Cover Letters

The cover letter is merely a letter which introduces you to an employer. All resumes sent through the mail should be accompanied by a cover letter. The cover letter personalizes your resume and gives it greater flexibility. If your resume does not contain an objective, the cover letter is the place to express it. A cover letter gives you an opportunity to share points that are not easily covered in a resume. So a resume plus a cover letter represent the ideal vehicle to get across all of the key ideas and points that you want an employer to know about you.

A resume which arrives without a cover letter gives a jolt to the receiver and makes a loud statement about the sender—the person could not even take a few minutes to make a personal statement or sign his or her name. It begs the question, “Is this the type of person we want to hire?”

When answering a want ad, specify the exact job title in the cover letter. It is not necessary, however, to specify the source of the ad or its date. The exact title will provide all the information personnel needs. When a want ad explicitly requests certain types of experience which you have, but which are not adequately covered in the resume, use your cover letter to fill in the details. The alternative would be to rewrite your resume slightly to include the necessary details. A highly targeted cover letter with a resume modified specifically for that job, will always provide better results.

If an ad does not provide a name and you are unable to obtain the name of the person with power to hire, you can address the person as Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Sales Manager (or whatever title the person likely has), Dear Human Resources Manager, Dear Sir/Madam, or even To Whom It May Concern. None of these are fully satisfactory, but when you don’t have a name, you don’t have many options.

View your cover letter and resume as a team. Each performs a different function, but they must work well together. Cover letters generally consist of two to four short paragraphs and seldom total more than twenty lines. The first paragraph should open with a strong statement about you that arouses interest and curiosity. Devote a middle paragraph to an accomplishment that will further arouse interest. The accomplishment can come from your resume but should be slightly reworded. When I write cover letters, I usually pick the strongest accomplishment from the resume and include it in the cover letter. Notice how this can be done:

I can save money for your firm by utilizing my experience in cost control. At Standard Products I reduced paper usage by 24% and photocopying costs by 30%.

I can help increase the impact of your agency. While at Family Services I wrote a proposal which was funded for $22,000. This allowed us to significantly increase the quantity and quality of our services.

Appeal to the employer’s self‑interest by indicating that you are a problem solver and that hiring you will lead to increased production, greater efficiency, better planning, less waste, higher profits, and more satisfied customers.

Begin the process of responding to want ads by creating a “standard” cover letter; then modify it for each response. If you believe that “time is money,” you’ll save a great deal if you can modify your cover letters on your own computer. You can rent a computer by the hour at some copy shops and then print out your work on their laser printer.

To create an effective response to an ad, begin by writing down or underlining all of the key points mentioned in the ad. Check off those points which are clearly and effectively covered in your resume. If several points are not covered in your resume, determine whether you should modify your resume, or merely cover the points in your cover letter. If you decide to modify your resume you should make sure the resume covers all of the desired experience mentioned in the ad.

In using the Systematic Job Search methods (see pages 21-62 in Job Hunting) you will want to meet the person with power to hire, even if no openings currently exist. If you intend to follow up with a phone call, indicate in your cover letter that you will be calling to arrange a meeting. Avoid using the word interview. Instead say, “I’ll call next week to arrange a brief meeting,” or “I will call next week to arrange a time when we can meet.” The word interview is always associated with formal hiring procedures; what you want is a relaxed meeting in which both parties learn more about each other.

Cover letters should be tailored. Even if you develop a standard cover letter to be sent to 100 or more companies, you can still personalize it. Write the cover letter so you can insert the name of the company somewhere in the body of the letter. With today’s word processors , you can easily do it yourself. Secretarial services can type your letters and address your envelopes for less than three dollars each, and each one will look perfect.

If you know the company by reputation or your research has revealed some interesting information, don’t hesitate to include it in the cover letter. This was done quite effectively in the following excerpts from cover letters:

One of your competitors told me Alpa has the best quality control of any winch manufacturer in the country. The quality control system I established at Braddigan Gear also became recognized as tops in the industry.

Your recent acquisition of Marley & Sons indicates to me that you could use someone with my international marketing background.

John McNamara at IBM believes you are one of the top management consulting firms in the country.

