Cover letters as a precursor to a job interview and follow-up emails after the fact — while often seen as being somewhat old-fashioned — can be a substantial way of signaling your interest and dedication towards an employer and a particular position, in addition to opening a reciprocal channel of communication between yourself and the company you are seeking to be hired by.
Cover Letters: Writing Beyond the Resume
Defined broadly, a cover letter is a piece of correspondence, typically to a boss, hiring manager or HR professional at an organization explaining and conveying your interest in working for the position you are applying for. A cover letter is more than simply reiterating what’s on your resume, rather, it’s a place for elaborating upon your passions, interests and previous experience beyond a list of quantitative bullet points. While a cover letter is not always necessary within the job application process, there are instances where writing one might be of greater importance, and thereby is probably something worth doing. If you are switching job sectors or making another significant job change — such as switching employers after working at a specific organization for an extended time — a cover letter is more likely to be of greater importance. The overall message and content of your cover letter can vary, depending on the work sector you are applying for and the company you’re sending your cover letter to. This is a good time to try to seek out and grasp the culture of the organization you’d like to work for. Take a look at the marketing materials available on their website, in addition to their social media posts (if any). How does the business present itself? Do they use more formal or informal language? Do their conduct and demeanor come off as more progressive (such as in a startup) or traditional (as typical in a well-established firm)? With these aspects in mind, you can gain a sense of how to frame the messaging within your cover letter. Once you have an idea of the climate of the company you’re applying to, you can then proceed to decide what aspects you’d like to emphasize within your letter. Within any cover letter, you should draw connections between the skills and abilities stated in the job description of the position you’re applying to; however, this often isn’t all you want to include. Again, depending on the sector of the job you’re applying to, you may wish to include more information about what soft skills you possess (such as written and verbal communication, empathy, and time-management), and what your life and passions are like outside of work; with a focus towards applicability to work-related skills. For example, if you’re applying towards an IT services position, stating that you have had previous experience volunteer experience setting up computers and equipment for a non-profit organization can be a great way of both demonstrating your outside interests and activities, but also showing off your skills and capabilities in a real-world environment. Finally, be sure to close your letter strongly, summing up the main positions you’ve made throughout your letter and why you think that you’d be a good fit for the position.