It’s time. The company you’ve always dreamed about working for has posted those 2 glorious words: We’re Hiring!
You’re getting so excited because YOU KNOW you have all the skills to rock this position. But reality starts to set in and you might find yourself thinking, “I know this company is going to get over 1400 applicants and I’ll never get noticed…” I’m here to tell you: you got this!
You can follow the standard procedure by making sure you follow all the application instructions. You might even already have an optimized resume ready to go. But a lot more is at stake when it comes to your dream job, so you have to go above and beyond. How can you stand out even more? The answer is with an epic cover letter.
Let’s dive into my top 3 ultimate tips to writing an epic cover letter that will be sure to WOW recruiters and hiring managers:
- Take Notes About the Job and the Company and Compare to Who You Are and What You Offer
Make yourself a cup of coffee and start the homework: research everything you can find about the job and the company. Even if you think you know everything about them already, take notes about key points that resonate with you and everything you do.
For example:
- If you see that their people are passionate about personal growth as well as helping to improve the quality of work across their team and you think, That’s me!, WRITE THAT DOWN.
- If their ad states that they are looking for a project coordinator who can provide a thorough road map based on goals and you think, I can do that!, WRITE THAT DOWN.
It will be easy to detect key points that are relevant to the company because they will repeat it in their mission, values, and within their job ad. If you relate to anything you see and then mention them in your cover letter, believe me: it will help set you apart from other candidates who don’t go the extra mile.
2. Be Yourself (The Professional Version)!
You’d be surprised by how many people sound like robots in their cover letters, or how many job applicants are just working off the same template. Don’t be boring. Recruiters and hiring managers are short on time and you need to make life easier for them by grabbing their attention.
Just because your cover letter should be professional doesn’t mean you can’t let your personality show. For instance, Are you looking for a passionate Social Media Manager who can get you the results you need? Well, here I am! sounds a lot more exciting than, I am writing to express my interest in the Social Media Manager Position. Yet both sentences are still professional!
If you let your personality shine in your cover letter, you might just end up blowing their minds. It’s 2019, and the cover letters that you wrote when you were in high school don’t count anymore.
- Use Your Achievement-Oriented Resume
Hopefully, you have an optimized resume full of achievements that you can pull from. If not, what are you waiting for? Let’s chat!
Achievements and results are what make you stand out to recruiters, hiring managers, and decision-makers. More importantly, your achievements are what set you apart from your competition. Take some time to match your amazing achievements to what they’re looking for in the job description.
For instance, if they’re looking for an account manager who is good at building relationships, add in an achievement from your resume that speaks about how you used your customer service skills to grow your last company’s client base by 10%.
So let’s recap: the best way to prove you are the right person for the job is to take notes and connect all the key points in their mission and values that align with you. Make sure you let your personality shine and make sure to highlight your achievements and results—the value you will bring to their organization when they hire you!
Do you still need help writing an epic cover letter in order to get the job of your dreams? You don’t have to go through the job application process alone. We get it and have been there too: no matter how hard you prepare, it can still be a demanding, stressful, and frustrating process. As an added bonus, all of our resume and LinkedIn packages come with a cover letter template to help you get started in building killer cover letters that get your noticed!
Rather than risk giving up on yourself and your dreams, book a free consultation with me and I’ll be happy to talk with you about your job search goals, your resume and LinkedIn profile and my 1:1 coaching. Remember, Optimized Career Solutions is always here to get you on your way to having the right tools for your job search!