Conquer Your Cover Letter

By Gabrielle Santiago on May 29, 2016

Photo Credit: Flickr

You found the perfect summer job. You’ve scrounged up your resume and triple checked the qualifications, but there’s one more thing — the one small detail that can be one giant headache: a cover letter.

This daunting little thing acts as your first impression. No pressure, right? Here are three tips to help simplify the stress of a cover letter.

I repeat, don’t repeat. Your resume is separate from your cover letter, so let them be different. I’ve seen friends take the short description in their resumes and paste them into their cover letters. This appears to be a rampant mistake among novice applicants. Your goal is to not come off as exactly that.

To sound a bit more informed, I found that researching the company can be extremely beneficial. Don’t just plainly repeat that you are “hardworking.” If the facts allow, maybe mention how that particular company worked from the ground up and how you hope to mirror that in your own passions with your exceptional work ethic.

Be yourself. Sounding robotic can be damaging when trying to keep the interest of your potential boss. As I said, this is your chance to make an impression. Imagine yourself in an interview, and the interviewer has asked what makes you different from the other candidates. Say your response out loud to yourself. What kind of language did you use? Where were the inflections in your voice? Use that tone in your writing. Your personal touch is the key to readability, and allows an inside look to what makes you more than applicant number 125.

Keep it concise. It’s a letter, not a book. Some people get nervous and write out every detail of their life’s story in hopes to attract the attention of the reader. Save that for the interview! Write anywhere from 300 to 350 words maximum, unless asked for something different. One grammar choice can actually help shorten it all. Switching out passive voice for active voice can reduce your word count significantly. Instead of  saying “was trying,” use “tried.” One word omissions might not seem like much, but they tend to stack up.

Cover letters can be tedious, specific from one job to the next. However, they all have at least three things in common. If you avoid repetition, stay true to yourself, and keep it sweet, you’re on the road to relaxation and hopefully, a new job.

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