How to Use a Job Description to Prepare a Cover Letter

1. How to Use a Job Description to Prepare a Cover Letter

2. Why Cover Letters Matter • Now, imagine you are looking for someone to do a job for you… You want someone to walk your dog.

3. Why Cover Letters Matter • You make an ad: • Dog Walker Needed • Must love dogs.

4. Why Cover Letters Matter • George emails you: I love dogs! I have 6 of my own and we go walking every day!

5. Why Cover Letters Matter • Ringo emails you: To whom it may concern. Please see attached resume. { } Meanwhile Ringo is thinking: If I didn't love dogs, why would I be applying as a dog walker? I've already said this in my resume. I hate cover letters.

6. Why Cover Letters Matter • Who do you think is better? • Whose resume are you going to open?

7. Why Cover Letters Matter • Now imagine that your dog has diabetes, and you need someone who can meet his medical needs while going on slow, difficult walks with him.

8. Why Cover Letters Matter • You make your ad: • My dog has diabetes, and I need someone who can meet his medical needs while going on slow, difficult walks with him.

9. Why Cover Letters Matter • George emails you: I love dogs! I have 6 of my own and we go walking every day!

10. Why Cover Letters Matter • Paul emails you: So sorry to hear about your dog! My terrier had cataracts and a heart condition when he was older, and I learned everything I could about the disease in order to care for him. Our slow walks together are some of my best memories of him.

11. Why Cover Letters Matter • Who are you going to call?

12. What You are Seeking is Seeking You • If you are an employer, you want to know that the person you hire isn't just a great person. • You want to hire the right person for your specific job.

13. What You are Seeking is Seeking You • Your goal as a job applicant is to prove you are what the employer is looking for.

14. The Job Description • Think of the job description as Your secret weapon

15. The Job Description • They show you exactly what they are want.

16. The Job Description • But when job descriptions stop looking like this: • Dog Walker Needed • Must love dogs.

17. The Job Description • And start to look more like this: Responsibilities: Student advising duties include counseling students about academic policies, programs, and options, assisting students in the development of meaningful educational plans, and supporting students by helping them to identify and assess alternatives and the impact of their decisions. An Advising Dean supports students as they develop greater responsibility for their educational goals, evaluate post-graduate options, and transition to life after college. Resource referral duties include maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about all academic policies and procedures, core requirements, pre-professional information, and all non-major specific information. An Advising Dean will work collaboratively with faculty, academic departments, the Center for Career Education, other campus resources and other departments within the Division of Student Affairs to provide students with necessary scholastic, co-curricular and personal resources.  Programming duties include supporting the programming efforts of the Center for Student Advising and large scale Student Affairs programs such as the Summer Advising sessions, Pre-First Year Summer Program…

18. The Job Description • It’s hard to know what you should say.

19. The Requirements Outline • This should help you get a better handle on things: Exercise 1: Create a Requirements Outline

20. The Requirements Outline • In this exercise, you'll turn the job description into a bulleted outline.

21. The Requirements Outline • A paragraph contains too many ideas to deal with at once. Resource referral duties include maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about all academic policies and procedures, core requirements, pre-professional information, and all non-major specific information. An Advising Dean will work collaboratively with faculty, academic departments, the Center for Career Education, other campus resources and other departments within the Division of Student Affairs to provide students with necessary scholastic, co-curricular and personal resources.

22. The Requirements Outline • Step 1: Break paragraphs into sentences. • Resource referral duties include maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about all academic policies and procedures, core requirements, pre-professional information, and all non-major specific information.  • An Advising Dean will work collaboratively with faculty, academic departments, the Center for Career Education, other campus resources and other departments within the Division of Student Affairs to provide students with necessary scholastic, co-curricular and personal resources.

23. The Requirements Outline • Even a sentence has too many ideas to deal with at once. • Resource referral duties include maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about all academic policies and procedures, core requirements, pre-professional information, and all non-major specific information. 

