Sun, March 14, 2010 - 1:39:41

In Cover Letters, the Details Matter

There’s no question that in today’s challenging job market, even the smallest details count.  With hundreds and sometimes thousands of candidates competing for a single, elusive position, it’s important to take every opportunity to get noticed by busy and often over-loaded hiring managers and one of the best ways to start is with a carefully crafted cover letter.  But, as Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal explains, your first introduction to prospective employers shouldn’t just showcase who you are.  Instead, you need to make it personal, and there’s no better way to do so than by sweating the small stuff.

As we like to say, “Little mistakes can spell disaster,” especially when it comes to a cover letter.  In fact, Wall Street Journal writer Sarah Needleman explains that while only 20% of job applicants take the time to include cover letters with their resumes, a whopping 30% of those sent out include glaring typos, which one top HR professional confides can dash an otherwise outstanding candidate’s chances. 

But, in this new economic climate, it’s not enough for your introductory letter to simply be “letter perfect.”  It needs to be personalized as well.  Of course, it’s essential to avoid template-style notes and customize the content to suit the unique requirements the job at hand, but by doing a little research and finding out a few details about the recipient, you can give yourself a real competitive advantage.  And with information literally at our fingertips thanks to the prevalence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn, there’s no excuse not to. 

For example, if you conduct a quick internet search and learn that your prospective hiring manager attended your alma mater, why not mention it?  If you share a membership to the same trade group or professional association, let them know this as well.  By establishing a common link with a virtual stranger, you not only implant a positive connection in their mind, you will automatically become more memorable, transforming yourself from “just another candidate” to “the person who went to my school” or “the fellow member of my network.”

So, keep on sweating the small stuff by proof reading those letters, but next time take one step further and make it personal.  By creating a memorable identity through highlighting your shared bonds, before long you might have one more thing in common.

Posted by Linda and Robin