Why target cover letters?
Why do target cover letters matter? If you don’t write the cover letter to a specific job description, there really is no reason to write the cover letter. To whom it may concern letters don’t get you a job.
Why target cover letters?
The cover letter is a sales tool used to clearly match your skills with the job target and sell you to the next employer. In the ideal cover letter, you demonstrate why you are a great candidate for the position.
By creating target cover letters, you show value you bring to the company and how you alone can solve their problems.
Example of content for target cover letters:
- Selected as Project Superintendent for ABC Paper Machine optimization project, I streamlined project purchasing process.
- As Purchasing Manager, I selected reliable suppliers to deliver quantities of materials required for each project. As I directed our team of 160 craft workers, we consistently completed projects ahead of schedule.
- I sold, estimated, and managed multi-million dollar projects annually with a 21% gross margin, primarily in pulp and paper.
- Corporate management struggled with the ineffective billing system, I designed the new claims deductible billing system.
- I designed a system to correctly bill deductibles and developed a tracking system to analyze repayments for deductibles, improving repayments from 60% to 85%.
Examples of paragraphs in target cover letters:
You want a Project Manager who appreciates modernization of a centrally operated IT infrastructure. Your ideal candidate will lead effective continuity of operations and security programs for CIT-operated services. I played a key role replacing legacy systems to bring my company to this level of technology.
You seek a business consultant for your primary market. As a successful sales leader, I cultivated positive relationships with physicians and health care providers, such as Diabetes Educators. I understand how critical those relationships are to sales growth. My reputation in consultative selling is stellar. When we meet, I will provide multiple examples of how I maximized sales using targeted accounts combined with customer needs analysis.
Job search without target cover letters
As you can see by the examples, each speaks to accomplishments and value. If your cover letter doesn’t demonstrate your value, it is useless.
When you think about target cover letters, focus on the value you bring. You will write a winning cover letter to get you in the door for the interview.
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A targeted cover letter is so important! With email being used a good deal to submit resumes to companies, the cover letter is the first thing that will be seen. It simply makes sense that a cover letter should be well-targeted to give a reason to click on the attached resume.
Another thing I have used on cover letters is a direct quote about the person that pertains to the position, usually drawn from a LinkedIn recommendation or an annual review. This offers a testimonial that goes beyond just the applicant saying s/he can do the job.
Good ideas, Melissa! I’m glad you mentioned that with the e-mail submission the cover letter is in the body of the e-mail. Many people don’t realize that what they say in the body of the e-mail is as much of a sales tool as the traditional cover letter that is sent snail mail.