Other articles: Putting a Spin on Work Experience Claims & Credibility -- The Essence of Selling
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Asking Questions -- An Essential and Overlooked Step
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Every cover letter guide talks about the importance of an opening
that "grabs attention" or "generates interest." Then they turn around
and give sample letters with standard openers like:
For advertised openings, probably 90 percent of the responses begin
by mentioning the ad. Which means this is something you might
want to avoid.
Stanley Wynett, a cover letter writer in Flushing, New
York developed this opening which, while not particularly gripping, lets
you get to the point quickly and sound like a human being:
Question or Headline: I'm not a fan of this approach. As much as I
like to apply techniques from direct mail selling, this approach may
scream out "advertising!" (or, even worse, "junk mail!") and hinder the
personal connection you're trying to make.
News You've Read: Usually about the company or their industry. This
can be done very well or very poorly -- it comes down to how
strongly you connect this tidbit to something that will make the
reader interested in you. No one really cares about what you've read,
but if you quickly segue into discussing how this news made you
think you can contribute to the organization, then you've got a
strong opening.
Quotation/Saying: Certainly different, but it should be directly
related to a good reason for the employer to meet with you (see sample
letter #2).
Your Job Objective: You haven't done anything yet to make the
reader care what you're looking for. It's better to talk about what
the reader wants -- how you can help them achieve their objectives.
No matter how you begin, get right to discussing the value you think
you'd bring to their organization. In fact, I've found one of the best
openers is to say something like "Here's what I will bring to/can
offer [organization] as a [position]" and start describing the benefits
they'd receive in hiring you. It tells them right away why you're writing,
and brings you immediately to communicating the value you offer.
There are many other offbeat ways to open your letter so it won't
sound like it's been copied out of a dull cover letter book or be just
like the same old boilerplate material that nearly everyone else still
uses.
Read More About Writing a Persuasive Cover Letter:
The problem with all guides to resumes and cover letters is that they may make you believe there are absolute rules which must be followed.... Read it here
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