What comprises a good cover letter? Business and English textbooks will tell you that detail is critical. Professors that teach how to write a cover letter will tell you that writing about your skill sets and what you want to do is important. Resume writing services will offer you all kinds of deals on cover letters and tell you what they think is essential. The truth is that the most important aspect of writing a cover letter is writing a cover letter that actually gets read. The BEST way to get your cover letter read is to be BRIEF.
Take the 15-20 second reading test to ensure that your cover letter is not too long. If you read it out loud to yourself and it takes longer than 15-20 seconds to read completely, the strong odds are that a corporate or agency recruiter will skip it altogether and go directly to your resume. That is the heart of your experience. In today’s world of mass applicants for every job, recruiters do not have time to pour over every line of a resume, much less cover letter. More importantly, recruiters do not want to read anything that looks lengthy on the surface. If the old axiom that you have about 20 seconds to catch a recruiter’s attention with your resume is true (and it is), your cover letter must be easier and faster to read.
The four paragraph method is preferable. While that sounds lengthy, the reality is that this method is brief, concise and easy to read. Additionally, this method will work as an introductory email if you are sending your resume to someone’s attention for a specific position. Start with the date as normal. On the salutation, use the company name as in Dear Home Depot: because you do not want to encounter gender problems with the contact (names like Pat, Terry, and Kim will confuse you as to Mr. or Ms.).
The first paragraph should be one sentence, letting the reader know why you are sending your resume.
Example: My name is Jane Doe and I am attaching my resume in response to your Director of Marketing open position.
The second paragraph should be two sentences, the first one letting the company know what you are doing and the second one letting the company know what you would like to do.
Example: Currently, I am working as the Director of Marketing for Coca-Cola, where I have been for 5 years. I am searching for a new challenge that will have additional responsibility and allow for professional growth, resulting in a mutually, beneficial relationship.
The third paragraph should be one sentence and list your contact information. An optional sentence can be added if they company requests your salary history.
Example: You may reach me at 678-123-4567 or at janedoe@gmail.com up until 9 PM/EST. My current compensation is a base salary of $85,000 with an opportunity to earn an annual 10% bonus.
The final paragraph should be one sentence and be respectful of their time.
Example: Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Close with something like Sincerely Yours or Respectfully and sign or type your name. Note that I did not start a single paragraph with the pronoun “I” because filling their open position is about them, not you.
If your cover letter follows these guidelines, you will have given yourself every opportunity to have your cover letter read without giving the same information listed on your resume. Recruiters appreciate a candidate that is not redundant.
Proverbs 14:12
