Sylvia, do you have a cover letter template that you recommend?
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Dear Anonymous,
Can I first just start out by saying that I personally hate cover letters.
Now that we have that out of the way…
I approach cover letters differently than most. My philosophy (which you can also watch here) is based around the candidates who stood out to me throughout my recruiting career.
As I tell you about my philosophy, keep in mind that recruiters read the resume first and read the cover letter second. (I know, crazy right?)
With that in mind, after I’ve reviewed the resume and said to myself “Yes. This person has all the qualifications. I want to know more.” I then will read their cover letter.
I’m hoping that it will tell me things their resume did not. I’m also hoping that it isn’t a generic template that is used for every job the candidate is applying for.
Cover letters should answer questions the recruiter may have and address things your resume can’t.
Cover letters should not
- Be standard for every job you applied for
- Be a simple summary of your resume
When you tailored your cover letter to a company, I know you did your research and that you’re a serious candidate. This is why, as a recruiter, I do not recommend templates.
All hiring managers are looking for someone who is connected to their company culture and mission. When they see a candidate who has articulated that in their cover letter, they stand out over the rest.
This is very hard to do. But you have to be able to articulate how you align with the mission or culture of the company you want to work for.
The cover letter is the place to do that.
Ask yourself
What do I want?
Who do I want to work for?
What type of culture do you want to work for?
What type of things are important to you?
When you can identify those things in your job search and you come across a company you really want to work for, writing your cover letter to a company becomes 100x easier.
Signing off,
Sylvia Torres
TL;DR
Peep my philosophy here. Cover letters should answer questions the recruiter may have and address things your resume can’t.
They should not
- Be standard for every job you applied for
- Be a simple summary of your resume
The letters that stand out most are the ones that articulate how you align with the mission or culture of the company you want to work for. When you know what you want, identifying and writing to those companies becomes 100x easier.
We’re talking to recruiters next week! Are you a recruiter with a question about the industry? Send your questions here.