Cover Letter Frequently Asked Questions

Cover Letter Frequently Asked Questions

Home Contact Us Blog Work at Home institute

Writing a cover letter is no easy task. On top of that there is no one cover letter that is a good fir for everyone. Below are some common questions from job seekers on how to write a cover letter.

How can I grab the reader's attention?

The way to capture a hiring authorities attention is to illustrate that you understand the company's needs and can offer a benefit. If you are responding to a posted job opening or writing directly to a company with no personal contact information, try to make the first few sentences interesting enough that the reader wants to read your resume. In instances when you're writing a cover letter at the suggestion of a networking contact, use that person's name right up front so that the reader feels obligated to read your resume and possibly call you in for an interview.

What if I don't know who I'm writing my cover letter to?

Should I use "Dear Sir or Madam"? First make every effort to identify the person you are writing your cover letter to. If that is not possible or you don't want to spend the time looking for the names, I recommend eliminating the salutation all together from your cover letter if you don't have a name and beginning your cover letter with an "attention" or "regarding" line, along the lines of the following:

Re: Marketing Management Opportunity

Attn: Human Resources

Re: Wall Street Journal Advertisement 10/15/07: Executive VP Sales

Re: Job Code XYZ-241, "Product Manager"

Should I keep my cover letter short and snappy?

You don't want to bore the reader of your cover letter. But you need to give them enough substance so that they'll get a good feel for your skills and be impressed enough with your skills to call you in for an interview. Particularly at the executive level, greater detail and more length of a cover letter is appropriate, just as in your resume. In all cases try to make the cover letter readable by breaking up the text into reasonable-length paragraphs and using bullet points or indents.

The ad asks for salary requirements. What should I tell them?

In most cases you are better off saying nothing about salary in your cover letter. Companies asking for salary requirements are doing so only to screen out potential candidates. With a posted ad the company will be dealing with hundreds of job seekers. Salary is a simple benchmark. You will improve your chances of getting an interview if you don't immediately disqualify yourself on the basis of salary. Your goal is to generate interviews that lead to employment. Give yourself every opportunity to get in front of hiring authorities. You can share your salary goals or current salary with an executive recruiter. If an ad says "resumes without salary information will not be considered," then you should comply.

Should I explain my reason for looking for a job?

While it is not necessary or always valuable to share this information sometimes it makes sense to do so. In general, present positive information that will help get your hired for the open position you are trying to get an interview for. Never go negative in any way shape or form in your cover letter.