The recent article in The Seattle Times about your rapid expansion was of great interest to me.

Review the sample cover letters, then simply start writing.

March 20, 2002

John Travis, Director

Home Energy Department

N. W. Center for Energy Efficiency

323 Sixth Avenue

Seattle, Washington 98021

Dear Mr. Travis:

Your recent efforts to promote energy conservation are of great interest to me. My experience as Energy Consultant for Seattle City Light would make me an excellent candidate for several positions in your organization.

While at City Light, I have inspected and provided energy savings estimates on over 500 homes. Eighty percent of the homeowners have acted on one or more of my suggestions and have averaged over 17% in energy savings.

I will call you next week to arrange a brief meeting.

Sincerely,

Brad Tolliver

January 11, 2002

Leslie Acosta

Regional Sales Manager

Peoples Pharmaceuticals

5825 146th Avenue S.E.

Bellevue, Washington 98006

Dear Ms. Acosta:

I was attracted to Peoples Pharmaceuticals when I read your annual report. My medical background and my customer service experience make me an excellent candidate for a sales/marketing position in your organization.

While at Danton Instruments, I was a key person involved in the writing and organization of new product manuals. My oral presentations to the sales force were always valuable and well received. District sales managers and the sales representatives themselves consistently expressed appreciation for the sales aids and information given to them. In addition, a large part of my time was spent working closely with our customers, successfully troubleshooting problems, answering questions, and informing them of new products or instrument applications that might better serve their needs.

I will look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Sandra Gulliver

Next is an example where the applicant has spoken to the employer by phone and is thanking the person for having given him some time. There was no opening, so the cover letter is also acting as a thank-you note. Notice that the first paragraph was written strictly for this one letter. The other paragraphs are part of the standard cover letter.

February 2, 2002

Paulette Meyers

National Sales Manager

San Sebastian Winery

San Sebastian, California 95476

Dear Ms. Meyers:

I very much enjoyed our conversation yesterday. As I indicated, I have always been impressed with San Sebastian Winery. At the Blue Panda in Portland, I was instrumental in taking San Sebastian wines from our sixth most popular wine to number two. I totally agree with you that a top sales rep must be highly knowledgeable about wines. I frequently invite wine reps to give wine tastings at the restaurant, both for my own benefit and for the staff. I think you would be impressed with both my knowledge and my palate.

At the Blue Panda Restaurants I have always been a producer. I run what has become one of the most profitable restaurants in the chain, and our wine sales are ranked number one. At each of the four restaurants I’ve managed, wine sales experienced dramatic increases. I am committed to remaining in the Northwest and am confident I can substantially increase your wine sales in this region.

I will call you in a few weeks to learn about any developments.

Sincerely

Tom Reston

Dear Mr. Ronagen

Your ad for a Western Region Dealer Representative was of great interest to me. I am very impressed with the Mitsubishi Company and the cars it produces. I would very much like to be a part of Mitsubishi, particularly in the area of dealer servicing. I can help Mitsubishi establish the reputation it wants for parts and service.

I know what is required to make service and parts departments run smoothly and profitably. I have always developed close working relations with dealership owners as well as parts and service managers.

In Oregon I worked closely with 16 VW dealerships. Most were poorly managed and barely making money. The service departments were all losing money. Within a year their appearances were tremendously improved, mechanics and service managers had received additional training, and quality control and inventory control systems had been established. Parts sales jumped 85%, and sales of new cars rose 45%.

I am committed to the automotive industry. My experience in Oregon is just one example of what I have been able to do with dealerships. Please feel free to contact me so I can tell you more about my background.

Dear Mr. Swenson:

As a Project Manager and Construction Manager for Danson Construction, I have overseen both large and small projects. As an architect I can design projects or work with an architect to come up with the best and most cost effective design. I have hired contractors and have been very successful in making sure the projects were completed on time and were of high quality.

My degree in architecture, along with four years experience in designing, cost estimating, and managing construction projects, plus nearly one year of drafting, make me an ideal candidate for your Facilities Engineer position. I am a person of high energy, which has enabled me to watch the many details of a construction project and make sure everything was completed correctly. That same energy and hard work will prove most helpful as I oversee projects at your many facilities along the East Coast.