24. The Requirements Outline • Step 2: Break sentences into unique ideas. • Resource referral duties include maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about all academic policies and procedures, core requirements, pre-professional information, and all non-major specific information. • Resource referral duties include • maintaining a comprehensive knowledge about • all academic policies and procedures • core requirements • pre-professional information • all non-major specific information

25. The Requirements Outline Resource Referral Duties • maintain a comprehensive knowledge about • academic policies and procedures • core requirements • pre-professional information • all non-major specific information • work collaboratively with • faculty • academic departments • the Center for Career Education • other campus resources • other departments within the Division of Student Affairs • provide students with necessary resources: • scholastic • co-curricular • personal • Your Requirements Outline should be concise: no sentences or serial commas.

26. The Requirements Outline • Once you’ve created a Requirements Outline, you should know what the company is looking for. • Now it’s time to show that you are the right person for the job.

27. The Response Outline • It’s time for: Exercise 2: Create a Response Outline

28. The Response Outline • Your Response Outline is going to respond to each item in your Requirements Outline.

29. The Response Outline • Must be a hard worker Requirement Response • I am a hard worker

30. The Response Outline • Try to Respond to each Requirement using • Skills • Experience • Accomplishments

31. The Response Outline • Your Requirements Outline asks for: • Knowledge of lifesaving and • first aid techniques.

32. The Response Outline • You could respond with skills: Requirement Response Skills • Knowledge of lifesaving and • first aid techniques. I know first aid and CPR.

33. The Response Outline • You could respond with experience: Requirement Response Experience • Knowledge of lifesaving and • first aid techniques. I have been a certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor for the last three Summers.

34. The Response Outline • You could respond with accomplishments: Requirement Response Accomplishments • Knowledge of lifesaving and • first aid techniques. Last Summer, I rescued a child using CPR.

35. The Response Outline • Remember, the purpose of this outline is to help you confidently respond with your strengths and abilities.

36. Filling in Missing Pieces • At this stage, avoid using qualifiers such as • However • But • Even though

37. Filling in Missing Pieces “I don't know the software, but I can learn” is better framed as....

38. Filling in Missing Pieces “I can learn the software because ___________.” • I already know other products in the suite. • I am familiar with the interface. • I have used a similar program for two years.

39. Filling in Missing Pieces • Your Requirements Outline states: • Must have at least 6 months exp wrapping sandwiches • (hoagies, heros,) { } but you don’t!

40. The Response Outline • If you have five months’ experience rather than the required six, you could say : Requirement Response Experience • Must have at least 6 months exp wrapping sandwiches I have several months’ experience wrapping sandwiches

41. The Response Outline • If you are a skilled gift wrapper but have no sandwich wrapping experience, you could say: Requirement Response Skills • Must have at least 6 months exp wrapping sandwiches I am an adept wrapper, with 8 months’ experience quickly wrapping packages of various sizes.

42. Putting it All Together • Your Response Outline should be a reflection of your Requirements outline. • Makeit clear that you are the person the company is looking for.

43. Putting it All Together • 5+ years relevant work experience • Highly proficient with MS Outlook applications • calendar • email • evite • Confidentiality and discretion are required with private business matters • Well organized • Strong interpersonal and multi-tasking skills • Precise attention to detail • Excellent verbal skills Requirement Response • I’ve worked as an Administrative Assistant for the past 7 years. • I’m an expert at MS Outlook including • Calendar (I support the calendar of 3 EVPs and 2 SVPs) • email • evite • I am professional and discrete with confidential matters. • I’m a great organizer. I created a filing system that was rolled out corporate-wide. • I have strong interpersonal, verbal, and multi-tasking skills. • I have excellent attention to detail.

44. Putting it All Together • work collaboratively with • faculty • academic departments • the Center for Career Education work collaboratively with • faculty • academic departments • the Center for Career Education • other campus resources • other departments within the Division of Student Affairs Requirement Response • I have worked collaboratively with • faculty (often liaising with students and clarifying policy) • academic departments (including establishing course requirements) • Campus resources • Student Life Dept.

45. Putting it All Together • Review it • Feel good about it • Own it • Use it

46. Putting it All Together • Armed with a solid list of your • skills • experience • and accomplishments tailored to your Job Description, writing your Cover Letter should be easy!

47. Finishing Touches • A few final suggestions for your Cover Letter

48. Finishing Touches • Only include relevant items

49. Finishing Touches • Do researchabout the company.

50. Finishing Touches • Show personal interest in the position and company