantify, and take full advantage of the SOAR method (situation or opportunity, action, and results).

    3.  Be concise 

These days people scan even short texts, such as news articles and blog posts, before deciding whether or not they are worth reading in full. I bet even you find yourself doing the same. Remember, no one will bother reading an autobiographical novel that you send in lieu of a targeted cover letter. So keep things short and simple (and I mean no more than one page). And don’t waste valuable real estate by mentioning details that have nothing to do with the value you can bring to the advertised position.

    4.  No negative talk 

Your cover letter is essentially your marketing brochure. You don’t see ads going on and on about product deficiencies, imperfections, and malfunctions, right? Adopt a similar strategy and avoid diving into the abyss of self-depreciation. Either omit negative statements altogether or, if you really need to mention that you don’t know some software or a certain procedure, put a positive, hopeful spin on it.

    5.  No arrogance

Be careful not to run to another extreme and make sure you don’t come off as someone who thinks they are better than others. Don’t overestimate your knowledge and abilities either – if you’re hired, the truth will soon be revealed. Be confident and open to communication, but never pretentious or snobbish, and you’ll do just fine.

Cover Letter Tips Recap

Do you usually send cover letters along with your resumes? Do you target each letter or have a “one size fits all” version? Do you need special tips and tricks on how to use your cover letter? Consider hiring a professional resume and cover letter service!

Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!

About iCareerSolutions

iCareerSolutions, America’s #1 Executive and Professional Resume Writing Services, Reverse Recruitment, and LinkedIn Profile Development Company. 28X award-winning resume writers deliver professional resumes that get interviews. We have successfully landed our executive clients senior-level leadership positions at companies like Apple, Amazon, EA, Oracle, GM, Google, Facebook, DoJ, Gap, and 2U just to name a few. iCareerSolutions has 200+ 5-star reviews and offers a 60-day interview guarantee. Every resume template created is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) compatible and highly customized to meet your unique needs.

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Kerry P. Dolan
Arno was highly professional in how he met my needs in producing an effective professional covering letter and resume so that I can jumpstart my job search. He was always available to answer my questions and provided great advice and feedback. The turnaround time in delivering my draft and final version of my resume was swift and done in a timely manner. I wholeheartedly recommend Arno for coverin…
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Hi Arno, Thank you so much for this! I cannot thank you enough. As mentioned in my last email, your work has always far surpassed my expectations. I am beyond grateful to have had you help me and will gladly refer people along if they find the need for an excellent resume writer!
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Arno’s expertise in writing resumes, cover letters, and building LinkedIn profiles is very impressive. He has a background and skill-set that I expect allow him to dominate this field. It’s difficult to illustrate just how good his services are, so I’ll emphasize the end results significantly exceeded all of my expectations. And on top of it all he was great to work with through the entire p…
Kyle WassExecutive Project Leader
Nivi
“Arno did a really nice job with my resume & cover letter. He also helped me craft the content to refresh my linked in profile. Outside of a clear and honest articulation of my past experiences, he brings out the critical few value proposition statements that would stand out and differentiate my skills to a recruiter / hiring manager, in my case for corporate boards. Thank you for your help, …
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Arno really knows his stuff! Highly recommend his services for anyone looking to elevate their brand and reach that next level or for regular tune-ups to capture career accomplishments and be ready for your future opportunities.
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Mo Daeisadeghi
Arno and his team helped me update my resume. The team was very professional , responsive and helpful. I strongly recommend Arno.
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Arno’s highly skilled at creating content that allowed my achievements to pop off the page. His expertise spans resume writing, personal branding and he offered me invaluable tips for optimizing LinkedIn. Great value added career consulting and personal attention. Highly recommend Arno!
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