Tailoring Your Cover Letters
To Increase Your Interviews

        While many want ads provide only the barest information, some are quite explicit. Jobs posted on job bulletin boards and jobs posted on the Internet are usually fairly detailed. To create a top quality cover letter in response to a detailed description, first analyze the ad by listing all of the key requirements and then your experience, knowledge, and results that qualify you for each point.

        If you have little knowledge or experience in any given area, do not let that stop you from applying. The ad has indicated the background of the ideal candidate and that person may simply not be available. The standard wisdom is that if you meet more than half the requirements, and know you could do an excellent job, take the time to create a cover letter that is tailored for that position.

        The cover letters which you have just read all sell the person who sent them, but there is another type of cover letter which can be very effective. It is a cover letter which lists the key requirements from the ad and then demonstrates how the applicant more than meets the requirements.

        To use this approach you should more than meet almost every point. If you completely lack background in a particular area, however, simply ignore that point in your cover letter. Rarely can you afford to skip more than one of the key points, however. If you do, it will simply be too obvious that documentation in those areas is missing.

        This strategy is designed mainly to help sell you to the person who is performing the initial screening. If you can prove that you meet the qualifications in a very explicit way, that person is likely to pass you on to the hiring authority. The screener will almost assuredly not be an expert in your field. Most likely a list of points has been supplied to look for in the resume and cover letter. If those items are not obviously present in the resume and cover letter, it is “safer” for the screener to eliminate you.

        The following example perfectly demonstrates why you want to do everything possible to avoid being eliminated by a screening person. Sandra, a mechanical engineer with two years’ experience, applied for a position that she was excited about and felt she was perfectly suited for. Two weeks after sending her resume in response to an ad, she got a rejection letter. Rather than meekly accepting the rejection, she called the company and spoke to the hiring manager. She sold herself to him and intentionally made no mention of the rejection letter. Obviously impressed by what he was hearing, he asked her to stay on the line for a moment. While away from the phone he reviewed her resume and learned that a rejection letter had been sent out. He came back about three minutes later and told her to ignore the letter that might be arriving any day. He then set up an appointment with her. She interviewed for the position and got the job.

        There are two major lessons to learn from this situation. It demonstrates how important it is for the resume and cover letter to fully sell you. Sandra’s resume was good but she had not tailored it to the job and her cover letter was only adequate. The clerk who did the initial screening was unable to recognize how fully qualified she was. It also demonstrates the importance of not giving up. Many people have ultimately been hired because they did things that their competitors did not. Sandra very much wanted the job and knew she would be great at it, so she overcame her natural timidity and made that call. Although her heart was pounding as she rang the manager’s office, once she got him on the phone she simply described her experience and accomplishments. He immediately recognized her potential.

        Obviously there was no guarantee that Sandra’s actions were going to have such a desirable outcome. It didn’t matter to her, however, she simply wanted a shot at it, and she gave it her best. While Sandra is to be admired for her gumption, a better cover letter might have prevented its necessity.

Analyzing A Want Ad

        Let’s begin by looking at how to analyze a want ad. First you’ll find an ad for an accountant. Read the ad, then notice how Jill pulled out the key points. Then she began identifying those parts of her background which met the requirements. While listing points, don’t worry about producing high quality writing, just get your thoughts down on paper. You’ll work on the exact wording when actually constructing the cover letter. By listing her qualifications the applicant became very confident in her ability to perform the job and then wrote a compelling cover letter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accountant / Manufacturing–distribution

Requirements            Qualified By

Accounting degree            BA - accounting

 

4 years experience            3 years accounting plus one year office work

 

Strong PC skills            Excellent knowledge of Windows, NT 4.0, Word, Publisher

 

Strong spreadsheet skills            Heavy experience with Excel/Lotus 1-2-3 Know how to create macros

Responsibilities

General ledger            Three years working heavily with GL, AP,

Accounts payable             AR. One year with AccPac and two with

Accounts receivable            Great Plains. Converted the GL, AP, and AR to AccPac and significantly improved those areas. Reduced receivables from 12% being 90 days or over, to 4% being 90 or over

 

Office management            Know how to run an office — handled most responsibilities of the office and reported to the office manager for one year

 

All aspects of accounting            Experienced in GL, AP, AR, internal auditing, financial statements, reducing receivables, payroll, cost accounting, taxes

 

Works with CPA firm            Have not worked directly with CPA firm, but my boss did and I know what is required

Desirable

Knowledge of Real World             Experienced with AccPac and Great Plains which

    Accounting software            have the same modules and similar techniques as RWA

 

   

Knowledge of human            Took a business course in human resources.

    resource practices             Knowledgeable of benefits, wage and salary administration, 401(k) plans, and retirement plans

 

 

Jill Josephson

13289 NE Piedmont Drive

Plano, Texas  75075

(806) 764-0098

 

 

Accounting Manager

A&B Concrete

1348 NW Jubilee Road

Plano, TX  75075

Dear Accounting Manager:

I graduated from the University of Texas three years ago with a BA in accounting. During the past three years with a medium-size manufacturer, I have had the opportunity to work in all aspects of accounting including GL, AP, AR, internal auditing, financial statements, payroll, cost accounting, and taxes. I have had one year of experience with AccPac and two years with Great Plains. I am especially strong in accounts receivable. In the past two years I have reduced our 90 day and over receivables from 12% to less than 4%.

