As an executive, a cover letter is a crucial part of your job search package. It is going to be read by high-level people within the company, and you need it to be effective enough to get your resume moved to the interview pile.
Related:7 Examples Of Fresh New Ways To Start Your Cover Letter
Creating a cover letter isn't just about summarizing your resume and introducing yourself to the person reading, and here we will look at what goes into a successful executive cover letter.
Powerful Introduction
Start your introduction paragraph out strong. In fact, use strong words and powerful verbs throughout your cover letter. Make it forceful and persuasive.
Instead of...
I have 15 years of experience in sales management and have started many projects both within my company and with partners.
Say something like...
Corporations today need measurable performance increases if they are to compete on a global scale. As an executive with more than 15 years of experience in sales management, I have championed many successful initiatives and leveraged key partnerships to bring my company greater success.
Making The Connection In The Middle
After your introduction, it is time to highlight your value. Don't hesitate to use performance metrics when possible, especially if they’re relevant to the needs of the company and show how you can add value. Do your best to make a connection between the company’s needs and your expertise. You want your cover letter to really market your fit, so you want to use the strongest, most powerful language possible.
When closing your cover letter, you want to really make one last push to market yourself. Explain how passionate you are about what you do and mention personal traits that could give you an edge over your competition. Explain what you really like about the job and the company you are applying to, and why you are the best candidate for the position; and remember to keep your language tight and concise but powerful and full of action words. It’s also important to remember two key items when closing your cover letter:
ASK for the interviews.
ADD a PS that clinches the deal! You can read more about that here.
A great cover letter will take time and careful consideration to write, but that time will prove to be a good investment if you utilize it properly. Remember that you only have a few seconds to grab your reader's attention and prompt them to keep reading—so open strong and keep your language concise. The right cover letter can be tricky, but it can also be the key to landing your job.
Need Executive Resume Help Now?
We employ the tips mentioned above—and many more interview-winning resume and cover letter writing strategies through our executive resume writing service. The resumes we create have delivered an exceptional 99.6% interview-winning success rate for our executive-level clients and shortened job searches by 6+ months. Our executive resume writing service is collaborative, one-on-one, and completely customized to you and your job search goals. Find our more here: YES! I’m ready to shorten my job search and start interviewing.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
