1. Advertise Your Skills and Accomplishments

Advertising your skills and accomplishments early on in a cover letter works well to pique the interest of hiring managers.  This is because many are more intrigued by intros that start with:  ”Searching tirelessly for a top-level executive chef with 20 years of restaurant, casino, and hotel experience?  Look no further!”—rather than: “I want to thank you for the opportunity to apply for the executive chef position.”

Candidates have found that managers respond more willingly to the creative introduction that lists reasons they should be hired.  Keep this concept in mind as you write your own.

2. Pinpoint Challenges You Want to Address

In the first sentence, you’ve likely touched on the second goal, which is to pinpoint challenges you want to address with the company.  But it’s not a bad idea to do it again.  You don’t have to talk about specific challenges in the introduction; this can be saved for later in the letter.  But you can touch on goals that any company in the field might face and why you want to tackle them.

Believe it or not, this can be accomplished in two brief sentences that read something like this:  “Every restaurant faces its challenges in customer service, staff and budget management, and food execution.  I am eager to take the reins with XYZ Restaurant and steer business in the right direction.”

3. Explain Why You’re the Right Fit

Next, it’s important to explain why you’re the right fit for the position.  You can do this by noting that the company needs a qualified candidate to meet its agenda, then list three or four reasons why you’re the qualified candidate it needs.

The idea is to get right to the point of why you’re the perfect fit.  No beating around the bush allowed—because hiring managers simply don’t have time to search for the message you’re trying to deliver.

4. Entice the Reader to Keep Reading

Finally, your goal is to let the reader know that your introduction is only the beginning and that you have more to offer.  For instance, by stating, “I believe it’s never too late to develop strategies that lead a restaurant to greatness, and I am ready to utilize my long-term experience, intuition, and dedication to get the job done”, you could successfully convince a manager to keep reading.

The cover letter introduction serves as the appetizer to a fantastic meal.  Don’t you want your appetizer to be great?  Well take time to carefully construct an introduction that has hiring managers wanting more.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

The Unique Opening Sentence

It’s not uncommon for job seekers to utilize a blanket opening statement when writing their cover letter introductions.  Even in your own cover letter, you may be guilty of opening with something such as: “I am writing this cover letter to express my interest in your sales position with XYZ Company.”

The problem with this introduction is that it provides hiring managers with information they already have; it’s obvious to him or her why you’re writing the cover letter.  So instead of the bland introduction, why not consider one that surprises the reader—such as: “Team spirit is the backbone of any successful sales department—and as a team player with 10 years of award-winning sales experience, I am ready to play ball with the best!”  A statement like this captures the reader’s interest because you’ve expressed a sincere enthusiasm—and it makes him or her want to know more about you!

Stating Your Intentions

Another common practice of job seekers is to waste time writing about what they hope a company will do for them.  So an effective way for you to make your cover letter introduction stand out is by going into greater depth about what you can do for the company.

You’ve already outlined some of the experience you would bring to the table.  Why not go a little further and explain that you are aware of the company’s goals and objections in direct relation to the sales department.  Also note in your three- to five-sentence introduction that you are well aware of just how important the sales department is to the company.  Then highlight your skills, accomplishments, and goals that will help move the company toward greater success.

Your cover letter is an important aspect of the application process and should be written with care to ensure that you will be called for an interview.  Implementing these simple steps will ensure that your introduction, in particular, stands out in a unique yet professional manner—and will greatly increase your chances of receiving that callback you’ve been hoping for.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Some of the worst cover letters I’ve read start off with the person telling me that they’re excited about the opportunity I have and that they’re a perfect fit.  But they’re so busy telling me that they’re perfect for it and that they want the job that they’re not telling me exactly what I need to hear.  What I need to hear is that they not only understand what I need but that they can meet that need.

The best way to demonstrate “fit” in a cover letter is by immediately addressing exactly WHY you’re qualified.  Don’t waste time telling me that you are qualified or the perfect fit—tell me WHY you’re qualified.  What is it exactly that you do that makes you the best fit for the opportunity?  I’ll give you a great example:

At Great Resumes Fast we work within strict deadlines to create documents that produce interviews for our clients—and we do it all through one-on-one contact with our clients.  A cover letter that would catch my attention would immediately address three critical points: the writer’s interaction with clients, ability to create resumes with documentable results, and his or her ability to adhere to tight deadlines.  If they can do these three things well, they’ve definitely got my attention.

What I’m getting at here is that you have to think about what the CRITICAL needs are of your potential employer.  You have to know exactly where they’re hurting—and then you have to demonstrate that you’re the solution they’re seeking.

Customize your cover letter to each employer; and remember to address their pain points to create the most compelling presentation.

For additional tips on job searches, resumes, and cover letters, follow us on twitter @GreatResume.

To Whom It May Concern …

Lead with this sentence and it probably will concern no one.  It’s always best to find out who the hiring manager is or the recruiter’s name, but at least address it to someone at the company.  With today’s technology there are multiple ways to do this—researching on LinkedIn or by calling the company and simply asking for the name of the hiring manager are just two ways to go about this.

