Have you almost fallen asleep reading your cover letters? Do you think they sound staid and formulaic? Have you read the advice and still can’t make yours sound like you? Cover letters often lack enthusiasm, personality, and individuality. Here are two suggestions to help you avoid a boring cover letter:
- Begin by pretending you are writing a letter to a good friend, brother or sister, or someone close to you….and tell them exactly why you are excited about the prospective job and why it is a terrific match for you. THEN, go back and review what you have written and make sure it sounds professional and businesslike. At that time you can add introductory and concluding paragraphs and fill in what you think is missing. This approach is usually more effective than drafting a professional letter and then trying to inject enthusiasm.
- Ask yourself the following questions to inspire ideas to include in your cover letter. What sparked my interest in this field/company? What experience have I had that confirms my interest in this area? Why was a particular internship or job meaningful to me? When I think of my work/volunteer experiences as a group, what have they taught me? How have my choices reflected what is important to me? What have I always been curious about? What types of problems do I enjoy working on? What work do I find rewarding and why? You don’t need to include the answers to all of these questions, but perhaps considering them will help you come up with a key sentence or two.
Remember not to repeat exactly what is in your resume. In a cover letter you have more opportunity to express your interest and enthusiasm, both important qualities for prospective employers to see and understand. If there are several applicants for a position that are all capable of doing the job, an employer is like to choose the one who is the most excited about doing the work!
Need more help? Check out our step-by-step guide for writing a cover letter, download samples and make an appointment to see a CWS counselor.