How to grab bosses’ attention with cover letter

Published 6:10 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Job hunters often ask why I advise them to send their cover letters (and resumes) through the mail. It’s old fashioned, they tell me. E-mail is faster. Cheaper. Plus, most employers expect to receive job-search materials via e-mail these days.

I don’t disagree. Even so, my reason is this: When I worked in a recruiter’s office, we opened every envelope and read every letter. Do you know what happened to the hundreds of e-mails that arrived every week? I hate to say it. They were screened. Sifted. A few messages were reviewed and considered carefully; the rest were set aside or deleted right off the bat.

But don’t give up on electronic mail altogether. Many recruiters would cringe at the sight of snail-mail correspondence. Once again, it’s up to you. The job seeker. You have to decide for yourself.

Regardless of your submission method, let’s assume that a job needs to be filled quickly. Luckily, you sent a cover letter (and resume) just in time. The recipient rips (or clicks) open your message and devours your words. How do you impress this person, and inspire him or her to call you for an interview? It looks like you have more decisions to make.

Here are a few ideas:

Header and greeting. Demonstrate your professionalism by choosing a layout that matches your resume. And be sure to address your letter to the right person. If you can’t locate the supervisor’s name, select one of these phrases: “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Human Resources Director.”

Attention-grabbing opening. The initial paragraph is critical. It captures attention, sets the tone for your letter and builds the foundation for a future relationship with the reader. Choose concise language that matches your communication style. Check out this example:

“I am employed by one of your competitors, but I have been intrigued by your company since you launched the top-ranking product line last year. It was thrilling to watch, and made me realize that my background building powerful teams and closing million-dollar deals could make a fast and profitable impact for your organization.”

The bulk of your letter. After you grab hold of the reader’s attention, your next goal is to generate interest and excitement about your background. You may decide to write a paragraph or develop a list of bullets that aligns your qualifications with the company’s vision and goals. Use only the most relevant, impressive facts. Here is a brief example:

“In the past several years, I developed a team of 20 high-performing sales representatives. At the same time, I exceeded all of my personal quotas by at least 12 percent and negotiated $9.4 million in new contracts. These achievements are particularly notable because they occurred during the most challenging time in our industry’s history.”

The all-important closing. There are many options for your closing sentence. You can be bold, reserved or enthusiastic. Two examples:

“I will be in your area on June 5th, so I will call you prior to that date to arrange a meeting.”

“I hope to speak with you to provide more insight into my achievements. Please contact me at your convenience.”

You have many choices to make. Language, style and content. Electronic or postal mail. Don’t hesitate. Pick a strategy, contact employers and close the deal.

Eve Nicholas: Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com.