Your cover letter only gets scanned for a few second by a hiring manager. So do you really need one at all? Wouldn’t your time be better spent focusing on your resume?
The short answer is no.
As an experienced Kansas City employment agency, Morgan Hunter can tell you that an effective cover letter is still critical for job search success. But it’s up to you to create a cover letter that either quickly communicates your value to an employer, or captures their attention so they want to continue reading about all you have to offer. How do you go about doing that? Start by including the following essentials in your cover letter:
The introduction.
Indicate to the hiring manager where you came across the job opening, whether you are responding to a job advertisement, or you were referred to the opportunity by a colleague.
The body.
This is the meat of your cover letter. It’s where you want to persuade the hiring manager why you are a good fit for the position. Do so by highlighting your strengths and experiences that are most relevant to the position you are applying for. That means, if you’re applying for several positions, you’ll need to edit your cover letter for each one. Keep in mind too that you want to elaborate on or augment the information that you’ve included in your resume; not repeat it in your cover letter.
The closing.
The closing of your cover letter should accomplish two goals. It should thank the hiring manager for considering you and should pro-actively suggest an interview.
Here are a few more tips to help you craft a strong cover letter:
- Throughout your cover letter, strive to maintain a conversational tone. You want to be professional, but not stuffy.
- Focus on the employer’s needs rather than your own (for example, indicate what skills you will bring to the position to get the job done, rather than what you expect the employer to do for you).
- Keep your letter short. Remember, you only have a few seconds of the hiring manager’s attention.
- Present compelling reasons for the hiring manager to continue on and read your resume.
Do you need more cover letter help? If you do, call the experts at Morgan Hunter. As an experienced Kansas City employment agency, we can help you from start to finish with the job search process. Contact us today if you’re ready to find out more or search our Kansas City jobs now.