One of the most significant mistakes professionals make during their job search is not submitting a cover letter with their resume. Most people don’t understand what a cover letter is designed to do, so they don’t value them. When a cover letter is submitted with a resume, it improves the chance of receiving a five star rating from a recruiter by 29%.
A cover letter is another marketing tool for your professional brand. It helps to make your initial impression on the reviewer/hiring manager and lets them know why you’re an excellent fit for the position. During the process, when an organization is deciding who to interview, a strong cover letter with a resume can compel others to want to meet you in person. It should generate interest in you based on a five to ten-second visual scan. Here are a four tips for writing a memorable and effective cover letter!
Keep it concise
Many professionals think they need to spend hours tweaking their cover letters and developing a lot of content for each job submission. While customizing your cover letter is necessary, I recommend that you only change the position title, company name, and contact information per position. Your aim is to have one, concise, master document where you make minor edits. The cover letter should be a brief overview with no more than four to five paragraphs or sections. Too much text on the page is off-putting and will probably not be read.
Highlight your accomplishments
Setting yourself apart from other candidates is essential by highlighting your accomplishments and critical contributions. Only mentioning your standard job duties and capacities is another mistake. Most candidates will all have similar education levels, experience, and capabilities. Including three accomplishments separated as bullet points will draw the reviewer’s interest and show the value you can bring to their organization.
Briefly explain your career progression or transition
Are you applying for a position that is a level up from the one you currently hold? Are you transitioning into a role that is in a different sector of the life science industry? If so, it’s helpful to mention your career progression or change briefly. You could write about how you have exceeded goals as an individual contributor on a team and are now ready for a management role. Another aspect to mention is how you’re confident that your experience (outside or in another part of the life science industry) will transfer well to the position you’re applying for.
Show your personality
In your cover letter, you can show personality in your word choice and tone of writing. You don’t want to run the risk of sounding too casual, but using highly descriptive language and words you would naturally use in conversation can give the reader a feel for how you are in person. Hiring managers look for people they like and who are a good “cultural fit” within a company. Revealing some of your personality can help them see that you would be an excellent addition to their team.
Sometimes, you won’t be the typical candidate that hiring managers are looking for, especially if you don’t meet every preference or requirement listed in a job description. An effective cover letter can be the difference between getting an interview or never hearing from a company. Use your cover letter as an opportunity to mention your transferrable skills through your career progression, accomplishments, and showing your personality.
Fly High Coaching can help you soar to your full potential and find your dream job. We offer career coaching services, interview preparation and resume makeovers to support your success. Contact us today to get started with our expert career coaches. Check out our Land Your Dream Job 101 course for more information on how you can secure your desired position!
Porschia Parker-Griffin
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