Letters
What do employers expect from my cover letter?
- A cover letter is expected by 82% of employers.
- The cover letter should specifically address the job qualifications outlined in the job posting. Generic cover letters do not meet this criterion!
- In general a cover letter receives less than one minute of attention.
- 76% of employers reject candidates who have grammatical errors or typos in their cover letters.
- 61% of employers reject candidates if the cover letter is addressed to the wrong company.
- 70% of employers prefer personalized cover letters to generic ones.
- 20% of employers will reject applicants who fail to include requested salary information.
Will mass mailings of my cover letter be effective?
- A recent study of 1000 letters sent first class to CEOs of Wisconsin's top 1000 companies by an executive candidate yielded a 10% response rate - however, these were only acknowledgements. The candidate received NO interview offers.
- Networking is still the most effective avenue to achieving a job interview.
Do you have examples of good cover letters?
- Only you can write a letter that reflects your personality - something that your resume is not expected to do.
- You must address each specific criteria mentioned in the job advertisement. If you cannot show how your qualifications match the job specifications, you should consider another approach.
- We will help you you fine-tune the letters that you draft.
- We provide samples to you when we work together on your letters. Our Transition Manual, which is part of our packaged services, contains several examples.
What other types of letters do you suggest I write?
- Thank You Letters. These certainly won't be the factor that gets you the job, but they reinforce the positive impression you've already left.
- Letter to Networking Contacts. If you feel uncomfortable calling someone that you've never met, you can introduce yourself with a letter. These letters are sometimes called "resume letters" because you outline the key points from your resume but do not attach a resume. Another approach is to attach a networking profile, but never a resume.
- Letter following up a rejection letter. If you send this letter to an employer who interviewed you and then sent a "Dear John" letter, it may help you be remembered if their choice doesn't work out, which happens more often than you would suspect! Also, you might be able to turn your contact at the company into a networking ally.
- Sponsored Letter. This letter is written by someone who is highly visible and credible on behalf of a person who desires to make a job transition, but who would jeopardize his or her position if the job search were to be publicized.
