10 Quick Cover Letter Tips

Have you ever hit the send button on a cover letter only to realize you did not change the name of the company from the last letter you sent out? Ouch. In this economy, a killer cover letter and attention to detail could very well mean the difference between a phone call and the delete button. Your cover letter is the doorway to your resume; make sure that door does not slam shut because of a careless error. Before hitting the next send button, take just a few minutes to double-check the following:

1. Replace Names
All of the names! Nothing screams lack of attention to detail more than a cover letter with the wrong hiring manager name or company name. Yikes.

2. Include Attachments
Attach those attachments! It’s all well and good to state your resume and samples of your work are attached, but not so well and good if they aren’t attached.

3. Follow Instructions
To a T. If the job ad states to include your resume in the body of your email, include it, don’t attach it. Re-read the original job posting before sending the cover letter to make sure you followed all the instructions. If the instructions ask for something you do not agree with (a custom writing sample for example), then perhaps you shouldn’t apply.

4. Which Job?
Often companies advertise for more than one position. Makes sure you state the title of the job to which you are applying – you don’t want to be offered a marketing internship when you were applying for Marketing Director!

5. Customize Letter to Employer & Position
Hiring managers hate canned cover letters. Yes, you will most likely have phases and sentences you can use from letter to letter, but let the prospective employer know you care more about the job and company then the thirty seconds it takes to copy, paste, and send a form letter.

6. It’s a Letter, Not a Resume!
Did you sell yourself in the letter or did you regurgitate your resume? Let your resume be a resume, the cover letter is your chance to speak of your achievements relevant to the position to which you are applying. If you were ever going to brag, this is the time.

7. Include Contact Information
A perfectly crafted cover letter will get you no where if you cannot be contacted. Yes, it came through email, and yes your resume is attached, but things happen. Make sure you include a phone number or at least your email address in the body of the cover letter.

8. Say Thank You
Okay, so the hiring manager hasn’t done anything for you yet other than open your email and read your letter. However, being polite rather than pushy has its advantages. Adding something along the lines of, “Thank you for your time and consideration…” may get you further than, “I look forward to your phone call…”.

9. Poofreed & Spel Check
If you are confident with your command of the English language you may be able to do this yourself. But, if you really want the gig, ask a friend to read your letter first. It is all two easy too missed your own errors, especially of the error his the wrong word, but a correctly spelled won (get it?).

10. Check Email Address
Triple check where you are sending your cover letter before hitting send. Don’t send your customized letter to the last hiring manager you contacted or worse yet, your current boss who happens to have a similar name or email address!

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