Talking about yourself …

Might seem like quite the oxymoron when the purpose of a cover letter is to talk about yourself, but what I’m referring to here is leading off your cover letter with something like: “I found your job posting to be of great interest to me …” or: “I feel like I’m the best fit for this job opening …”

These openers are all about you and fail to address the most critical element of a cover letter—how you will meet the needs of the employer.

Failing to copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the e-mail …

Nothing is worse than spending time fretting over a cover letter and working hard to get the wording exactly right only for it to go unnoticed or unread.  If you’re applying for an opportunity via e-mail, don’t just attach the cover letter to the e-mail.  Instead, copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the e-mail; it is much more likely to be read this way.  A prospective employer may never open your cover letter attachment, but they will most likely take the time to read your e-mail.

Remember these three tips when submitting your resume and cover letter to increase your chances for being noticed and most importantly—remembered.

For additional tips on job searches, resumes, and cover letters, follow us on twitter @GreatResume.

Many hiring managers use your cover letter to gauge your interest in the company, as well as to measure your aptitude for the job.

Therefore, when you resort to “Dear Sir, I’m interested in your open job, here’s my resume,” you’re missing out on a critical chance to persuade employers to take you seriously for an executive or leadership role.

Here are 5 of the most crucial mistakes made in cover letters—including those that can quickly knock you out of the running for a leadership job:

1 – Your opening line was boring.

“I am an Operations Director with 18 years of experience” or “In response to your ad for a CEO, I have enclosed my resume” really aren’t compelling enough to use as opening statements.

Instead, try a hook that makes the hiring manager sit up straight in his or her chair, as in these examples:

“Would a Sales Vice President who consistently pushes teams past quota (up to 52%) make a difference in your national rankings?”

“As a CIO for global company ABC Consulting, I’ve increased customer satisfaction to 97% in 3 outsourcing engagements—pushing our revenue growth to its peak despite the recession. I’m interested in creating the same results for you.”

The idea is to speak precisely to the employer’s pain points, while describing the performance impact you’ve had in previous roles.

Note that each of these sentences contains metrics, a targeted job title, and a career-defining achievement that is framed in context and laid out quickly for the reader to absorb.

Your opening line should also leverage the research you’ve done on the company, per the next point.

2 – You didn’t demonstrate the ability to solve the employer’s problems.

Rattling off a list of competencies isn’t strong enough to distinguish you from other candidates, but speaking directly to the company’s needs will do the trick.

You have to dig into the company’s history, press releases, annual reports, and other news to figure out their pain points.

What type of expansion is planned? Were earnings down in previous quarters? What do industry analysts say about the company’s future and their business strategy?

Armed with this information, you’re able to connect your leadership skills to the employer’s needs much more succinctly:

“My ability to produce business development results (30% rise in cloud-based solution sales during Q4 2010) can address any struggles you’ve had in breaking into this market. Can we talk?”

3 – Your key points don’t match (or exceed) the job requirements.

Like resumes, cover letters must be precise and direct the reader… keeping them attentive to the reasons they should hire you and the edge your work can give them.

While you’re writing, put the job description in front of you to remind yourself what the employer is seeking. Then, look for ways to point out how you can surpass these expectations.

The following example is taken from an IT Director cover letter:

“Your ad noted that you require a leader in service delivery and customer satisfaction. My career includes 3 years of 97% satisfaction ratings, achieved by improving infrastructure and network capacity, and I hold responsive service as my #1 priority.”

4 – You didn’t address the letter to an actual person.

Finding a contact name inside the company has never been easier. First, you can use LinkedIn’s Advanced People Search function to put in the employer name, then fill in the Keywords box to find potential contacts.

For example, a Business Development Manager might look for keywords such as “VP Sales or COO” to identify the next-level manager contact, while an IT Product Director can try to find the CIO’s name.

If you don’t find a name through LinkedIn, be sure to check Zoominfo.com, Spoke.com, or the company About Us page.

If you have access to Hoover’s database or Dun & Bradstreet, you can also use these resources to locate company insiders. In addition, ReferenceUSA.com is a free contact name database available through many public libraries, and requires only your library card for access.

Taking the time to locate a name (vs. resorting to “Dear Hiring Manager”) will help your letter create lasting impact with target employers.

5 – You forgot to be assertive.

Especially if you’re pursuing an executive or senior-level role, employers like to see a take-charge style (the same one you’ll use to deal with vendors or your new team). If your closing line isn’t strong, you run the risk of looking too passive.

“Thank you in advance for reviewing my credentials” is certainly polite and professionally stated.

However, “I look forward to describing how I plan to exceed your requirements as Vice President of Finance” and “Offer me a personal interview, and I will share how my leadership as CIO will impact your IT organization” are both stronger.

Even more intense, “I will follow up with you next Tuesday” shows definite intent on your part to influence the hiring audience, and gives them advance notice of the proactive steps you’ll take to secure the interview.

To summarize, there’s no reason to settle for a bland, one-size-fits-all cover letter that blends in with the others.

