APPENDIX B
Writing the Perfect Job Application Cover Letter
Business writer Michael E. Hattersley shared his thoughts on writing cover letters in the Harvard Management Communication Letter.1 Since job applications can be so crucial to a person’s career, we reprint this article for our readers.
It’s a throwaway, right? The letter you attach to your résumé saying you want that job interview. The résumé will do the heavy lifting. The cover letter is just there because—well, because you need a cover letter.
But in business, every single piece of communication matters. Picture the average boss hunting for a new employee. She’s got a pile of applications. She will go through the stack and rapidly narrow the candidates down to a few who fit the profile she’s looking for.
Let’s say half a dozen candidates survive, and the boss has time to interview three people. This is the point at which the cover letter becomes crucial. If it’s done right, it can get you that interview.
Here are a few rules of thumb for winning cover letters:
- Open avenues of conversation. Before writing your cover letter, get one of the standard guides on how to do a good job interview. Emphasize aspects of your background that play into typical most-asked questions.
- Make the hirer want to find out more about you. Don’t be so exhaustive in your cover letter that there’s nothing left to discuss in an interview. Except in very special circumstances, your letter should fit on a page. Often half a page is enough.
- Show you’re familiar with the organization you’re applying to. If you don’t know the company, spend an hour in the library reading its latest annual report or search the Internet for information.
- Emphasize how your education and training especially qualify you. For example, suggest tactfully that you’re overqualified for your current position and it’s time to move on.
- Be crisp and punchy. By the time the boss gets to your letter, he may have read a hundred résumés.You want to grab attention while still maintaining a sense of style. Convey an energetic image through forceful writing. Use active rather than passive or intransitive verbs. Don’t ramble. Make sure each paragraph has a clear thesis sentence and conveys a complete unit of thought.
- Don’t make any mistakes. Good writing matters; it can demonstrate to a prospective employer how well you can manage information. Proof carefully, and run the letter by a friend or colleague for suggestions.
- Make use of personal contacts. If you know people who may have influence on the hiring decision, let them know you’re interested either by personal contact or by copying them on the cover letter.
Create an Argument That Fits the Purpose
Once past these general rules, however, the design of your cover letter depends on the type of job search. Are you highly qualified for the job, or are you taking a long shot? Is the organization seeking someone like you, or will you be appearing out of the blue? Consider the following guidelines:
If you’re highly qualified for the job, argue from experience: “I’ve had a terrific record as an assistant product manager at Company X, and I now feel ready to become product manager at Company Y.” Highlight the experiences and any specific successes you have had that make you just right for the job.
If, as in most cases, you have the right general background for the job but haven’t been doing exactly the same thing at a lower level, argue from skills and analogy: “The training I’ve received as a production line manager gives me the background I need to become a quality control inspector.” Show how your skills are clearly transferable to the new job.
If you’re not qualified for the job and you’re not the type of person the organization would normally recruit, your only choice is to argue from interest: “Although I currently work on an oil rig, I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer.” It may sound absurd, but this approach works more often than you might expect. If you do have transferable skills, point them out.
Use a Structure That Fits the Argument
Good conventional cover letters adopt a Me-You-We model. Structure your letter using the standard logical formula established by Socrates: Given-Since-Therefore:
- Me (first paragraph): I’m very interested in this job, and I have the following qualifications for it.
- You (second paragraph): The following aspects of your organization challenge me and ensure I can make a contribution to it.
- We (third paragraph) : We will work well together, and you should give me the job.
There’s at least one exception to the Me-You-We structure, however: the broadcast letter. This is a case where you’re casting a very wide net with the hope that you’ll snag at least one or two expressions of interest. Say you’re writing to every consulting firm listed in the library because you have a narrow but deep area of expertise. In this case, you have nothing to lose by being bold. In effect, you’re trying to create a job opportunity, not applying for an existing position. Here you need to grab the reader’s attention in a very short space. List your accomplishments vividly: “I’ve doubled my department’s sales in two years” or “My job at Company X has allowed me to gain more knowledge of Y than anyone else in the country.”Then close with a quick query about whether they might have a position that fits your background.
But Enough About “I”
Avoid the worst fault of most cover letters, the “I” phenomenon. Overuse of “I” can make you sound grandiose or self-obsessed when you actually want to portray yourself as a team player. It’s hard to sell yourself without using the word “I” a lot, but there are several alternatives to starting every sentence with it. Sometimes you can bury the “I” within the sentence: instead of “I was the best performer in the computer services department,” try “While working in the computer services department, I accomplished A and B and received the top ratings from my superiors among twenty colleagues.” Don’t have “I’s” lead every paragraph, where they take on undue prominence and leap off the page. Even “my” or “me” makes a softer substitute.
Cover letters may be tossed aside, but often they’re one of the last things the hirer will review before interviewing you. It’s crucial that your writing makes a strong case to the prospective employer for their taking the next step with your application.