As I complete my ten-thousanth application. I decided to create a list of the things I consider when applying to anything.
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1. Plan.
Ask yourself:
* What do I want them to know about me?
* What skills or experiences do I have that connect to the position?
* Why should they hire/select me?
* What do I want to gain from this experience?
* What value can I bring?
Answer these questions before writing anything.
2. Don't say what you do, describe it.
If you are a leader provide a brief antidote explaining how.
If you increased sales, explain by how much? And how?
Specific examples are more powerful than a list of adjectives that anyone can claim.
3. Get to the point.
Imagine you are the hiring manager.
You have to read a hundred cover letters (on top of all your other work).
The first 10-15 are boring, and our attention is waning.
As a writer, you're job is to spoon feed the information to the reader.
Grab the readers attention with a powerful start.
Keep your sentences concise.
Let every sentence add value, meaning it gives the reader more information about you.
Avoid redundancy.
4. Leave room for mystery.
Say enough to grab their attention, but don't bore them with the details.
Employers don't need a break down of the process.
What did you do? What was the result?
They can ask for the remaining information at your interview.
5. Revise, Revise, Revise.
Your first draft is never your best.
Get your thoughts on paper and don't worry about being perfect.
Start writing well before the deadline so you can come back and edit with a fresh mind. With each draft, you will be able to catch mistakes and develop stronger sentences.
From there, have it read by a career counselor or current boss.
Yes, ask friends and family, but make sure to have someone who is informed on your industry and understands the skills an employer will be looking for to read your cover letter.
6. Ask, "How can I improve this?"
When I want feedback on anything, I ask ,"how can I improve this?"
Asking, "What do you think?"Usually leads to a uninformative adjective like, "good, not bad, I like it."
You can't grow from those comments.
Some people are afraid to seem negative or point out the bad.
By phrasing the question this way, specific critiques feel helpful instead or mean.
7. KNOW YOU ARE QUALIFIED
Believe in yourself!
Write the cover letter as if they need you, because they do!
Remain humble, but don't underestimate your value.
Communicate the impact you can make in the organization and be confident.
Now, go be great.
Ama