If you had to choose between sending average run-of-the-mill cover letters or really good cover letters, which would it be? That’s a no-brainer! Of course you would always send good cover letters.
It’s not that hard to do. You can turn a so-so letter into a good cover letter with this one word: Sincerity.
In your cover letter or email to an employer, be sincere in everything you say and the way you say it. Your reader will sense your sincerity and be impressed.
Sincerity Makes Good Cover Letters
After researching your prospective employer, you know why you truly want to work for him and how you fit into his organization. That’s the sincere message you have to deliver. Your sincerity will signal the reader that you’re a serious job candidate and you deserve his attention.
Here are some ways to deliver your sincere message:
- Use concrete terminology when you make claims about your qualifications. For instance, instead of using the vague phrase “responsible for,” use an action verb such as “managed” so that the reader will know exactly what your role was. Also, use numbers (figures that indicate money, percentages, amount of circulation, etc.) to quantify your results, making the experience more believable.
- Demonstrate that you understand the employer’s business and know what you’re getting into. Do this by speaking in terms peculiar to the company’s goals, challenges, and market.
- Insert your reader’s name into the text of your letter to assure him that you really are talking specifically to him.
- If your letter has a humorous, casual air, break that tone at one point with a phrase such as:
Seriously, I can do…
Joking aside, I can do…
I’m sincere when I say… - Show that you truly want a job at the employer’s firm, and that you’re willing to do everything you can to get a stab at it. In your closing paragraph, tell the reader that you will call him (if you have his phone number) or take whatever step is appropriate toward nailing down an interview.
- Offer a polite, simple, and honest “thank you” near the end of your letter. Doing so will demonstrate respect for your reader’s time and will give you a gold star for sincerity.
To see these points at work, check out my 50 Sample Cover Letters.
