Why Your Cover Letter Matters More Than You Think (And How To Make It Stand Out)

Nikki Paterson Author

Discover the importance and purpose of a cover letter and the strategy behind writing a compelling cover letter that lands you the interview.

I'm normally very polite with my clients...except for the time that I shouted at a client. I had the right intent, but it was still a shout.

He said, "The resume you wrote looks amazing; thanks so much! They want a cover letter too, but I've got an old one that I'll just throw in."

That's when it happened. Without thinking, I shouted, "Noooo! OMG, don't do that!"

There was a silence.

I took a breath (checked my tone) and then went on to say (much more calmly and slowly), "A cover letter is very important. You need a tailored cover letter that introduces you, in relation to the specific role that you're applying for. A generic cover letter might mean they only skim over your resume, or worse, don't even read it all."

That's the conversation that led to this blog article, the article I wish I could have forwarded to my client to explain why his cover letter matters more than he thought.

Each job application document you write, whether it's a resume, an applicant response document or a cover letter, is a strategic marketing document designed to sell your services and position you as the best candidate for the role.

And each job application document has a specific job to do (mild pun intended).

So What Is A Cover Letter, And Why Is It Important?

A cover letter is usually the first document your prospective employer or recruiter will read. It's your opportunity to introduce yourself to your potential employer and highlight the unique qualities that make you the perfect fit for the position.

Your cover letter has two important jobs to do:

1. Showcase your alignment with the role, your motivation for the role and your personality in a way that a resume alone cannot. A resume is all business, short sharp factual statements written in non-person.

Where as your cover letter is just that, a letter. A personal note from you explaining why you're the best person for the role, why you want the role and what you can bring to make you excel in the role. It's persuasive and personal.

2. And perhaps most importantly, your cover letter should motivate the reader to engage with your following resume and job application documents. Your cover letter should have the reader thinking, "This person sounds great! Let's have a look at their resume."

Employers and recruiters read a LOT of job applications, and to be fair, they're under no obligation to thoroughly read every single word you've put forward. We need to hook them, we need to entice them, we need them to WANT to read your job application.

If it helps, think of your cover letter as the support act at a concert. Its job is to warm the reader up, to prime them to engage with what's to come, to get them raring to read the main act.

And a generic, preformatted, cookie-cutter cover letter will.not.do.that. (please not that I chose full stops to try and make my point, instead of CAPS LETTERS, as I didn't want to be shout-y (again).

Now you know why a cover letter is important, before we get to how to make your cover letter stand out maybe we should start with common cover letter mistakes.

Common Cover Letter Mistakes

• A generic cover letter that could be talking about any position, or person for that matter (see above).
  
• A complete rehash of your resume - "I've worked here and done this, then I worked here and did that; before that, I worked there and did these things."
  
• A cookie-cutter cover letter that has clearly been swiped from the internet.
  
• Failing to follow instructions in relation to the contents of the cover letter and word/page count.
  
• Ignoring the job description; talking about your experience and skills in isolation without linking what you have to offer to how this adds value to the organisation or how this will allow you to excel at the role.
  
• Generically addressing your cover letter - think 'Dear Sir/Madam'. By failing to take the time to find out the hiring manager's name, you run the risk of making your cover letter look impersonal and generic. I always recommend taking the time to call the listed contact person for any role you're applying for, not only will this help you find out more information about the role that you can address in your job application documents, it will also allow you to confirm the hiring manager's details.
  
• Grammatical errors and typos. An obvious one but also super common. I love it when someone has 'attention to detail' listed in their resume closely followed by a typo. Grammarly is your friend.
  

Essential Elements of a Stand-Out Cover Letter

By eliminating the above common mistakes, your cover letter will already standout but here's some other elements to set your cover letter up to do it's job.

Header

Your cover letter should have a header that clearly states:

• Your name,
  
• Contact details - phone number, email address and LinkedIn profile (if you have one). Add hyperlinks to your email address and LinkedIn profile to make contacting you super easy.
  
• A title. This is optional. If you are a manager applying for a manager's role, it makes sense to add the title 'Manager' underneath your name to clearly align yourself with the role you're applying for. If you're transitioning careers and there's no transferable title you can add it's fine to omit a title.
  

Of note, it's important that the header that you use in your cover letter is also the same for all other job application documents that you submit so your entire application has a contiguous appearance.

Opening

Your cover letter should be personally addressed to the hiring manager and should have a strong opening statement that grabs the reader's attention. Your opening paragraph should introduce you, explain which role you're applying for and very briefly outline your relevant experience.

Body

Within the body of your cover letter, you should:

• Explain your motivation for applying for that specific role. Why did this position catch your eye? Why do you want that particular role? Why do you want to work for that organisation? If relevant, you can reference the organisation's mission or values and explain how you align with these or how they resonate with you. You can also explain how your values, aspirations and skill set align with the role.
  
• Use specific examples to demonstrate how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organisation. Remember, we're not rehashing your resume here, we're giving a high-level, tasty snippet of that entices them to read on.
  
• Explain how you meet the key requirements or qualifications listed in the job description; ergo why they should bother reading the following documents. Remember, broad strokes only here, your application documents will give the finegrain detail. Also, use keywords from the position description to ensure your cover letter resonates with the reader (or makes it through the Applicant Tracking System that is doing the shortlisting)
  

Closing

Close your cover letter with a proactive call to action, such as thanking the reader for their time, conveying your enthusiasm for the role and expressing your desire to discuss the opportunity it in person.

Your tone throughout your cover letter should be professional but persuasive, business-like, but friendly.

Career Gaps & Challenges

Your cover letter can also be the place to cover-off on issues that can't easily be addressed in your resume or applicant response documents.

Perhaps you're transitioning careers, or you've had a career break, and there's a need to provide information about these.

The key here is thoughtful, strategic and concise communication that has a positive reframe. Briefly explain the situation and explain the opportunity in the situation, how this can allow you to excel in the role. Your cover letter is usually only page so don't dwell here, be transparent and positive. There's light for every shadow; show them the light.

Also, don't provide information unnecessarily. If it's something that can be discussed, or is better discussed, at interview, leave until then, but if it's something that may preclude your application from progressing, then briefly and positively address it in your cover letter.

Summary

A cover letter is a strategic marketing document. It is an opportunity to introduce you, your experience and skills and explain how these position you as an excellent candidate who can excel at the role.

It is an opportunity to convey your genuine enthusiasm for the role. They don't want to hire just anyone, they want to hire someone competent who genuinely wants to do the role.

A compelling cover letter not only significantly increases your chances of getting the hiring panel's attention but, more importantly, holding it as they engage with your application documents.