Has the Format for Cover Letters Changed?
Evidence of the first cover letter can be dated back to September 1956 found in a New York Times job advertisement. The use of cover letters really exploded in the 1990s as evidenced by the flood of books and advice columns on the topic. Remarkably, most professionals still write cover letters the same as they did in 2000. Yet, as with anything, the format for cover letters has changed drastically and it’s time more of us move with the times if we want employers to notice us.
How are most cover letters formatted?
Cover letters used to be a formal introduction to the person beyond the cold hard facts of a resume. They used to be longer, essay style and had 3 main components: a greeting, a body, and a close. Curiously most cover letters received by recruiters and hiring managers today look oddly the same which is probably why a majority of recruiters say they don’t read them anymore.
Most cover letters start with a greeting. In the past, this may have been useful because it showed manners in a more formal and conservative society. Today, the world is a busy place and hiring managers are bombarded with information every day. These formal introductions hardly seem necessary or relevant. Wasting words that sound meaningful but mean nothing like, “I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself and announce my intentions to apply for the sales position,” do not convey value in 2023. Everyone knows why you are writing. Your intention doesn’t need to be stated. Modern, effective writing gets to the point.
A majority of the cover letters received by recruiters are truly letters with a lengthy formal body. It usually contains a summary of your case for the role. It’s lengthy, detailed, and almost resembles those terrible sales pitches you get in your inbox or direct messages on social media. No one wants to read that. Imagine a time share meeting and you’ll get the same feeling most employers do when they read these styles of cover letters.
And finally, cover letters stuck in the past have a generic closing. They usually read something like, “I’d like to put my name in for consideration for the project management position,” or, “I welcome the opportunity to speak with you.”
The primary reason that most cover letters don’t work and don’t get noticed is that they don’t convey value to the reader. Here’s a hard truth to swallow but when you do it changes everything about writing cover letters (and your resume too): People really aren’t interested in our stories. They’re not looking for a hero. They’re looking for a guide. Everyone views themselves as the hero. But every hero needs a guide to help them get there. For this reason, rearticulating your resume in a cover letter or writing generic words that sound meaningful but mean nothing do zero for the person reading that cover letter. So how do we provide value in a cover letter?
What cover letter formatting has changed for 2023?
If an employer is hiring, they have problems. In fact, they probably have several problems. That’s why they are hiring! Using your cover letter to position yourself as the Yoda to their Luke or the Q to their James Bond will help you get their attention and keep it. Here’s how to capture an employer’s attention with your cover letter.
Get to the point
We’re all busy people and the last thing we want is for someone to tune us out because we forced them to spend too many brain calories reading our cover letter. It’s important to get to the point and to do it quickly. Don’t state your intention. The intention is obvious. Say what you need to say and list what you can do for them briefly and concisely.
Use names
Address it to the person reading the cover letter rather than a generic, “Dear Hiring Manager.” For many companies, you can look up who the hiring manager will most likely be by using LinkedIn. If you want to email your cover letter directly to the hiring manager in the form of an email with your resume attached use a tool like Hunter.io to uncover the person’s email address. It works eighty percent of the time. Be sure you double-check your spelling. The last thing you want to do is misspell a hiring manager’s name.
If you know someone at the company or have spoken to someone at the company before, be sure to mention their name. This could be as simple as, “I recently had a conversation with Cole in your accounting department and found this position I’m a fit for.” Having a referral or person to reference is one of the four reasons to write a cover letter. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste.
Have a controlling message
What do you want to convey in this cover letter? You want to have a controlling message that everything you write points back to. This controlling message should be the theme of your cover letter and the message you want the reader to walk away remembering. The human brain is only capable of remembering three to four things at any given time. Having a controlling message with two or three supporting points about how you solve a specific problem for this person will ensure you are remembered.
Convey value
Every word you write should convey value to the other person. Rearticulating your resume in a cover letter is a waste of your time and a waste of time for the person reading it. Be intentional with what you write and be specific about your value. Focus on the reader’s problems and how you can help them solve those problems - and be specific. Similar to your resume, you want your cover letter to resonate with the employer, differentiate you from your peers, and substantiate your claims.
Keep it short
Cover letters used to be lengthy. Think of this like a well-crafted email. The emails that are read the most are those that are short and to the point. Get to the point with the reason you are writing the cover letter, and support your controlling
Putting it all together into the cover letter
The way you write a cover letter may change significantly depending on the purpose for which you are writing it. However, in general, this three-step process will ensure you have a cover letter that hiring managers notice and remember.
Step 1
Address the hiring manager in the greeting by name. It’s better to have the wrong name than “Dear Hiring Manager.” Reference any referral and their title in the opening of your cover letter. Even if you’ve only spoken to the individual one time on LinkedIn, mention them.
I recently had a conversation with Anne in your customer success department and I found this position that I am a fit for at Optim.
Step 2
Call attention to the problem the hiring manager will need you to solve and two to three qualifications that you believe will be critical in solving that problem. These should be qualifications that you possess.
I saw that you recently acquired a recruiting software company and your job posting made it quite clear that you have a focus on retaining and growing the accounts that most likely came with that acquisition. In my experience, your success in retaining and growing those newly acquired accounts will come down to mushrooming accounts to increase utilization across multiple user groups, having a strong onboarding and adoption process, and establishing the right KPIs for quarterly business reviews.
Step 3
Convey excitement and show off your qualifications.
My background is a blend of SaaS customer success and recruitment, so you can imagine my excitement at this opportunity. In my time at Recruit.com, I was able to leverage my intimate customer knowledge (I was a former recruiting manager) to increase account utilization by 36% and increase average account revenue by $20,000 in ARR. Not only was I able to retain our clients but through the right blend of empathy and authority I was able to generate a steady stream of new leads for our sales teams in the form of referrals.
Finally, close the cover letter with something intelligent, and make sure you include multiple ways to contact you if you send the cover letter via email.
In Summary:
Cover letters have changed drastically in function and purpose over the past few years, and staying up to date with current trends will make a difference in how many hiring managers notice you.
Keeping your cover letter brief, concise, and to the point is important.
Craft a controlling message for your cover letter so you write with intention and then have two to three supporting points for that message.
Call attention to the hiring manager’s problem and show your in-depth knowledge by pointing out the critical success factors to solving that problem.
Connect your background to the qualifications and critical success factors you mention.
And don’t forget to convey excitement about the opportunity.
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