Cover letter strategies & tips · 10/5/2015 1 Cover letter strategies & tips Dr. Joseph Barber...

10/5/2015

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Cover letter strategies & tips

Dr. Joseph Barber

Associate Director, Career Services

[email protected]

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YOU EMPLOYER

Are you communicating effectively?

RESUME/CV

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COVER LETTER

• Tailored description of your skills and experiences relevant to job

• Short, punchy bullet points that focus on Skill, Context, & Outcome

– Quantifiable elements

– Specifics

• Clear idea of take-away points you want employer to have about you

• Usually chronological & impersonal

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University of Pennsylvania

Do not copy or distribute without permission

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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your descriptions do not match what you actually did• You are describing tasks not skills• You are assuming a common knowledge of experience• Your language is problematic (unclear, jargon, too specific)

RESUME

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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your statements are misinterpreted• The reader pictures something different than you do• There is no shared contextual experience• The reader does not understand what is written

RESUME

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• Your introduction

• Your executive summary

• Your opportunity to tell stories that make you make sense

• Your human side

• Your passion

• Your knowledge

• Your interest in the role/company

• Your best ability to make a connection early on in the process



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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your letter does not state what you are doing clearly• Your letter says exactly the same things as your resume• You make generic statements about skills and experiences• Your language is problematic (unclear, jargon, too specific)

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COVER LETTER

YOU EMPLOYER

• Your intentions are unclear• The reader cannot picture you doing the things you

say you can do• There is no shared contextual experience• The reader does not understand what is written 8

COVER LETTER

YOU EMPLOYER

Are your cover letters a good stand-in for you?

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COVER LETTER



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What is a cover letter

• A personal introduction associated with a job application

– Imagine meeting a potential employer in person and explaining why you are a good candidate

– Remember, first impressions count

• You need to “cover”:

– Who you are and why you are getting in contact

– What your relevant qualifications are

– How you have been effective at doing things in the past

– Why your experiences are advantageous for employer

– Why you want to work for them

– …all in one page***

The things the

employer will

want you to do –

or similar things

***usually10

A cover letter is not…

• Just a repeat of what you say in your resume/CV

– Take the opportunity to expand on and humanize your experiences

• An inconvenience

– A good cover letter that complements your other materials allows you to provide a better picture of yourself

• Going to get you an interview by itself

– But it will help to differentiate your from similarly qualified candidates

– OR…, will help to explain why your non-traditional background makes you a good candidate

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Do you like junk mail?



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Junk mail is:

– Addressed to you, but not really written for you

– Impersonal

– Not tailored for each person

– Usually ignored

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• Don't send form letters - they are easily identifiable

– About as appealing as junk mail

• Concentrate on probable perspectives of the person who will read the letter and try to address those as you write

– Keep end user in mind at all times

• Be honest about your interests – write in simple, clear, professional style, & say only what you’re comfortable with & relatively sincere in saying

– “…and you are best employer in the whole world…”

But this could have been written for

any job

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3 main goals

1. Explain what you are doing and provide a clear summary of why you can do the job/internship

2. Expand on topics covered in your resume by elaborating on specific illustrations of skills or knowledge in action

– Tie different experiences together

3. State why you are so interested in the position you are applying for, and why this would be a good fit for you and them

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COVER LETTER 101

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The basics

SPELLING MISTEAKS

Why are these so important?

– Attention to detail

– Effective communication

– Distracting from actual content of cover letter

Why do these happen?

– Your brain falls asleep after reading letter for 100th time

– You haven’t had a critique from a career advisor

• What are the consequences?

– Employers are looking for easy reasons to say no (250 applications 5-10 finalists)

– Cover letters should add value, not illustrate errors!17

Common errors

Words that are spelt correctly but that are not the right words:

– From/form; asses/assess; discuss/discus; is/if

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FORMAGoal of letter is to transfer information (content) quickly and efficiently into brain of reader

– Poor formatting disrupts flow of information

– Poor formatting distracts reader from content

– Poor formatting provides a reason to say “no”

Made-up statistic:

– 86% of all employers don’t care about specific format of your letter…, until it suddenly and unexpectedly annoys them – then it’s all they can focus on

True fact:

– There is no single format you have to use – find the best way to get your content across effectively

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COVER LETTER 201The process

Which comes first?

Cover Letter?

Or

Resume/CV?

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Which comes first?

Cover Letter?

Or

Resume/CV?

Job Advert

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Steps to creating effective materials

• Find a job to apply to

– Advertised positions are helpful, but not essential

• Research the organization and/or the general requirements of that position

– Look at similar positions at related organizations

– Look on the company’s website; look at their mission

– Read news about the company & trends in the industry

– Become familiar with the “language” they use

– Use your network: speak to people in the know

• Read, re-read, and read the job advert again

– Highlight the key aspects and skills that the employer is looking for

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Steps to creating effective materials

• Step 1:

– Review the job advert, and highlight key terms

• Step 2:

– Create a tailored resume/CV; describe your experience in employer’s language

• Step 3:

– Create draft cover letter that expands on skills listed in resume, and illustrates them in action in narrative form

– Make sure cover letter and resume/CV work together [in FORMAT and CONTENT]

