What Makes a Good Cover Letter?

Cover letters. I don't like them. You probably don't either but they're a necessary evil when the job market is competitive. When employers receive thousands of applications per day, you have to find a way to stand out.

I was recently asked to provide some tips on what makes a good cover letter. My first thought was: "I wouldn't even know what to say. I barely write cover letters myself".

I had to remove my candidate hat and think about this from a recruiting perspective. I've worked in HR and Recruiting for over 5 years and from my experience, the cover letters that followed the formula below received the most attention.

How to Prepare

• Research the company

  Nothing will turn off an employer faster than when you have no idea what they do. You can have the best skills but if you can't do a quick Google search, they will not hesitate to hire the candidate who cares more about their product.

• Think about the top skills ( or interests in learning them if you don't quite meet the requirements) that you want to highlight

  This will be dependent on the role that you're applying for. Don't just talk about what you can do/have done. Find a way to demonstrate this by thinking about HOW you used these skills and the RESULTS that they brought. Use the STAR (Situation, Tasks, Actions, Results) method. Metrics matter!

What Should you Say?

Do

• Answer this question: why should they hire you?

  You need to think about what unique skills, experience, and interests you're bringing to the table. Why should they choose you amongst 100s of others?

• And this one, too: why do you want to work there?

  You could apply anywhere. Why them? To answer this question, think about the company's mission, product, and values. Do they align with yours? Tell them why you care about their product and/or their mission.

• Use the job description as a guide

  The job description provides clues on the persona and skills they're looking for. Use it to your advantage! Sometimes we forget what we're good at until we see it written down somewhere. Be careful not to exaggerate. You should only include skills and experience that you can back up.

• Tailor your cover letter to each application

  You'll most likely be applying to companies in a variety of industries (unless you narrow it down). Let's be honest. Applying for jobs is a full-time job! If you want to reduce the workload, only apply to those that interest you. Of course, you can recycle some of your wording, but again, make sure it's relevant. The skills you put forth for company A might not necessarily be relevant to company B.

Don't

• Add everything from your resume

  They already have a copy of your resume so avoid being redundant. Think of the cover letter as an extension to your CV. You also need to be mindful of not telling your whole life story. Keep it concise, professional, and related to your skills.

• Be generic. They can tell!

  To reiterate my point above, it's essential to tailor your cover letter. If it doesn't add any value to your application, best to leave it out.

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, every company's hiring practice is different. There are 2 types of companies: those that read cover letters and those that don't, but you shouldn't allow this to discourage you. You won't know which one you're applying to.

What else do you think makes a good cover letter?