Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters ASSE Future Safety Leaders Conference 13 November 2009 Steve Brown, CSP CHMM CHCM

Agenda • Aim of an Effective Cover Letter • General Format for a Cover Letter • Generating Interest • Turning Interest into Desire • Turning Desire into Action • Tips and Reminders Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Aim of an Effective Cover Letter • Introduce yourself to an employer for the purpose of employment. • Match your qualifications, skills and accomplishments to the position’s requirements. • Allow you to market yourself by positively presenting information about you. • Demonstrate your written communication skills. • Draw an H.R. manager or hiring manager to your résumé and land you an interview. The average cover letter is in an employer’s hands for about 8 seconds. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Caveat Scriptor • The person who will read your cover letter is certain to be a very busy person. • Your cover letter must capture the reader’s attention to ensure that it and your résumé get read. • If your cover letter is poor in quality or content… Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Caveat Scriptorcontinued • Given the importance of a cover letter, you may be tempted to use one of the many free sample cover letters available on the Web. • Consider how many job applications many H.R. managers see on a weekly basis. Can it be possible that any free sample cover letter hasn't also been seen hundreds of times over? Your cover letter must be unique to you. Take the time to personalize it! Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Cover Letter – General Format • Heading and Date • Name and Address of Recipient • Salutation • Opening Paragraph: Generating Interest • Middle Paragraph(s): Turning Interest into Desire • Final Paragraph: Turning Desire into Action • Signature Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Heading and Date 2345 Hoosier Drive Indianapolis, IN 46201 (317) 555-1212 me@rr.com November 13, 2009 • Heading • The preferred option is to copy and paste your résumé heading into your cover letter to create a matched set appearance. • Another option is the four-line heading shown above. • Date • Use the date that you plan to mail your résumé and cover letter. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Recipient Name and Address Include: • Name of the person to whom your letter is being sent, • Addressee’s position title, and • Company’s name and address. Ms. Melinda Matheson Human Resources Director XYZ Corporation 1 Corporate Drive Hudson, OH 44236 Address the reader by name. This demonstrates that you have taken the time and interest to seek out their name to create personal contact. The position ad or recruiter may give you this information. If not, take the initiative to call the company to confirm the name, spelling and position title. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Salutation Tips: • Brief and formal, • Use the last name only, • Preferably Dear Ms. ______ or Dear Mr. ______. Dear Ms. Matheson: Current business writing etiquette suggests NOT using Mrs. or Miss. If you are unable to obtain a name, write Dear Human Resources Director. Do NOT use the impersonal To Whom It May Concern. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Opening Paragraph: Generate Interest through Effective Content • The impact you make in the opening lines of your cover letter is essential in generating the reader’s interest. • In the first paragraph: • Include information on why you are writing. • If you are responding to an advertisement for an open position, identify the position for which you are applying and how you found out about it. • If you are writing an inquiry cover letter, identify your employment goal and refer to complimentary research information about the company as a rationale for your letter. • Include the name of a mutual contact or recruiter, if applicable. • Clearly and succinctly state your intentions. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Opening Paragraph: Examples • Response to Ad / Posting: Your advertisement (posting) for an EHS Manager at the Hudson, OH facility piqued my interest. • Inquiry: Recently, I performed extensive research into the leading automated guided widget manufacturing plants in the Midwest. Your company’s name continues to come up in the top three, leading me to seek a position within your dynamic facility. • Mutual Contact: I was referred to you by Mr. Dave Marshall, Operations Manager with your Hudson facility, who informed me that the XYZ Corporation is actively seeking to hire a quality individual for the open EHS Manager position. • Common Last Sentence: Please find my résumé enclosed for your consideration. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Middle Paragraph(s): Turn Interest into Desire • Now that you have captured the reader’s interest, you must demonstrate your desire to secure the position. • In the middle paragraph(s): • Describe what you have to offer the employer (work experience, education, etc.). • Mention specifically how your qualifications match the position. • Explain why you are interested in this type of work and why you chose this employer. • Point out specialized skills, training and abilities which relate to the position. (But don’t repeat your résumé.) • If you can, weave in some relevant information about the organization from your research. • Be confident. Sell yourself. Highlight special achievements. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Middle Paragraph(s): Example • I have more than two years of EHS experience, including interning as an EHS Specialist last year with the ABC Corporation plant in Glens Falls, NY. I will be receiving my BS this May from Indiana State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. I am confident that my combination of practical work experience and solid educational experience has prepared me for making an immediate contribution to your EHS program activities. • The internship provided the opportunity to gain familiarity with OSHA regulations that apply to general industry, as well as Federal and State environmental regulations applicable to hazardous waste. Participation on a three million dollar expansion project team also provided exposure to air permitting requirements. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Final Paragraph: Turn Desire into Action • Close your letter effectively. • Reflect sincerity and commitment into this paragraph. • In your final paragraph: • Let the reader know that you want to discuss the opportunity. • Explain how, where and when you may be contacted. • Be assertive yet polite. • Tell the reader that, in the event you are not contacted, you intend to follow up at a specific date and time. This encourages the reader to make a decision and initiate action. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Final Paragraph: Example 1 • May I suggest that a personal interview would provide the opportunity to provide additional information and further explore a mutually-beneficial employment relationship. You may reach me at (317) 555-1212 during normal business hours or anytime at (317) xxx-xxxx. • I look forward to meeting with you and will call during the week of November 23rd to follow up with you. • Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Final Paragraph: Example 2 • I will be in the Hudson area the week of December 7. Please call me at 317-555-1212 to arrange a convenient time when we may meet to further discuss my background in relation to your needs. • If I have not heard from you by November 25, I will contact your office to inquire as to a potential meeting date and time. • Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Signature Sincerely, Stephen Q. Candidate • Use Sincerely or Sincerely yours (typed three lines below the last paragraph). • Type your full name that you used in your résumé heading. • Remember to sign your letter. • Use Encl: Résumé below your typed name (4 spaces) to indicate that your résumé is enclosed. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Tips and Reminders • Keep your cover letter to a maximum of 1 page (preferably to ¾ page). • Print your cover letter on quality-bonded stationery, preferably on the same paper used for your résumé. • Keep your sentences short and your paragraphs concise. Avoid the use of slang. • Keep it simple, state the facts and focus on the message you are sending. • Approach the writing of your cover letter with the same attention to detail as you did for your résumé. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Tips and Reminders continued • Your cover letter must be perfectly punctuated and be checked for spelling and grammatical errors. • Remember that simple mistakes can ruin your chances of being seen as a serious candidate. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Real Resume and Cover Letter Excepts(as printed in Fortune magazine) • Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year. • Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave. • As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments. • Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details. • Had responsibility for ruining two operating divisions. Only one of these errors would be flagged by spell check. Proof read your cover letter before submittal.

Tips and Reminders continued • Apart from precision, recruiters and employers agree that the secret to effective cover letters is personalization. • Successful job seekers, they say, use cover letters to illustrate: • what they know about the company they're applying to, and • how their skills fit into the position being offered. Additional tips and a checklist are included in the handouts. Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters

Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters