I've read 1000+ cover letters, and THIS is what will get you the interview

I've read 1000+ cover letters, and THIS is what will get you the interview

There is a nasty rumor going around that recruiters and hiring managers do not read cover letters.

And well, it’s half true. 

I’ve found that about 50% of hiring managers and recruiters read cover letters, and 50% don’t. Some companies, especially the large ones, get so many thousands of applications that they almost exclusively focus on if your resume is the right fit, and skip the cover letter altogether. 

I get it, this is frustrating because job seekers spend a lot of time applying without much signal or feedback throughout the process. Which leads to LinkedIn posts like this that encourage job seekers to stop writing cover letters all together:

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But this advice is completely misguided. It comes from working at a company where cover letters weren’t read, and disregards the many companies who DO read them (I am a loyal cover-letter reader myself). 

Cover letters are especially impactful when submitted to the companies who hire dozens instead of hundreds; the start ups looking to change the world with team members who are equal parts talented and passionate; the tribes where each new person immediately sends ripples through the culture—they read cover letters, and make interview decisions based on them.

When Cover Letters ACTUALLY Make a Difference

First things first: you’ll need to put your best possible foot forward with your resume in order for the cover letter to take you over the finish line. There are 3 secrets to getting that 6-second “yes” to landing the interview with your resume (even if you’re an unconventional candidate) which I detail in this session


Once you have your best resume locked and loaded, the cover letters that make all the difference are the ones that fill in the "why" behind the resume, especially if the industry, type of company, or role you are applying for isn't consistent with previous experience. 

The cover letter answers the question: Why the choice to move from the Entertainment to Tech industry? Why go from a massive company to a start up? Why apply for a Marketing position when your previous role was in Sales? Answers to these questions reveal that one is being very deliberate about their career path. 

The cover letter should show that you match what the company is looking for, and the company matches what you want in an employer.

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The other important "why" in the cover letter is "why this company"? It is a huge bonus in the cover letter if there is any mention of geeking out on the technology, cultural tenets, or our mission. These candidates are the ones who understand, at least on a basic level, what the company is building and why it is important, and are enthusiastic about it. This gives them an edge because start ups run on passion and thirst for knowledge—if you don't get excited about the work then you won't have nearly as much fun as everyone else.

So below are two REAL cover letters to show how a cover letter can be a waste of time or instantly earn an interview. These are real cover letters submitted for the same role that I have edited to reveal no personal information.


1. The worst (and most common) cover letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please find my resume for the position of Executive Assistant. I am experienced in office administration, have excellent problem solving and time management skills. Additionally, I am highly organized and have been successful working in both individual and group settings.

I strongly believe that my educational experience, strong work ethic, customer service experience, communication skills and eagerness to learn will enable me to make a positive contribution to [Company].

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to review my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

[Candidate]

What's wrong with it?

  • It could be for most any job, any company, any industry.
  • It shows no personality, gives no context to experience, and does not distinguish this person as an individual.
  • It is awfully long for saying nothing of substance.

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How would I fix this cover letter?

When in doubt, always do short and specific instead of long and vague.

 

My revised version:

Hi [Company] Team,

I'm an administrative professional for a VP at a large technology company looking to make a big impact in an emerging tech start up. As you can see from my resume, I have held a wide variety of roles, and I see this position at [Company] as an opportunity for me to embrace my passion for being an assistant while flexing many other muscles by event planning, office management, culture building, and more!

Looking forward to chatting further,

[Candidate]

Why was this version better?

  • The "why" they are applying is in the first sentence (looking to make a bigger impact)
  • It turns a potential negative (this person's resume is all over the place with different types of roles...rejected!) into a positive (this person has a ton of skills and interests, perfect for a start up environment...get them on the phone!).
  • It references that the company they are applying for is a tech start up. This shows they are being deliberate about (or at least paying attention to) the companies they are applying to. This is a very low bar of expectation but many do not meet it! So many job seekers blast their resume out to dozens of companies without paying attention to where they are actually applying. Break out from the pack! Apply to fewer places and be more specific.
  • It shows a touch of eagerness and entrepreneurial spirit that start ups thrive off of.
  • It scrapped the formal, "Dear Sir/Madam" and "Sincerely" for a warmer, "Hi [Company] Team" and "Looking forward to chatting further."
  • It's shorter.

