When you meet someone new, what is the
first thing you notice about them? Maybe you notice a nice smile, a pair of
Jimmy Choo shoes, or beautiful brown eyes.
Now imagine someone has a piece of
spinach between his teeth, toilet paper stuck to his shoe, or is avoiding eye
contact.
While these may not be the kinds of
things you'd hold against someone, an employer may not be as forgiving if her
first impression is not a good one. Before an employer sees your résumé or
meets you in person, they begin forming an impression about you from your cover
letter.
Here's a sample that includes mistakes
we've seen in actual cover letters:
Dear
Sirs: I saw you're ad. This is the kind of job I've been looking for. I'm
pretty sure I would enjoy it and it would be good experience for me. I've
already sent out a bunch of résumés without much luck so I hope you'll hire me.
As you can see I have everything your looking for. Its you're loss if you don't
hire me. Call me at 555-1234.
Andy
Applicant
You can learn from "Andy's"
mistakes by avoiding the following don'ts in your own cover letters:
1. Don't address the letter "Dear Sirs". The person
reading your letter may be a woman who won't be impressed with this salutation.
Instead, find out the name of the person who will be reviewing your résumé by
contacting the company's human resources department, or address your letter
"Attention: Human Resources Department" if they won't give you a
name.
2. Don't forget to say which position you are
applying for.
Many companies advertise more than one position at a time.
3. Don't send a cover letter that has not been
thoroughly proofread.
Typographical and grammatical errors (such as confusing "you're" with
"your") create a poor impression.
4. Don't focus on what you want. In this case
the applicant said he thought he'd enjoy the job and get experience. Focus
instead on what value you can bring to the employer, such as increasing revenues
or cutting costs.
5. Don't send a generic letter. You can make
a much better impression by mentioning the company name and doing a little
research so you can say something flattering about the company. You can learn
what companies pride themselves on, including their products and achievements,
by checking their Web sites.
6. Don't appear desperate. Avoid
comments such as "I've already sent out a bunch of résumés without much
luck." Employers may wonder if there's a good reason why no one else has
hired you.
7. Don't challenge them to hire you. Employers
will be turned off if you say something like "It's your loss if you don't
hire me." Instead, show them, with examples of your accomplishments, why
you would be an asset to their company.
Remember, to leave a good impression,
treat your cover letter as if it were the first meeting with your potential
employer. Not many employers will give you a second chance (i.e. an interview)
if you leave them with a bad first impression. So, make your cover letter
count, even if you have some leftover lunch stuck between your teeth while you
are writing it.
No comments:
Post a Comment