The rules for writing a killer cover letter

It’s been many, many years since Candice Yih was on a job hunt. Now that her kids are in school, she’s ready to get back to work. She’s polished her résumé, but she’s finding the process of writing a decent cover letter daunting.

“The last time I looked for a job, cover letters were standard: you had your three paragraphs and you outlined your goals,” Yih says. “Now you’ve got to show your personality. You’ve got to have links to YouTube videos and your LinkedIn profile. I’m having a hard time with it.”

Whether you actually need a YouTube appearance may or may not be the case. However, there’s no denying that a cover letter that stands out could mean the difference between landing an interview and your application ending up in the recycling bin.

“A well-written cover letter that speaks directly to the job for which you are applying and shows your personality is a must,” says Sheryl Boswell, director of marketing for Monster.

“Additional materials such as a YouTube video or your own website are a nice to-do, but with HR professionals spending only 30 to 60 seconds on an initial assessment, the cover letter is still where you’ll get the most bang with your application.”

McGill’s Career Planning Services’ Guide to Writing a Cover Letter says employers spend only 20 to 30 seconds scanning résumés; if they like what they see, then they’ll read the cover letter.

Knowing that your letter will be briefly scanned at best, keep it simple.

According to the Five O’clock Club, a career-placement and counselling service based out of New York, the format itself should be a straightforward four paragraphs:

• Paragraph 1: The opening, which states why you’re contacting the company or organization.

• Paragraph 2: A summary about yourself, including your current or past experience.

• Paragraph 3: A list of few key accomplishments of interest to that particular company.

• Paragraph 4: Request a meeting; be clear about who will call whom and when.

In that third paragraph, a bulleted list is acceptable, and so is the use of boldface or underlining to emphasize key points.

“Show the prospective employer that you have what it takes to work for them and that you want the job,” Boswell says.

One of the strongest hooks in a cover letter is an opening line that mentions a mutual connection. For example: “XX recommended I contact you regarding a sales position at XX.”

If you don’t have that, be sure to avoid boilerplate notes – “enclosed please find my résumé”.

The trickiest part in writing an effective cover letter is letting your personality shine through without being too casual.

“Your résumé is a play-by-play of your education and past experience, while your cover letter is where you can show an employer who you are,” Boswell says. “Your cover letter should be more anecdotal and informal than a résumé and tell your story. Tell employers what you are passionate about, where you have succeeded in the past, and what you want to do in the future.

Be as specific as possible by researching the employer’s needs. What qualities do they look for in employees? What kinds of challenges are they facing? What are the company’s future goals?

“Use your letter to prove that you are the answer to their problems,” Boswell says.

Rather than sidestep gaps in your résumé, use your cover letter to explain them.

“If you took a year off to travel, where did you go? What was your best and worst experience? Or did you take some time to care for a sick loved-one?” Boswell explains.

Other tips:

• Avoid superlatives.

• Tailor your letter to the position, but don’t copy and paste the exact wording from the job posting or description.

• Personalize the letter by addressing it to a specific individual. If you don’t know the person’s name, call and ask the receptionist or HR department if they can provide you with it.

• If it’s a blind ad, ensure the salutation is non-gendered. “Never make assumptions about an individual’s gender,” the McGill guide states. “If you are unsure, avoid using ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’”

• Proofread. Slopping spelling or grammatical mistakes are a sure-fire way to have your application tossed. Don’t rely on spellcheck. Get a friend to read it over too.