Anatomy of a Cover Letter

Let's briefly look at the structure of a typical cover letter.

Your particulars and date. John Cole
1414 Adams Lake Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30339
June 23, 2006

Recipient particulars, reference, and salutation. ABC Corp.
50 Park Ave.
New York, NY 12345

ATTN:        Robert Harcourt

REF JobID: IT8759345-JU498

Dear Mr. Harcourt,

Purpose as to why you are writing.
I am responding to the ad you placed on monster.com for a HR IT Manager. With four years experience in this capacity, I can assure you I can hit the ground running.

Objective reasons as to why you are the right candidate. Be a bullseye candidate. This should be tailored for every application.

Specifically, I designed the HR Payroll process while at XYZ Corp based on methodologies established by GAAP for payroll processing. Our system was so sound it passed the scrutiny of our CPA audits every year with 100% compliance. Given its strict adherence to standards, we successfully integrated the process in record time with negligible customization when we procured a new ERP package. Our implementation partner, E&Y, requested and received approval to publish the system as a template for small, fast growing companies.   In regard to your request for exposure to Sarbanes-Oxley, I placed in the 98th percentile while being certified for SOX. The details are provided in my accompanying resume.

Subjective reasons you are the right candidate. Reach out and touch someone.

As hard as I have worked to understand software, processes, policy and procedure, my professional satisfaction is mostly derived from the peers with whom I surround myself.   Being pushed to new heights by high caliber professionals is challenging and rewarding.  I thrive on being counted on and delivering real results that can be seen on the bottom line. Ultimately, the job satisfaction supplied by the camaraderie that results from team work and hard work has no equal. If this is an environment you are fostering, I would readily welcome the occasion to discuss the opportunity further. My particulars are enclosed. Thank you for reviewing my resume and I hope to hear from you soon.

Closing.

Sincerely,

John P. Cole

Consider what will change in the cover letter above from one job application to the next.

Section Will Change?

Your particulars (name, address) No

Date Yes

Recipient's particulars Yes

Purpose Paragraph
Very little. Job Source and Job Title only.

Objective Paragraph Usually. You want to eliminate all doubt as to whether or not you have the fundamental skills to do the job and do it well. This paragraph should serve as an incentive to get the hiring manager to look at your resume. This will usually change with each job you apply to.

Subjective Paragraph Rarely. This is where you provide subjective reasons as to why you are a great person to have on the team. Knock 'em dead with compelling reasons as to why you are a great person to have around. This is the paragraph that should move you above the other candidates who have the same skills as you. Once you get a grasp on what you want to say, this is typically not something you will change every time.

Closing No

After you've had the opportunity to look at the items that will change you can see how much time and repetitive energy you can save by using a template. Wouldn't it be great to have a cover letter already typed up for you and focus solely as to why you would be a great candidate for this job? This is exactly what the cover letter templates were designed to do. Upon completing the job application wizard, all of the information will be loaded exactly where it needs to be. The objective value you will bring to the organization can be filled out as well or you can add it on a case by case basis. At the very least, you will be spared the tedium of retyping the information or even searching your harddrive for a cover letter that was most appropriate for this type of job.

As a minimum you should consider two key cover letter templates,

A template that has all of the objective information to get a new job in your present capacity.
A copy of the above template with none of the objective paragraph information filled in at all. This will allow you to pursue different shades of the kind of job you are seeking.

If you feel confident in your ability to sell yourself, develop a cover letter template to hire into a position a rung or two up the ladder from where you are now. You may be surprised at how many large companies appreciate the well rounded, street smart skills earned by professionals working for a small company. A lateral move into a larger company in your present capacity may be more attainable than you thought. On the other side of the coin, small companies are very eager to bring in talent from larger companies as it gives them the confidence to ply the very waters to which they are charting their course. A move into a position of more responsibility than your present capacity can be equally attainable.

The objective of templates is to save time and to eliminate the boredom that comes with repetitive tasks. Templates allow you to create a cover letter once and thereafter focus on supplying the selling points that will allow you to move to the top of the resume stack for each and every job you apply to. Remember, with JobTabs each new job application becomes an asset - a new arrow in your quiver. The more jobs you apply to the easier it will be to apply to another.

Your particulars and date.	John Cole 1414 Adams Lake Blvd Atlanta, GA 30339 June 23, 2006
Recipient particulars, reference, and salutation.	ABC Corp. 50 Park Ave. New York, NY 12345 ATTN: Robert Harcourt REF JobID: IT8759345-JU498 Dear Mr. Harcourt,
Purpose as to why you are writing.	I am responding to the ad you placed on monster.com for a HR IT Manager. With four years experience in this capacity, I can assure you I can hit the ground running.
Objective reasons as to why you are the right candidate. Be a bullseye candidate. This should be tailored for every application.	Specifically, I designed the HR Payroll process while at XYZ Corp based on methodologies established by GAAP for payroll processing. Our system was so sound it passed the scrutiny of our CPA audits every year with 100% compliance. Given its strict adherence to standards, we successfully integrated the process in record time with negligible customization when we procured a new ERP package. Our implementation partner, E&Y, requested and received approval to publish the system as a template for small, fast growing companies. In regard to your request for exposure to Sarbanes-Oxley, I placed in the 98th percentile while being certified for SOX. The details are provided in my accompanying resume.
Subjective reasons you are the right candidate. Reach out and touch someone.	As hard as I have worked to understand software, processes, policy and procedure, my professional satisfaction is mostly derived from the peers with whom I surround myself. Being pushed to new heights by high caliber professionals is challenging and rewarding. I thrive on being counted on and delivering real results that can be seen on the bottom line. Ultimately, the job satisfaction supplied by the camaraderie that results from team work and hard work has no equal. If this is an environment you are fostering, I would readily welcome the occasion to discuss the opportunity further. My particulars are enclosed. Thank you for reviewing my resume and I hope to hear from you soon.
Closing.	Sincerely, John P. Cole

Section	Will Change?
Your particulars (name, address)	No
Date	Yes
Recipient's particulars	Yes
Purpose Paragraph	Very little. Job Source and Job Title only.
Objective Paragraph	Usually. You want to eliminate all doubt as to whether or not you have the fundamental skills to do the job and do it well. This paragraph should serve as an incentive to get the hiring manager to look at your resume. This will usually change with each job you apply to.
Subjective Paragraph	Rarely. This is where you provide subjective reasons as to why you are a great person to have on the team. Knock 'em dead with compelling reasons as to why you are a great person to have around. This is the paragraph that should move you above the other candidates who have the same skills as you. Once you get a grasp on what you want to say, this is typically not something you will change every time.
Closing	No