Cover letters often seem like a tedious task that takes hours to complete, often causing people to rush through and make mistakes that can cost them an interview. The Business Career Passport Workshop: Competitive Cover Letters goes through the most challenging parts of a cover letter to help you avoid these mistakes and get you noticed by recruiters.
First we learned to understand what a recruiter is looking for. Unlike a resume, a cover letter is an opportunity to show off why you want the job while describing your skills in greater detail. The most important takeaway is to customize. Recruiter’s will know immediately when looking at your cover letter whether you took the time to write a new one or if you just changed the company name and position.
We went into greater detail about customization with the tailor your cover letter section. During an activity we were given a job posting and analyzed it to determine what skills are considered a “must have”, compared to a “like to have”. By understanding the difference I learned what skills were important to highlight in my cover letter and which could be left out to save much needed space.
Cover letters are also a way to express interest for the company or passion for their industry, and this can be achieved with some research. Instead of going straight to the company website, opt for social media, specifically LinkedIn. Also, networking events and information sessions are a great way to meet company representatives and get information not found online.
Next we focused on how to write and format the cover letter to grab your recruiter’s attention. We looked at cover letters more closely by going through the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs, circling what we liked and crossing out what we didn’t. There were some points we agreed upon easily, others generated more debate and depended on the position or company. We all liked one cover letter the best because of how the person communicated her interest for the position, along with effectively detailing the results achieved with her skills in previous positions.
Some common pitfalls to avoid are being too generic, poor writing skills, and focusing on what you will gain from the position. Being too generic can be avoided by customizing a cover letter. You also want to ensure that your first sentence is compelling because in the 15 seconds a recruiter has to read it they need to be hooked. As for writing skills, make sure you proofread in addition to using spell check because it’s an easy way to avoid the “no” pile. I myself am guilty of making some of these mistakes, often explaining how the job could utilize and improve my skills; instead of focusing on how I can contribute to improving the company in the position.
Cover letters can be time consuming and frustrating, but knowing what to avoid and what to include makes it easier. You can also book a Career Advising Appointment and they can help with the structure and the quality of your cover letter.
To register for an upcoming Passport Workshop or to book a Career Advising Appointment visit Beedie Community: https://beedie.sfu.ca/bba/career/help/workshops.php
Martina is a fourth year Marketing and International Business student at the Beedie School of Business. She is currently on her second co-op work term as the Social Media and Marketing Intern at Beedie, and previously completed a co-op work term at a Vancouver start-up as a Marketing Intern. Martina is also the Public Relations Coordinator for the Student Marketing Association’s Marketers’ Night 2015, one of the largest student-run networking events of its kind, allowing for students and professionals to mingle. When she isn’t working you can find her either watching hockey, practicing yoga, or drinking tea.