Cover Letter Etiquette - The Facts

1. Fact - `To whom it may concern' or `Dear Sir' will not cut it. Address your cover letter personally. Find out who is going to be reading it and address that individual. You may have to call the office in order to find out the information. This can be used as an introductory call and let them know you are interested and will be sending your resume. You never know how this kind of networking will pay off for you.
2. Fact - The first paragraph is the most important. Don't bother with lengthy introductions, start by selling yourself. Grab your potential employers attention straight away by letting them know what you can do, what you qualified to do and what you can do for them. Employers are not really interested in much else initially so you need to get straight to the point.
3. Fact - Cover letters more than a page long will do more harm than good. Keep your cover letter to a definite 1 page maximum. If it takes longer than this to convince your potential employer you deserve an interview then you properly won't get one. Less is more when it comes to cover letters, keep it simple and to the point. Employers don't have time to read blocks of information; they want brief bullet points that highlight your skills.
4. Fact - Generic cover letters don't work. For every job you apply for you need to write a fresh cover letter. Demonstrate specific company, positional or product knowledge. Link your abilities to the job description, company goals or position requirements. While you may reach an extended audience with bulk generic letters, it is pretty much a pointless exercise. Generic letters will not land you a job.
5. Fact - Typos, spelling errors, inaccurate information and poor grammar will land your resume in the bin. The reality is that you are being judged by your cover letter. This is all they have to base their opinion on. Would you hire someone who sent a cover letter without checking it thoroughly? These mistakes are common even though they are simple to fix. Take the time to eradicate these errors or you will find yourself in the unemployment line for a lot longer than you need to be. Check over your information and then have someone else read over it. Before you send anything, check it again.
6. Fact - Specifics sell. Connect with the reader from the first instance, address your letter personally. Address the advertisement specifically and use relevant examples that relate to the company, position or job. Use specific words that have been used by the employer in their advertisement or company/project mission statement. Be specific about what you have done and what you can do for them. The more specific you are the more you will demonstrate your expertise.
7. Fact - Cover letters are a marketing tool. Apply marketing principals to your cover letter writing. After all, you are trying to sell yourself in a highly competitive market and you need to highlight your competitive edge as effectively as possible. Use proven high impact words to draw attention to your skills. Self-promotion is a must when it comes to writing your cover letter.
8. Fact - Its up to you to take action. Your cover letter should include a specific action to be taken, but it will be you that follows through on that. State how you plan to follow up on the introduction and then do so. Its ok to ask for a meeting, if you don't you will never know.
9. Fact - It's the little things that make a big difference. Before you deliver your cover letter to a potential employer, you need to be sure you haven't overlooked the basics. Some people spend so much time crafting their letter to perfection then forget something simple like a contact number, personal signature; call to action, personal details. Make yourself a checklist with all of these little things to ensure you don't make the same mistake.

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