Not Landing Any Interviews? Check Your Cover Letter

For most job candidates, cover letters are the least important part of the job search process. After all, there’s networking, resumes, interviews, and a host of other activities to undertake.

But, as one of the leading recruiting agencies in Houston, Murray Resources knows that if you’re not taking the opportunity to put your best foot forward in a great cover letter, then you’re missing out. Your cover letter can actually be the one detail that sets you apart from a sea of other candidates with similar experience. And it could be the reason you get called in for an interview.

Why? Because hiring managers are scanning a vast number of resumes everyday, which can begin to blur together. However, when a candidate showcases a distinct personality, strong motivation and unique experience through their cover letter, it piques the interest of the hiring manager. Simply put: They want to learn more about you. Don’t pass up the opportunity!

To help you put together an engaging cover letter, here are a few tips to follow:

Tell them why you want the job.

What made you apply to the position in the first place? Why are you interested in working for the employer? What grabbed your attention most about the job posting?

Showing a personal interest in the company and the job is your first step in getting noticed by the hiring manager.

Don’t regurgitate your resume.

The cover letter is not another place to simply re-recite all the facts and details available on your resume. It’s your opportunity to let your personality shine through. The hiring manager is perfectly capable of scanning your resume and learning about your background.

Use your cover letter as a way to add something new about you – a fresh angle, a different perspective, dynamic work habits, or personal feedback from a manager.

Don’t make vague or exaggerated statements.

Ever start your cover letter with something like: “I feel I am the best candidate for the job”? Stay away from these kinds of statements! They’re empty, mean nothing to the hiring manager, don’t set you apart, and take up valuable real estate on your cover letter.

Keep the tone conversational.

Your cover letter does not need to be written in the most formal tone possible. Instead, be conversational, engaging, and warm. While you don’t want to use slang words, or be too causal, you do want to sound like a real person, not some robotic candidate.

Write a new cover letter for every job you apply to.

Cue collective groans. But really this is time well spent. Hiring managers have seen enough cover letters to spot a form one or template in a second. So when you take the time to craft a unique letter, you will stand out in a positive way.

Need more help writing a cover letter that gets results? Call Murray Resources. As one of the leading recruiting agencies in Houston, we can help you with your cover letter, along with the entire job search process – from preparing for interviews to finding job opportunities that are a good fit for your skills and background.

Ready to get started? Contact us today.