Customizing Your Cover Letter

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This class goes over the idea of customizing your cover letters.

Objective: Learn how to convey your skills in a customized way for each cover letter you send out.

Take the time to customize each cover letter you send for the specific job you’re seeking. Effectively customizing your cover letters will greatly increase your response rate. Your cover letter should show how your skills and experience directly relate to that position’s needs.

Explaining how you are qualified for a position requires some customization. The extent to which you must customize your cover letters depends largely on how similar or different the various jobs are for which you’re applying. A unique cover letter addressing the specific needs of a position will be more effective than a generic letter that talks only about your past experience.

Before writing your cover letter, outline the requirements for the specific position. These requirements might include years of experience, areas of expertise, technical knowledge, or personality traits. Then, individually address each of these items in your cover letter, citing examples of how you meet each qualification. Also, do a little research on the company. Use your cover letter to explain what you can do for the company and how you can meet its needs, rather than talking about what you want or need. Both the job requirements and company needs will be different for each position, so customizing your cover letter is essential if you want to address these points.

The amount of time you put into customizing your cover letters also depends on how committed you are to your job search. The more you want a job, the more time you should put into applying for it. Taking the time to customize your cover letter shows the hiring manager that you’re interested enough in the position to do the research and put in the leg work to sell yourself to him. Focusing each letter on what you can offer and how you can meet an employer’s needs will get the hiring manager’s attention and make the extra time spent well worth it.