Here’s a secret that will help you to stand out from 95% of other candidates: don’t make your cover letter about yourself.
Writer your cover letter about the job for which you’re applying, and you’ll impress the hiring managers every time.
Most candidates are tempted to write cover letters that are all about themselves: about their skills, their background, and what they’d like to learn or do in a particular position.
These letters are filled with sentences like “I think I could really learn and grow at X organization” or “The internship with Y Company will add to what I’m learning in school to help me achieve my goal of running a small nonprofit when I graduate.”
The sad truth is, these companies don’t care about you. They have never met you before, and with a letter like that, they probably won’t meet you now. They don’t know you, but they know that they created the position for which you’re applying for a reason – because they really need talent and hard work in a certain area of their organization.
The team that’s hiring is struggling under the weight of the work assigned to them, and they need a new team member who can add value from day one. The cover letter is your chance to illustrate for your future employer how you’ll lighten everyone’s load.
In other words, what they want to know is, not how they can be an asset to you, but rather: how can you be an asset to them?
Stand out from other candidates by making the employer your priority.
You do this by carefully reading the job description, and then writing a short, professional letter that lets the employer know that you understand the skills they are seeking and the work that needs to be done, and explain how you have those skills and can do that work.
If you’re missing any key skills, address that, too, and explain how you will work hard to make up for your weakness in this area.
Be sure, though, that you only apply for positions for which you’re an 80% fit. You don’t want to be throwing mud at the walls to see what sticks. As a qualified candidate, you’ll have no problem clearly outlining how you are a solid fit for their organization and making a case for why you’re the right match for their team.
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