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Serve up a delicious cover letter
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Which one of these menu options sounds most appetizing? (Indulge me, please).
- Baked Salmon with sweet peas.
- Dijon Salmon - herb encrusted and baked to perfection with country dijon mustard sauce and farm-fresh sweet peas.
- Salmon - cleaned and de-deboned fish, dredged in a combination of herbs and breadcrumbs, baked at 350F for 30 minutes. Dijon mustard, orange juice, salt and pepper cooked on the side. Served together with sweet peas.
Option one is accurate but it does nothing to whet the appetite. Too little description fails to create excitement. Option three goes to the opposite extreme, slipping from menu to recipe card, the victim of too much detail. Option two is our five-star favorite. It entices. It informs. Then it shuts up so I can order.
Think about your cover letter like you are writing menu option two. You quickly whet the recruiter's appetite, giving them a reason to KEEP READING. You convey a sense of style and personality, making sure you stand out from the other fish in the sea. You introduce the quality of your product and the value the employer will enjoy when they hire you. Then, you STOP. Rehashing all your resume's detail takes you down the recipe path. Too much information actually interferes with the CALL to ACTION. You leave the recruiter WANTING to learn more; and what better way than to invite you to the the table.
Do you have a solid strategy for your search? Check out other articles on resumes. Need help? Email me for a quote or more information. See my profile on linkedin.com. Follow me on twitter or consider adding to stumble or digg.