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2. The better (and rare) cover letter

Hi Madeline,

This is the second time I have applied to [Company] because I am determined to become a part of your team. While my resume might come across as left-of-center, I have whittled away at it to reveal the pointed yet diverse experiences that make me uniquely qualified to be your Executive Assistant at [Company].

Currently, I assist my Executive Director (ED) as the liaison for a roster of several hundred executive-level contacts, one-fifth of whom work for healthcare institutions you may be familiar with via [Tech]OS, such as [Company Name], [Company Name], and [Company Name]. With my partnership management acumen, I have the balance of left- and right-brain sensibilities to make a professional, personable gatekeeper and liaison for your leadership on a day-to-day basis.

Given my entrepreneurial and curious nature, I am constantly researching start-up technologies and their success stories (and failures) to improve workplace efficiency. Recently I implemented a project management software to assist the production of a statewide symposium. Ultimately, my research and organization system leveraged additional time to help my ED sell out tickets and close $115K in funding for the event ahead of schedule.

Since the last time I applied, I am even more enthusiastic to find that not only is [Company] bringing an elegant technology to the fore, you have translated its immense potential into the field of healthcare data management. I am inspired by the opportunity to support [Company] in this arena, as well as supply chain management, and bridge my enterprising and administrative capacities with a personal passion for wellness.

Best,

[Candidate]

What stood out about this letter?

  • They start out by showing great eagerness by announcing they have applied before. Without a cover letter, this candidate could appear that they are just constantly applying to EA roles, not taking note of which companies they are applying to. Instead, they show that they are deliberate and persistent—excellent!
  • They show interest and expertise for the healthcare industry—an industry we work closely with. This suggests they have specialized knowledge and will likely find our work compelling.
  • They reference improving workplace efficiency. This shows that they both take initiative to improve their workplace (right in line with our "Make it Happen" company value) and they seek out ways to learn and level up (in line with our "Seek Knowledge" value). Adding this paragraph shows that they understand the kind of person we are looking for.
  • The closing paragraph reiterates specific interest in the company and the role (instead of stating something dry and generic).

The above cover letter is long, which is not key to making a good impression, but long is fine if the relevance of the information is high. Each sentence added something new to the identity of the candidate, whereas in the first example nearly every sentence was a throw-away.

Conclusion

There is no universal truth when it comes to cover letters—it's a messy, nuanced, subjective topic. But if I could give you a heuristic to operate by it's:

  • Write a cover letter if it is for a smaller company with a lower volume of hires. BUT...
  • Do not write a cover letter unless you have something specific to say about yourself and/or the company.

Be sure to tune in live on Wednesday July 21 at 9am PST for the free Resume Revamp Masterclass to learn the key to turn your resume from a dry informational document to a well-crafted masterpiece that lands job interviews.

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In this webinar you will see up-to-date, bleeding edge résumé strategies that will help to get you that 6-second “YES” from employers to interview. You can register here.

__________________________

Madeline Mann is an HR & Recruiting leader who has built an audience of over half a million people and is known for her award-winning job search YouTube Channel, Self Made Millennial. Mann’s career coaching programs have led to thousands of success stories, and her work has been featured in Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and more.

 You can get more career resources, and get in contact by visiting www.madelinemann.com.

John Dias

Operations Research

1y

No cover letter is the best cover letter

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J Mitchell, MBA

Influential Executive Leadership | People & Process Champion | Operational Excellence l Large-Scale Systems Change & Turnaround Specialist | Lean/Six Sigma Authority | M&A Integration | Board & Investor Advisor

3y

Great work!!

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Linda Souza

Fractional CMO | GTM Advisor | Early + Growth-Stage SaaS Startups | Emerging Tech

3y

As a hiring manager, I don't disqualify a candidate if they don't provide a cover letter, but I do read cover letters and look upon them very favorably IF they're well-written. If a candidate has researched the company or role and/or has an interesting way of presenting their skills, experience, or interest, it carries weight and may move a "maybe" to a "yes" in terms of an interview. If it's a cut-and-paste form letter or poorly written, it's worse than not including it at all most of the time.

Nibha Shakya

Experienced Professional in ✨Strategic HR ✨Career Development Coaching ✨ Career Consultation ✨ Leadership Coaching ✨Trainings ✨Helping and empowering individuals for their growth and development

3y
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