Your job search will fare better when you zero in on the hiring audience with an unforgettable opening—especially when it draws a parallel between employer needs and your unique value.

Guest Post by:  Executive resume expert Laura Smith-Proulx is an award-winning Executive Resume Writer and former recruiter with a 98% success rate opening doors to prestigious jobs through personal branding. The Executive Director of An Expert Resume, she partners exclusively with CIO, CTO, COO, CEO, CFO, SVP, VP, and Director candidates.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Many hiring managers use your cover letter to gauge your interest in the company, as well as to measure your aptitude for the job.

Therefore, when you resort to “Dear Sir, I’m interested in your open job, here’s my resume,” you’re missing out on a critical chance to persuade employers to take you seriously for an executive or leadership role.

Here are 5 of the most crucial mistakes made in cover letters—including those that can quickly knock you out of the running for a leadership job:

1 – Your opening line was boring.

“I am an Operations Director with 18 years of experience” or “In response to your ad for a CEO, I have enclosed my resume” really aren’t compelling enough to use as opening statements.

Instead, try a hook that makes the hiring manager sit up straight in his or her chair, as in these examples:

“Would a Sales Vice President who consistently pushes teams past quota (up to 52%) make a difference in your national rankings?”

“As a CIO for global company ABC Consulting, I’ve increased customer satisfaction to 97% in 3 outsourcing engagements—pushing our revenue growth to its peak despite the recession. I’m interested in creating the same results for you.”

The idea is to speak precisely to the employer’s pain points, while describing the performance impact you’ve had in previous roles.

Note that each of these sentences contains metrics, a targeted job title, and a career-defining achievement that is framed in context and laid out quickly for the reader to absorb.

Your opening line should also leverage the research you’ve done on the company, per the next point.

2 – You didn’t demonstrate the ability to solve the employer’s problems.

Rattling off a list of competencies isn’t strong enough to distinguish you from other candidates, but speaking directly to the company’s needs will do the trick.

You have to dig into the company’s history, press releases, annual reports, and other news to figure out their pain points.

What type of expansion is planned? Were earnings down in previous quarters? What do industry analysts say about the company’s future and their business strategy?

Armed with this information, you’re able to connect your leadership skills to the employer’s needs much more succinctly:

“My ability to produce business development results (30% rise in cloud-based solution sales during Q4 2010) can address any struggles you’ve had in breaking into this market. Can we talk?”

3 – Your key points don’t match (or exceed) the job requirements.

Like resumes, cover letters must be precise and direct the reader… keeping them attentive to the reasons they should hire you and the edge your work can give them.

While you’re writing, put the job description in front of you to remind yourself what the employer is seeking. Then, look for ways to point out how you can surpass these expectations.

The following example is taken from an IT Director cover letter:

“Your ad noted that you require a leader in service delivery and customer satisfaction. My career includes 3 years of 97% satisfaction ratings, achieved by improving infrastructure and network capacity, and I hold responsive service as my #1 priority.”

4 – You didn’t address the letter to an actual person.

Finding a contact name inside the company has never been easier. First, you can use LinkedIn’s Advanced People Search function to put in the employer name, then fill in the Keywords box to find potential contacts.

For example, a Business Development Manager might look for keywords such as “VP Sales or COO” to identify the next-level manager contact, while an IT Product Director can try to find the CIO’s name.

If you don’t find a name through LinkedIn, be sure to check Zoominfo.com, Spoke.com, or the company About Us page.

If you have access to Hoover’s database or Dun & Bradstreet, you can also use these resources to locate company insiders. In addition, ReferenceUSA.com is a free contact name database available through many public libraries, and requires only your library card for access.

Taking the time to locate a name (vs. resorting to “Dear Hiring Manager”) will help your letter create lasting impact with target employers.

5 – You forgot to be assertive.

Especially if you’re pursuing an executive or senior-level role, employers like to see a take-charge style (the same one you’ll use to deal with vendors or your new team). If your closing line isn’t strong, you run the risk of looking too passive.

“Thank you in advance for reviewing my credentials” is certainly polite and professionally stated.

However, “I look forward to describing how I plan to exceed your requirements as Vice President of Finance” and “Offer me a personal interview, and I will share how my leadership as CIO will impact your IT organization” are both stronger.

Even more intense, “I will follow up with you next Tuesday” shows definite intent on your part to influence the hiring audience, and gives them advance notice of the proactive steps you’ll take to secure the interview.

To summarize, there’s no reason to settle for a bland, one-size-fits-all cover letter that blends in with the others.

Your job search will fare better when you zero in on the hiring audience with an unforgettable opening—especially when it draws a parallel between employer needs and your unique value.

Guest Post by: Executive resume expert Laura Smith-Proulx an award-winning Executive Resume Writer and former recruiter with a 98% success rate opening doors to prestigious jobs through personal branding. The Executive Director of An Expert Resume, she partners exclusively with CIO, CTO, COO, CEO, CFO, SVP, VP, and Director candidates.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.