Last year I had to the opportunity to oversee a conversion from Great Plains to AccPac. The conversion went smoothly and we completed the process on schedule.

I have broad PC skills. I have excellent knowledge of Windows 98 as well as NT 4.0. I recently attended a three-day course in Windows XP, which we will be converting to next month. I have heavy experience in both Excel and Lotus 1-2-3. I have created numerous timesaving macros in both programs.

A business course in human resources gave me a good overview of the field. With my accounting experience I have gained knowledge of benefits, wage and salary administration, 401(k) plans, and retirement plans. I have also had exposure to health insurance and have worked closely with our HMO in several instances.

I also have solid office experience. During college I worked part-time in an office for three years and handled virtually all of the office functions. During the office manager’s vacations I functioned as the office manager and supervised a staff of four. I also trained several new employees.

I am looking for a new challenge and would welcome the opportunity to interview with you.

Sincerely,

Jill Josephson

        Next study the customer service ad and the analysis that Travis performed. Then notice how he pulled out the key points and addressed them in the cover letter. Although this technique is not appropriate for everyone, when you meet virtually every point, it can be very effective.

 

  

Customer Service / Software Distributor

Duties/Responsibilities                   Qualified By

Order processing            Learn new systems quickly           
Excellent typist

Quality customer service            Work hard to keep customers happy
Four years of customer service experience

Qualifications

Excellent customer             Get to know systems and procedures well

    service skills            so I can get a problem fixed. Know how to satisfy customers. Work hard to resolve problems. Excellent telephone voice. Always pleasant and helpful

Excellent sales skills            Handled inside sales for two years for an electrical wholesaler. Know how to produce “add on” sales

Professional enthusiasm             Always enthusiastic and ready to help a

    to support product line            customer

PC/Windows experience            Broad experience in Windows 95, 98, and NT 4.0

Customer service experience            Four years experience in customer service

Desirable

Software sales            Sold electrical products to electrical contractors

 

 

                                                                3428 N Wankle Drive

                                                                Philadelphia, PA  19106

                                                                (215)527-9191

 

 

NetCare

534 NE Fourth

Philadelphia, PA  19108

 

Dear NetCare:

 

I have an excellent background in customer service and am very interested in your Customer Service Representative position. I have over four years of customer service experience and have always been highly valued by both my employers and customers. My background fits your requirements very well.

 

Excellent Customer Service Skills

For both of my employers I quickly got to know their systems and procedures. This enables me to quickly assess a customer’s problem and then resolve it. I work hard at satisfying customers and have frequently been told that I am friendly and helpful. I know the level of service that customers expect and I know how to deliver it. I’m told I have a very pleasant phone voice. I have four years of experience in customer service and have been given progressively more responsible assignments.

 

Excellent Sales Skills

For two years I handled inside sales for an electrical wholesaler. I was recognized as one of the best inside sales people on staff and was particularly effective at “add on sales.”

 

Professional Enthusiasm To Support Product Line

I have always been viewed as a person with lots of enthusiasm. When I believe in the product and service of the company I work for, I am always enthusiastic and can sell our service or product. Because I believe in my company and the quality of my work, the customer always has confidence as well.

 

PC/Windows Experience

I have broad experience in Windows 95, 98, and NT 4.0, and I can install software. I have also trained many people on database and word processing software.

 

I look forward to a personal interview. The position appears to be very challenging and I would enjoy taking on such a challenge.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Travis Johanson

 

        This cover letter will sell Travis very effectively. He also has an excellent resume to accompany the cover letter. Obviously a cover letter like this will take a little longer to compose than merely using your standard cover letter. That extra effort, however, can make a big difference in the number of interviews you obtain.

Using Your Advertisement Analysis

            After analyzing an ad, as demonstrated above, you can basically do two things with the information. One, you can create a traditional cover letter as Jill did. In the cover letter you would touch on all or most of the points listed in the ad, but you would make no effort to quote those points verbatim. Or, two, you can do as Travis did, and list the points, with each point covered in detail. Either way you will create an excellent cover letter.