What’s your strategy for getting your resume out? If you’re like so many, it’s to blanket the planet with your resume. When you’re sending out hundreds of resumes, custom cover letters may feel like a burden. My suggestion—send less, but put more into them.
More than likely your objective statement tells your prospective employer that you are looking for a job. And more than likely it implies that the job you want is in the same category as his company.
Consider stating your objective in your initial email. Make it clear and honest. Ditch the cliche textbook crap! Many employers or hiring managers have read thousands of cover letters and here’s the hint – most cover letters read exactly the same! The guy who applied before you read the same how-to book in high school.
Here are some Do’s for cover emails to guarantee that you get noticed:
- Let your email double as your cover letter. We used cover letters before email was invented – now they are redundant.
- Use your cover email show that you know a little bit about the company. It is okay to reveal that you googled the company and spent a little time deciding that this was actually where you wanted to work.
- Address your correspondence to the person you are applying to. “Dear Hiring Manager” just proves that you put zero effort into it.
- Show a glimpse of your personality. People are very hyper-anti-discrimination. The job search process has become very sterile. What nobody will admit to is wanting to know a little about the real person behind the prose. Show just a little bit of personality in your cover letter and I guarantee your resume will get extra consideration.
There is certainly a lot of competition for the position you are trying to obtain. Do the things I’ve listed above and I promise your results will be better.