Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts
A cover letter should enhance your application and provide a different perspective than your resume. If it was just a rephrase of your resume, it would be pointless, right?
So what kinds of things can you talk about in your cover letter?
If you’re applying to a mission-driven organization, you can emphasize how their mission resonates with you and why you’d like to contribute your skills towards furthering the mission. This can work at both for-profit and non-profit employers – a mission could be saving children, or it could be minimizing the pain-points of HR departments. Just make sure to be genuine. If you don’t feel it, don’t say it.
If you don’t meet all the job qualifications and lack a “no-brainer” candidate profile, this is a chance to sell yourself. (Hiring managers and recruiters often look for cookie-cutter candidates because they are a safer bet). So if you’re in, say, HR and are trying to become a marketer, you need to present a compelling case of why you are qualified for the position. You’ll want to leverage whatever transferable experience you have and explain how it will enable you to perform successfully in the marketing position.
If you have something else that makes you stand out from other applicants, and it isn’t included on your resume, you can use a cover letter to share it. Maybe you built your own side hustle that became a profitable business, and that showcases your sales/marketing skills, or maybe you’re a marathon runner and want to mention this to showcase your perseverance. Make sure you frame it in a way that is relevant to how you will be an asset to the company.
A few other cover letter tips to consider:
Keep it brief. A few short paragraphs is all you need, and all a recruiter has time to read.
Address it “to the hiring team” or even better, the recruiter who posted the job. (LinkedIn gives recruiters the option to show their profile publicly on postings - some won’t do this to avoid a deluge of messages, but for those who do, a personalized salutation will stick out).
Whatever you do, avoid “to whom this may concern” - it sounds dated and formulaic.
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