Write Another Cover Letter

Some people feel the terms, "cover letter" and "letter of inquiry" have become antiquated. The terms, and their appearance as the cover page of a resume, carefully printed on beautiful, toothy paper, are perhaps showing their age. The words contained in a cover letter however, whether in the form field of on online application or the body of an e-mail or the first page of a PDF, are as relevant and vital today as they have ever been.

Cover letters may be fairly casual in the body of an e-mail, or up to four paragraphs in more formal situations. In all cases what you need to communicate is the same. Let the person know why you are writing, draw a connection between their needs and your skills and potential, and end with a promise of action. Whether you are applying for a job, or seeking an informational interview, the goal is to be someone they want to meet.



The classic cover letter has four paragraphs plus the salutation and signature. Each paragraph has three or four sentences. Tight, succinct writing is important since a hiring manager has a lot of applications to wade through. There are a lot of opinions about what information is most important and what order it should go in, but the general overview stays pretty consistent.

The Salutation

As much as possible, write to a real person. If you don't know who to approach, ask around your network, or just call the receptionist. Verify the spelling of their name.  If you really can't find a contact point in the company, try to use something like, "The Creative Team at XYZ Corp" or "The Hiring Manager at XYZ" rather than, "To Whom it May Concern." I guarantee it will concern no one.

First Paragraph: Why are you writing to them in particular?

The most important bit is to say why you are writing, and the subtext of that should be why you are writing to them in particular. Don't just show that you know something about the firm, you want them to know you are excited about what they do! Mention work they have recently done, or an award they have won. If you were referred by someone, or have interacted with the person you are writing to in person, this is the place to mention it.

The Second Paragraph: What is your experience?

Here you highlight your resume and skills as they pertain to the job you are seeking. If you are responding to a job add, this is the place to point out your skills that match what they are asking for. Touch on any significant experience you feel would be valuable to them.

Paragraph Three: What would you contribute?

This is where you use your relevant experience to show how you can contribute to their work. Highlight how you use your skills to solve problems, and make sure you point out how your skills will be an asset for their firm in particular. This is also where you would do any name dropping, either of someone you have worked with who is respected in the field, or of firms you have worked with in the past that would reinforce that you are a valuable asset.

The Last Paragraph: Close the sale

The last paragraph should close the sale. Do a quick summary of why you would be valuable to them, then suggest an interview, or ask for a review of your portfolio. Tell them when you will follow up with them. It is your job to call them. Promising to call them allows you to demonstrate that you can make a commitment and stick to it. Sometimes with online applications you are shut out of being able to follow up so make sure you indicate that you look forward to following up with them when they reach the interview stage of their process.

In every paragraph, keep bringing it back around to what you can do for them and how you in particular can help them fill a need. You are up against a lot of other folks who are talented and skilled. What value do you bring that other people may not?

And then, after all the soul searching, fine tuning, and crafting of a message designed to show that you are the perfect person for the job comes the hardest part of writing a cover letter. Letting go of the outcome.

Obviously, you put the time you promised to follow up on your calendar, and you follow up, but you need to move on to writing the next cover letter. You have worked hard to convince a potential employer or mentor that you are worth meeting with. And you are! But actually landing an informational interview or a job depends on a lot of factors. How much time the person you are approaching has available, whether your portfolio is a good match for them, who else is applying, all the way to the interview itself which may go great! Only it may go more great for someone else.

You need to move on and apply for the next position, set up a coffee date with the next person, and work on the next cool thing for your portfolio. Don't fall into the trap of what I recently heard referred to as a "job crush." Don't let any job, no matter how excited about it you are, become "the one" to the exclusion of your ongoing job search.

And the best way to keep that from happening is to write another cover letter.