The Mysterious Cover Letter

One of the most frequent questions I receive from candidates is: What do I do about a cover letter?  Do I even write one?  What do I say in it?  How do I differentiate myself in my cover letter?   Let’s take a look at cover letters a little more closely.

First, a few formatting and structural tips: Always include a brief cover letter when you are submitting your resume and application.  Don’t think that if you are applying online and they give you the option that it means you should skip this section.  Even if you’re writing a few sentences in an online field about your interest, it is an important way to show that you are attracted to this particular job.  As a hiring manager, we don’t like to get the feeling that an applicant is mass-applying to every position they see online, so writing a short cover letter will help distinguish your application.  

If you are submitting your resume via email, I always prefer that you use the body of your email for your cover letter, vs. attaching a document.  Don’t include a cover letter in the same document as your resume, as this can be a bit confusing and water down the information on your resume.  If you are attaching it, then attach it as a separate document.

Your cover letter should be unique for each job you are applying for.  There is no value added to an application if it’s apparent to all that read it that this person is using the exact same cover letter for every application they send out.  I also recommend to do your best to address your cover letter to someone specifically, rather than writing something like “Dear Sir or Madam.”  This comes across as a bit impersonal.  Sometimes the hiring managers name and/or email will be on the job posting, but if not you should look on the company or firm website to see if they list a contact person for hiring, or if not there then perhaps you can find a hiring contact on LinkedIn.  As a last resort, I have seen good results from simply calling the receptionist and asking “I’m sending in my cover letter and resume, I was hoping you could help me personalize it by letting me know who I should address it to directly?”

When writing your cover letter, be brief.  I’ve found that most hiring managers will prioritize viewing your resume, and then go to your cover letter after they’ve taken a look at your resume.  Keeping this in mind, use the cover letter to address any immediate questions that a hiring manager might have when reviewing your resume.  For example, if the position requires that the applicant have 5 years of experience, but you only have 3, acknowledge it, and overcome it with your cover letter.  “While I realize that your firm is looking for someone with 5 years of experience, I believe that although I have 3 years of experience, my education in this field could warrant consideration for your opening.”  Additional hurdles that I look for people to acknowledge and overcome in their cover letter are if an applicant is applying for a position in a different geographic location than they live; applying for a position that would be a complete career change; or applying for a position that at first glance would be a step-down in responsibilities or pay from their current role.

Here are a few things you would want to avoid with your cover letter:  The first is a cover letter that regurgitates everything in your resume.  If it’s listed on your resume, then do your best to not re-state it in the cover letter.  Also, restrain from writing a cover letter that is longer than 2 paragraphs.  While this isn’t a rule that is set in stone, I’ve found in my experience that anything longer than a paragraph or two doesn’t get read by a hiring manager, and thus is unnecessary.  

Lastly, use the cover letter to say why you’d love to have the job!  Again, this doesn’t have to be a complete story, but one or two sentences about why this position and company motivated you to apply are good to read.  I love seeing that someone has researched my company enough to provide a brief note about what resonated with them.  A well-written cover letter isn’t going to automatically get you the job, but if you follow a few of these tips it will help you get your foot in the door.

The Informational Interview

Whether you are just starting off in your career, or you are a seasoned Paralegal, conducting an informational interview is a powerful tool that can be utilized in your professional career.  There are great reasons for you to ask someone for an informational interview.   It’s a great opportunity to further a conversation you might have started at a networking event.  Informational Interviews can also be a great way to learn about career paths, and how one would progress in a particular career.  It is a great chance for you to meet someone in your field, without it seeming like you are asking them for a job.

So how do you go about conducting an informational interview?  Here are a few key things to keep in mind:

The Ask

One of the hardest things to do is to ask someone if you can meet with them in order to conduct an informational interview.  One of the best ways is to reach out to your contact and ask them to meet you for coffee or tea in order to pick their brain.  Coffee is a great avenue, as it’s less of a time commitment for someone than, say; lunch or dinner.  You also aren’t intruding on someone’s time by asking them to meet in their office or yours. 

When asking someone for coffee, do your best to try and eliminate the back and forth on emails by giving them several options of time/days that you are available to meet.  Suggest a coffee shop convenient to the person that you are trying to meet up with.  I always recommend that you know the meeting place that you are asking someone to meet you.  I’ve had clients go so far as to ‘scout out’ the location to make sure that the noise level is appropriate, parking is easy, and that there is enough seating for you to be able to have an intelligent conversation.

The Meeting

If you’re meeting with someone, arrive early.  Use that time to select the best place for you to get-together with the person that you are meeting with and interviewing.  Several times I’ve gotten there early and had to upgrade my seating a few times so I had the most comfortable table in order for us to sit and speak.  If you have asked someone to meet you for coffee, then offer to buy them the coffee – they are doing you the favor by spending the time with you, and this is a small way to show your appreciation.  Re-state your intention on why you wanted to meet with them.  “Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.  I really was interested in how you got to your position, and was hoping to learn more about it” for example.  Most importantly, ASK QUESTIONS!  In an ideal world the conversation will flow like you’re two long lost friends, but if it doesn’t you must be ready to drive the conversation by having questions prepared.  How did you start your career?  What key moments did you have a choice on where to take your career?  Who was your best boss/mentor?  What was the best advice you received early in your career?  Who do you like to network with and why?  Asking questions such as these shows that you are interested, and it will be a great way for you to learn more about this person.

The Follow Up

If you have worked up the courage to ask someone to meet you for coffee, and spent the time and energy to research the best place to meet with them, and asked them intelligent questions and learned more about their profession, then do yourself a favor and follow up with them.  Many informational interviews or coffee meetings end with some type of agreement about next steps.  As the person requesting the interview, it’s your job to follow up immediately with a ‘thank you’ to the person that has met with you.  Include in that thank you any next steps or positive takeaways that you got from the meeting.  Again, keep it positive and thankful.  Lastly, if you told this person you were going to do something, be sure and do it.  Nothing is more satisfying for someone than if their advice is taken and acted upon.  Before you know it, people will be asking you if they can buy you coffee and conduct an informational interview.