Dear Ms. Glasser:

Since age eleven I have wanted to work as a flight attendant. I’ve been working in restaurants the last four years because I believed it would give me the best training possible for being a flight attendant.

I moved up into restaurant management so quickly because I proved I could handle the responsibility. I mix very well with customers and make each one feel important. This has increased the number of steady customers at each restaurant I have worked.

I am also a problem solver. At Leo’s I helped reduce operating costs significantly. At J. K. Jake’s I reduced turnover by working more closely with the staff. At both Wooden Lake and Ashki’s I helped lay the groundwork so these restaurants could be successful from the day they opened.

I am very much looking forward to interviewing for a flight attendant position.

Dear Ms. Preminger:

I have had a very exciting nine years in hotel sales, six of those years as Director of Sales. During that time I have developed highly effective techniques for attracting association and corporate business.

I would enjoy very much the opportunity to describe in more detail why those techniques have worked so well, and why I would function effectively as your next Sales Manager.

Make Your Resume And Cover Letter Work As A Team

On the next two pages you’ll find Dante Jackson’s resume and cover letter. Notice how Dante brings some points into the cover letter that also appear in the resume. He expands slightly on those points to give a feel for how he achieved those results.

Dante has also created a letterhead for himself that gets printed out on his laser printer with the letter. I tend not to use letterhead, which is having one’s name and address printed nicely at the top of the page. Many others like it. Dante used Arial for his cover letter and resume. For his letterhead he used a slightly different font called Arial Rounded Bold. I think it adds a nice touch.

Dante Jackson

2314 Cerrito Avenue

Oakland, CA 94611

(510) 745-0980

3/23/02

Bob Hanson

Director of Operations

XYZ Corp.

2438 4^th Avenue

Oakland, CA 94612

Dear Mr. Hanson,

I have a strong background in all aspects of shipping and receiving and inventory control. I am very interested in your Shipping and Receiving Manager position. I develop strong working relations with internal and external customers and I respond quickly to their needs. I have implemented systems which have significantly reduced costs and improved customer relations.

I’m recognized as an excellent supervisor. People like working for me and I have reduced absenteeism by over 45%. I cross-train my staff and they like the variety and knowing that their market value is increased. By developing a better scheduling system and through our cross-training, we have been able to reduce late shipments from nine per month to less than two per month. Largely because of the cross-training and the improved productivity due to lower turnover, our overtime in the shipping and receiving department has been cut by 25%.

XYZ Corp is known for its customer service and its strong promotion from within policy. That is exactly the type of organization I want to be a part of. I look forward to meeting with you.

Sincerely,

Dante Jackson

Dante Jackson

2314 Cerrito Avenue

Oakland, CA 94611

(510) 745-0980

OBJECTIVE: Shipping and Receiving/Inventory Control Supervision

QUALIFICATIONS

Strong knowledge of shipping and receiving and inventory control. Develop strong working relations with internal and external customers and respond quickly to their needs. Have implemented systems that have significantly reduced costs and improved customer relations. Excellent supervisor.

EMPLOYMENT

Simplotic Corp., Oakland, CA 6/96-Present

Shipping And Receiving Supervisor -7/98 - Present. File the daily shipping and receiving log and distribute all incoming materials. Work closely with department managers to resolve discrepancies on purchase orders. Keep production manager and other supervisors apprised of products with shipment priority, and ensure products ship on schedule. Negotiate with vendors and purchase all shipping materials.

· Developed a system which has reduced late shipments from nine per month to less than two per month.

· Developed an inventory control program which has reduced stocking levels of finished printed circuit boards from $1.6 million to less than $1.0 million.

· Reduced cost of shipping materials by ordering larger quantities and receiving staggered deliveries.

· Installed a system of packaging and boxing circuit boards which has resulted in a 99% shipment completion rate and 94% accuracy rate versus 66% and 78% in the past.

Machine Operator – 6/96-7/98. Coated circuit boards with solder and inspected parts.

EDUCATION

AA—Communications, Sequoia Community College (1997)