I, and most people I know, never apply for a position that I really want without a cover letter. If there is one thing that shows that someone is serious about a position, its a well written, well researched cover letter attached to your resume.
Why? Because its saying that you are going beyond expectations, doing all the company research up front, and because you are conveying your (hopefully, impeccable) communication skills! So, spend a few hours when applying to your most desired companies, and come up with a cover letter to show that your serious.
How do you make a cover letter?
1. Research - Learn about the company you want to join, and find out what makes them different from their closest competition, and get ready to mention how working there would be in line with your career goals and general philosophy. Not only will this help tell the employer that you are detail oriented, but it will also give you a perspective about what your experience in the company might be!
2. Reflect - Think about what aspect of yourself is not presented, but should be highlighted from your resume or previous experience, that you feel will be of interest to the person at the other end. For example, you can mention how "your quantitative ability combined with excellent team working skills will make you a valuable contribution for company X.", or how "your creative energy, as shown from the work you have done, sparks other people's drive for their own work, thereby making you an effective team leader." Think about your strengths and mention how you can bring that to the metaphorical table.
3. Write - Write/Explain
- Your Name, major, school and the position you are applying for in the first line.
- Second paragraph (split it up if its longer) - About you, your background, and why they should look at your resume (ie, your reflections from above)
- Third Paragraph - Open Up! Be brave and mention that given all the reasons above, that you feel you are the best applicant for this position, and that you look forward to speaking with them further. Mention that if they would like to learn more about you, or speak to your references, that they can contact you at their convenience.
- Fourth Line- Thank them for the time they spent reading your resume.
- Lastly -- Sign it (either online or personally or both).
And Voila - Congratulations on taking one more step towards a brighter post-graduate future (even if this is for an internship, you will need this skill once you graduate)!
Next Time - Key to your ONLINE Job Search Strategy!
5 comments:
Hey, Awesome Blog! I really like it! I am working on my cover letter but am not sure what specifically to say about the company culture. Could you pick a company and just give us a one liner on what to say about the company? That would be great.
Hi Maya - I think your tip about cover letters work like charm - I am a part of the recruiting team for a fortune 500 company, and always prefer to read the cover letter to get a idea of the person i am trying to recruit. Great tip!
Hi Jessica, Sure I will post a new blog as a follow up to that question soon!
Hi Lei,
Thanks for the comment-I am always happy to hear from recruiters.
Currently, I am interviewing recruiters for my blog and for my book, and would love to interview you as well! Please email me at maithreyi.raman@gmail.com if you would be available to speak further. Thanks!
Do you still do professional resume editing?
I love your blog because there is always something I didn't know, and can still improve on, even though I recently graduated. Keep posting!
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