• Step 4:

– Set up appointment at Career Services (call 215 898 7530)24



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COVER LETTER 301Cover letter anatomy

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Broad overview – general structure

• Cover letters tend to have a set format

– Note that if there are conventions specific to a discipline or position, you can still write using exciting/interesting prose

– A good goal is to have a 1-page cover letter

• First paragraph: mention how you found out about the job, and briefly introduce yourself

• Middle paragraphs: Explain why you are a good fit for the position by “telling stories” about your experiences

• Final paragraphs: Mention the organization, provide contact details, thank them for their consideration

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Your name &

contact detailsTheir details, if

availableDate

- Why you are getting in contact- Who you are- Broad summary of your qualifications

- How you have been effective at using skills relevant to employer in the past – use specific illustrations

- Why these experiences are beneficial for the new employer – why do they make you a good candidate

- Explain why you want the job in the context of working with that specific employer

- Ask if you can send additional information and specify any next steps

Yours sincerely,

Dear … (or Hiring Manager/Search Committee/etc.),

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Write effectively by…

1. Showing that there is a good match between your strengths and position’s requirements & responsibilities

– First and middle paragraphs, with summary at the end

2. Using keywords from the job description

– Describe your experiences in language used by employer

3. Emphasizing how enthusiastic you are about the job

– Best done in final paragraphs. Keep first half of letter focused on what you bring to the position

– Most employers want to know you're interested or enthusiastic – make sure this is not forced

– It helps to mention something relevant about the organization – by name

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Focus on mutual benefits and

shared interests

Your name &

contact detailsTheir details, if

availableDate

- Why you are getting in contact- Who you are- Broad summary of your qualifications

- How you have been effective at using skills relevant to employer in the past – use specific illustrations

- Why these experiences are beneficial for the new employer – why do they make you a good candidate

- Explain why you want the job in the context of working with that specific employer

- Ask if you can send additional information and specify any next steps

Yours sincerely,

Dear … (or Hiring Manager/Search Committee/etc.),

Focus on benefit your skills,

experience, & knowledge bring

to employer

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What employers are looking for

• Someone who can do the job

• Someone who understands their unique needs

• Someone who can speak the language

• Someone who fits

• Someone who can communicate

• Relevant keywords

• An excuse to put your application in the “no” pile

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Common opening statement:

I am applying for the position of Program Manager advertised on Idealist.org. I believe that my academic knowledge and applied experiences will be a great fit for this position, and I am looking forward to applying my skills in this role

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YOU

…experience, knowledge, skills

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Why do you believe?

YOU


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EMPLOYER 34


EMPLOYER

What experience, knowledge,

skills?

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I’m not sure I believe…

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Don’t forget…• Employers don’t know

who you are

• Employers only have what you write

• Employers cannot fill in any of the gaps

• Employers cannot imagine you doing anything you haven’t mentioned



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Revised opening statement:

I am applying for the position of Program Manager advertised on Idealist.org. With my 4 years experience researching and working on non-profit financial management plans, my knowledge of communities within the Philadelphia, and my network of contacts within the environmental field, I believe that my academic knowledge and applied experiences will be a great fit for this position, and I am looking forward to applying my skills in this role.

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Putting it all together

Cover letters & resumes

• Anything mentioned in the cover letter should be echoed in resume

• Cover letters provide you with the ability to tell a story about your skills in action

– Use narrative approach to provide specific illustrations

– Illustrate those skills most relevant to employer

– Pick illustrations with evidence of successful outcomes

– Weave in other key skills into illustration and add quantifiable descriptors (e.g., amount of money, number of people in classes, surveys, conferences, etc.)

• Cover letters must convince the reader that they want to read more, so that they will investigate resume

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“To be honest, I never read cover letters. I know some people find them

helpful, but I don’t”

“I can’t stress enough how important cover letters are to show that candidates are

motivated to join our company, and interested in what we do. Cover letters

are the way we choose the candidates to interview”

Do you always need a cover letter?

• The job announcement asks for one:

– Yes – always give the employer what they ask for

• There is an option to upload a cover letter:

– Yes, because your resume can be stronger when paired with a letter – letters can expand on examples in resume

• There is no mention of cover letters (or no option to include one):

– You don’t always need a cover letter, but they can be very handy

– If you are sending resumes attached to email, the email can stand-in for a pseudo-cover letter

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RESUME/CV • Clear black & white evidence of knowledge, skills, and experience



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RESUME/CV + COVER LETTER

• Clear black & white evidence of knowledge, skills, and experience AND enough context to show how relevant these are to the position

The challenge you face is making the picture that someone draws of you in their mind, after having read

your materials, be the one you want them to have

Cover letter = NOT

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RESOURCES

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10/5/2015

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guides

RESOURCES

CV

resume

www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/writtenmaterials/

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cover letter

samples

guides

online resources

critiquesRESOURCES Walk-ins

30-min appointments

Call 215 898 753047

CV

resume

cover letter

academic

advising

consulting

program administrator

Wetfeet

Vault

gogovernment.org

Idealist.org



Cover letter strategies & tips · 10/5/2015 1 Cover letter strategies & tips Dr. Joseph Barber...

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