Bad cover letters are self-eliminating
Let’s start with an illustration from a real life example I’ve seen (and far too many times). The content’s slightly modified to protect the victim and to eliminate any specific information that can be traced back to the victim.
Dear hiring team,
I am writing to apply for the UX Designer job currently advertised on your company’s website.
I am an expert in UX — very familiar with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, and Invision. I can also prototype in Adobe XD and Principle, and learn new tools very quickly. In addition, I am knowledgeable in HTML, CSS, and JavaScripts.
I am an enthusiastic learner and am constantly educating myself to expand my skill set, and this has enabled me to contribute to my teams productively and effectively in all my previous jobs. I am very passionate about building state-of-the-art and user-friendly websites and mobile applications. I am very confident I would be an outstanding addition to your team.
Attached is my resume and portfolio for your consideration, and I look forward to speaking with you soon to further discussing this opportunity at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
John Doe
Instant reaction? Blahhhhhhh!
If you are on the hiring side, you probably have seen many variations of this letter and you’re likely sharing a laugh right now.
On the other hand, if you are on the job seeking side, and this resembles something I stole right out of your job application folder, then you definitely want to pay attention. A generic letter like this isn’t going to get you far for most job applications, and here’s why.
What does a generic cover letter say about you?
Your cover letter says a LOT about you. It tells the hiring team more, way more, than just the words you put in it.
Using John Doe’s letter from above, this is what hiring managers really see when they read this letter.
John Doe is a candidate who….
- has no creativity
- has no personality
- is “spraying-n-praying” and applying to every job out there that exists with the hope that one or two will hit a target
- isn’t smart enough to figure this letter is an opportunity to differentiate himself
- isn’t thoughtful
- doesn’t care enough about this company to spend a minute customizing it
Of all these offenses, perhaps the last two are the worst. In hiring, a candidate’s knowledge, skill and experience aren’t everything. We want people who are thoughtful and people who care about their work. John Doe clearly isn’t one of them, and there’s no point for me to look further into his portfolio.
This seems harsh but, in hiring, we’d rather let a headcount go unfilled than risk hiring a bad apple. The “right fit” trumps “right skills” all the time.
What you should do in a cover letter
Cover letter needs not to be a long essay, but it should be personalized. You should position it as a complement to your resume and your portfolio. Use it to create an emotional connection with the hiring team. Write casually, but professionally. Help them see what you can do for them. Highlight your 20% and tell them what makes you unique. Let your personality comes through and let it shines!
At the end of the day, it’s a game of human hiring human. We don’t hire robots (well, not yet anyway and certainly hope to never see the day when it’s the other way around….). The person behind the wonderful skill set, expertise and accomplishment is what we hope to get to know, and your cover letter is a great tool to not only showcase that, but to differentiate yourself from the other hundred applicants vying for the same job.
For more articles like this from me, check out /stevenmadesigns.
