Tips for Writing a Killer Cover Letter

When was the last time you were searching for a job? Recently? Are you afraid of the scary economy? Are you nervous in interviews? Do you come off as desperate? Be honest.

The fearful interview and job-seeking process is extremely common. You are not alone. Especially in a down-trending economy, job-seekers are worried about feeding their families, keeping their homes, and managing their current and future careers. Fear not.

Non-traditional job-seeking begins with being honest about who you are, and what you are truly looking for. If you are not interested in getting a job that truly appeals to your sensitivites, interests, and life-goals, stop reading. If you are a thoughtful and logical dream-chaser, this is for you.

First, you must determine your goals. Are you looking to become a CEO of a financial institution? Do you want to work with Grizzly Bears in Alaska? Have you always wanted to be a photog for skydive enthusiasts? Well, excellent. I'm glad you have goal. Having a goal is important because it will start you in the right direction.

Next, you must determine your skill set. It is important to decide what relevant skills you bring to the table. If you want to be a skydive photog, have you ever been skydiving? Did you take any photography courses in college? Do any of your friends take pictures in a professional capacity? Perhaps you have done research on the best freefall sites in Argentina. Try to think like an employer. What special skills are you looking for. Then fit your skills to match.

After deciding on relevant skills, think about non-related skills, achievements, awards, etc. Moreover, who are you as a person, a professional, and a citizen? What have you done in your life that is interesting to most people? What kind of activities do you enjoy? A good way to start thinking about this is to consider yourself a product. How would you market yourself? How do you convice girls/guys to date you? What is your best conversation starter. This area is vitally important. Many people are hired because of who they are, not because of where they have worked, where they went to school, etc.

Once you have these two separate skills defined and your goals organized and clear, it is time to put together the traditional materials. The resume and the cover letter. If anyone has been an employer, they have intimate experience with these horrible documents. Slogging through the slush of paper or electronic files is daunting, and can often lead to mind-wandering. We're all human after all, and in our contemporary world of instant gratification, we lose interest at supersonic speeds. The key here is to stand out.

As for the resume, it's important to follow traditional guidelines: you must list your skills, you must list your work history, and you must list your references. However, within those boundaries, you also must create attention-grabbing phrases. For example, you can write, "helped to manage revenue growth from 3% to 5% during tenure as finance manager," or you can write, "helped manage growth from 3% to 5%, and successfully climbed Mount Rainer during the winter during tenure." Based on your experience, it is important to show that you not only are qualified for the position (nearly everyone who applies to positions is in some way qualified), but also that you are an interesting person outside of your professional attributes. Make it concise and professional, but use your sense of humor cleverly. List your professional achievements, but add a personal flair that is uniquely you. Make it clear, but make it colloquial at the right times.

Now, the cover letter is the key to the first interview. Similar to the resume, you must mix professionalism with personality. If you simply write about your professional experience, you are sunk. The reader won't get past the first paragraph. Make sure to start strong. "I have convinced board rooms to adopt multi million dollar programs, and I have navigated through bear country in Glaciar National Park." While the resume gives short descriptions, the cover letter can be more wordy, and give a much better picture of who you are. Some simple advice is: be honest, be very funny (make sure it is intelligent), and make sure the reader knows your personality as well as your professionalism.

Best of luck!