Cover Letters
What is your single most common piece of advice for students to correct poor cover letters?
@rstarks Match the company by sharing what skills and interests, experience, etc. you have that they are looking for. Share your passion.
I believe in this area nothing much has changed. Keep it concise.
In the industry I am in, you inform them to do their research to see if that establishment has the same values and style in which you would feel more comfortable in.
First to proofread and make corrections. This is not a text message and everything must be written out. Give it to others to proofread.
If the content is poor, first re-read the job requirements. For each requirement, write how they do or can fulfill those requirements. Secondly, to refer back to their self evaluation worksheet and include some of the attributes they listed there. And if it still needs work, to ask for someone who knows the well professionally to review the letter and based on it ask the student leading questions that may trigger what to write that is missing from the letter currently written.
"Buy a Thesaurus & treat it like your life depends on it, because your professional life does!"
Correcting spelling and grammatical errors and scanning the entire document to make sure everything is specific and concise, eliminating anything that is vague/ambiguous.
State how your skills can benefit the company. It's a chance to elaborate on their skills and give an example of how transferable their skills are to the position.
Hi Kristine,
You're right! Employers see so many resumes that they can spot a "cookie-cutter" one instantly and it doesn't reflect well on the candidate. They may interpret this to mean the individual doesn't care enough to customize their submission to the employer's needs or to present themselves in a manner that differentiates from others.
Robert Starks Jr.
A cookie cutter approach rarely wins over an employer. To personalize each letter is key and of course the usual attention to grammar and punctuation is a must. kriss grove
Hi Viola,
So glad to hear you say this. Vague statements and cliches have no value and are spotted immediately, particularly by employers who review resumes frequently.
Robert Starks Jr.
Aside from poor grammar or spelling, I always advise students to get rid of the vague statements, cliches and anything that is not specific to the job to which they are applying. I also recommend only a few really strong sentences per paragraph.
Since there are so many available examples on line I have them look at many letters so they can get the idea of a well-crafted letter.
Spelling and grammatical mistakes are so important, as they offer insight as to the carefulness and polish a job seeker offers. I would also say that having a "cookie cutter" approach to cover letters and not tailoring them to a particular position would also be a big mistake to make.
Hi Madison,
In my experience, when I advised students to conduct research, I found I had to be specific about what they should research and how they should use that research. Do you find yourself doing the same thing? What do you tend to emphasize for what they should find out and how to specifically use the information? Also, do you advise them to research the company's online presence if they have social media accounts as part of their research? Sometimes company social accounts can reveal much more about company culture.
Robert Starks Jr.
My biggest advice is to research the company that they are applying for. A lot of the cover letters that come into my office are ones that have no idea who they are reaching out to and applying for.
I stress, emphatically, that cover letters should be customized, much as resumes are.
It's a hard thing to get the students to understand sometimes. They think that the same thing will work with all employers and that is simply not the case.
I tell them that research on the company should definitely be used to craft a good cover letter. The culture and goals of a company can let a student craft a compelling cover letter if used properly.
Hi Vanessa,
Do you find that students want to draft a cover letter and then use the same cover letter for multiple employers? I've seen this many times in my own experience and am curious if you've also experienced this. I've had to emphasize how the cover letter also provides an opportunity to articulate "fit" into company culture which isn't something easy to convey in the resume, yet is something employers also look for.
Robert Starks Jr.
Of course, we stress proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
We also tell them to not simply repeat what is on their resume. A cover letter won't have the same impact if it's just duplicating a resume.
I tell them to try and focus on skills that aren't as results driven (what you would usually find on a resume), such as their soft skills and examples of how they've used them.
I also tell them to focus the letter on what they can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for them.
Grammar and spelling are the biggest concerns I find with my students. Repetition of what is already on the resume is another concern. I tell my students that the coverletter should grab the attention of the potential employer enough so that they will want to meet with them in person. A tease instead of giving them all the information or too much so that the employer feels that they already know their personality and there isn't a reason to interview them further.
Aside from ensuring complete accuracy in the cover letter's grammar and structure, I advise students to focus on the intent and content of the message. Each employer values different qualities and it is imperative that the student is able to identify those qualities, connect it with their current abilities and convey it in a way to hook the employer.
