A cover letter is your 60-second chance to promote yourself. Write a poor cover letter and your resume lands in the rejection pile. Craft a compelling cover letter, however, and you land the coveted interview. Here are five keys to writing a great cover letter.

Picture this scene. A recruiter at a popular company arrives to work Monday morning to look over applications that have come in over the weekend. These applications are for good opportunities available with her employer. And she has a very busy job sorting through them all.
She receives dozens or even hundreds of applications for each job opening. So how does our recruiter decide which applications she reviews carefully and which will receive an immediate rejection letter?
Many businesses automate some of the processes. A computer program often screens resumes and applications in the first instance for the basic role requirements. This process may knock a few resumes out of the running–mainly where people have hit ‘apply’ to jobs for which they don’t have the required skill set.
The remainder land on our recruiter’s (virtual) desk, and she needs to narrow the field to a smaller shortlist for interviews. This is where your cover letter comes in. Chances are all the resumes that have made it this far are from candidates who can perform the basic functions of the job. But our recruiter wants more. She wants to know you really care about this job. You’re interested in the company and what they stand for. And you’re going to stick around, do a good job, and grow with the business.
Here’s how to grab her attention.
Show some personality
Your cover letter is the best possible way to get your ‘foot in the door’ for a new job. Your resume will contain all the substance that shows why you’re able to perform the job. It’s your cover letter, however, that makes the recruiter actually want to invest time in reviewing your resume. Don’t forget: yours will be one among many. A hiring manager may not even see a many of the resumes submitted for popular jobs. A below par cover letter sees them heading straight for the trash!
The first key to writing a knock out cover letter is to understand that people want to work with people. Producing a cover letter that could have been written by a robot won’t make you stand out in the crowd. You need to show a little spark. That might be telling the reader a little about your (relevant) personal interests, demonstrating your passion for a particular product the company makes, or simply writing in a catchy tone.
It’s a good idea to start your letter with an introduction that sparkles. Of course, precisely what will work depends entirely on the circumstances. You can often get away with a very informal note, with a good dollop of humor, if you’re applying for a creative role or applying to a startup or small business. If you’re looking for a job with a more traditional institution, like a bank, you might want to hold the humor. You can still show a spark elsewhere. Consider these two possible cover letter openers:
“I’m an experienced customer service professional, and have worked in banks and finance for the last ten years”
Or
“I’m passionate about working in customer service. After ten years of looking after my bank’s clients, I still like nothing more than seeing a smile, as I turn a disgruntled customer into a delighted one”
I would rather talk to the person behind the second one! Wouldn’t you?
Connect with the brand
You’ve managed to persuade the reader you’re a real person. You’ve connected on a human level. The next priority is to show…
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