Whether it’s a job application cover letter or a resume, one thing to remember is that there is only one “job” that your actual submission materials have. And that “job” is: Getting job interviews.
Once I get more interviews, we’ll talk about job interview techniques in other articles, okay?
So, if the whole purpose behind writing a cover letter is to land job interviews, then it stands to reason that writing a good cover letter should be at the top of your “to do” list when job hunting. . Right?
Welcome to “Cover Letter Writing 101,” where I hope the following paragraphs and bullet points and personal experience will bring you up to speed with the basics of how successful job seekers today get more interviews.
Point #1: You need to be subtle about sounding your own horn while letting employers know that YOU are the best candidate for the position. In other words, everything you write should be “about them”, about THEIR needs, about how THEY will benefit from bringing you in for an interview. And you must put all this focus on THEM while still talking to yourself!
Point #2: You must be able to speak knowledgeably not only about the position, but also about the company. For starters, you need to know what the company’s needs are if you want to convincingly address them in your job application cover letter. Also, if you don’t know exactly what their needs are, how will you know for sure if you’re right for the job? I hope this makes sense to you! If so, then writing a good cover letter and landing job interviews is now much easier for you.
Let’s try the following practice exercise to work on this little gem of cover letter writing.
Practice Exercise: Take a job or position that interests you and list the skills and qualifications that you think will be most important to the company.
If you can’t think of a specific job or company, here’s an example: Suppose you’re looking for a job as a cashier at a local supermarket, “The Local Family Grocer.” This is where it gets personal, so the information is very real!
Now “The Local Family Grocer” has stated that they need a cashier and they pay $10 an hour. The cashier must be available on weekends and weekdays. That’s all you know about the position. For now!
As you gather your thoughts before writing your job application cover letter, sit down with a pen and paper and ask yourself:
What do the cashiers at The Local Family Grocer actually do? You can brainstorm your answers. The most obvious ones that will come to mind will probably be,
- “scan items through checkout,”
- “grocery bag”,
- “take payment”,
- “give receipts”,
- “run price checks”, and things of that nature.
But now, I need you to dig deeper.
I need you to come to the store with me.
When you’re about to line up at the store, do you go to some old-fashioned checkout line? Or is there an ATM you are looking for? Are there any that you avoid? When answering these questions, ask “why?”
I can tell you, as we walk through the store together in our cover letter writing exercise, that there are several cashiers that I adore. Again. Why?
For me, it’s the customer service and the big smile I get from them.
For example, “Mr. Richard” always makes me feel welcome. He comments on my smile, saying things like, “It’s always so good to see you! You always seem to be smiling!” and in response, after thinking about it, I have to say, “Well, I think it’s because YOU are smiling and seem so happy to see me! Thank you! You made my day.”
And now you and I are going to go up to the manager and tell him what an excellent employee “Mr. Richard” is.
On the contrary, why do I avoid certain cashiers in the same way that I avoid the eggplant? (My apologies to those who like eggplant. It’s nothing personal!)
Maybe you saw the cashier whose line wasn’t as long as “Mr. Richard’s.” Why, you may ask, did I not choose the phrase “Ms. Whoever’s”? (Of course, she’s taking careful notes, because she’s learning a lot more than just good cover letter writing strategies.)
For me, especially as someone who has done a lot of professional coaching, I notice things like surly attitudes, cashiers looking at their watches, etc. When I ask “Mrs. Whoever”, “So, how are you today?” and hearing, “Oh, I’ll be so much better in half an hour when my shift is over,” gives me goosebumps. Really!
I don’t like feeling goosebumps when I’m in a grocery store. There is something not right about that…
I have also been known to avoid cashiers who chat with other employees while serving me. What really gets my attention is when they start talking about a community member behind their back.
I was tempted (note I say “tempted” because I held my tongue) to look directly at the cashier and say something like, “Oh, I didn’t know you knew my brother/sister/aunt/uncle/mother/father/cousin so well! “
Ahh… The things we would like to see. Maybe in a movie one day.
But I digress.
So as we go back to writing a good cover letter, it now becomes apparent that the cashier’s job goes even deeper. The local family grocer needs people who make customers feel welcome. People who are happy. People who act like they enjoy their work.
So when we leave the store, you get out your pen and paper and write a few sentences about the cashier job.
You have now been inspired to write a good job application cover letter directly to “Mrs. Jones” (who you know is the person who will be reviewing the job application, because we just found out while praising “Mr. .Ricardo. “)
Armed with all this information, imagine this cover letter:
“Dear Mrs. Jones,
I was very pleased to meet you today as my friend and I were telling you about the great work we feel Mr. Richard does for The Local Family Grocer.
In fact, Mrs. Jones, I’m so glad I visited and experienced that customer service, because I had to rush home and let you know that not only am I not running to be your next cashier, but I can show you that If you are looking for another cashier with the same positive energy and great work ethic, I am that person! This is why.”
And you can continue. Now this is just a simple example of how this works. We have more to share on this and related topics, so stay tuned for more articles!