A position just opened up at your dream company. You’ve combed through your resume to make sure everything is up to date (and spelled correctly). All that’s left is to personalize your pitch with a stellar cover letter. Except — here’s the thing — it may not get read. According to a 2016 Jobvite survey, about one-quarter of recruiters say a cover letter is not important when reviewing applications. But with a little creativity, there are still ways you can highlight those intangibles that don’t always stand out on a resume but can make you the perfect fit.
Nail the Modern Resume
The extinction of the cover letter might not be a major loss, but it does mean you’ve got to get a bit more innovative with other parts of your application. This starts with the resume. Simple is better; you don’t need extravagant, custom-designed logos or neon font (unless you work in graphic design or another creative industry).
[See: 10 Things Your Mom Didn’t Teach You About Job Searching.]
Recruiters spend minutes looking over a resume if you’re lucky, so the most important thing is that it’s clean, easy to read and hits on as many of those major job requirements as possible. The good news is these are often spelled out right in the job description, so you already know exactly what they’re looking for. Tailor your resume to make sure you’re highlighting those key components in the job description, and include a summary detailing what makes you a unique candidate. Keep it short and sweet, two to three sentences at most (it’s called a summary for a reason), and really zero in on your career focus, some high-level competency or a niche interest.
After you’ve nailed the big stuff, then you can worry about peppering in other details such as personal interests. The bottom of the resume is the place to include things like hobbies, club memberships, volunteer opportunities and extracurriculars. Just make sure they’re relevant.
Make a Connection
You’ve probably heard the tired phrase, “It’s not what you know, but whom you know.” While that’s not totally true — your industry skills and expertise are important — so is developing professional relationships and creating a network of referrals.
Applicants referred to hiring managers through a personal connection are five times more likely than average to get the job, and 15 times more likely to be hired than those applying online through a job board. It makes sense, we are constantly looking to our peers for recommendations on everything from which brunch places have the best mimosas to which dentist to see and more.
The best way to network isn’t necessarily to outright ask about job opportunities at the company you’re interested in. Instead, make genuine connections by scheduling informational calls or coffee with someone who shares your passion for the industry. That way, when that perfect opportunity comes along, you’ll have a connection on the inside who can champion you as a great match for the role.
The referral has always been a stronger guarantee for recruiters than the cover letter ever was, so get out there and make some new friends.
[See: How to Follow Up on a Job Application Without Being Annoying.]
Let Social Media Tell the Story Cover Letters Used To
It probably comes as no shock that companies are looking through your social media profiles. But you might be surprised to find that recruiters aren’t interested in scouring through your every post, hunting for some embarrassing photo or profane tweet. Rather, they’re feeling out whether you might be a good culture fit.
Today, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram tell a hiring manager a lot more about you than the cover letter ever could, and it’s all fair game. Don’t make it too obvious, but get ahead of recruiters during the job hunt by curating your feeds and including your social media handles in your resume (they will find them with a quick Google search anyway). When done right, this can showcase your creative skills, personality or ability to cultivate a large following that will help land you a job.
But even if you aren’t keen on the social media scene, make darn sure you have a LinkedIn profile. It’s not only a great resource for you during the job search, but also one of the first places recruiters check out when looking at a candidate. And fair warning, you will be judged if you don’t have one.
[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]
Be About the Results
The absolute best way to capture a hiring manager’s attention (and something very few candidates actually do) is to show them how you can make a difference through results.
Most applicants list responsibilities from previous jobs on their resume, but your resume should say more than just “Hey, I did this job.” The simple fix: discuss the impact those responsibilities had.
For example, instead of putting, “Responsible for yearly budget,” write: “Managed a $200,000 annual project budget and reduced costs by 20 percent over two years.”
Recruiters are looking for employees who achieve results (after all, that’s what they pay you for), so avoid phrases like “responsible for” and “worked on” that don’t really say much about the impact you’ve made. Instead, leave a much stronger impression by quantifying your results to show hiring managers you’re looking to do more than just collect a paycheck.
While most recruiters have moved on from the cover letter, some industries or specific jobs (especially those where writing is prevalent) might still ask for one. If so, be sure to explain how you came across the opportunity and how your qualifications match the job requirements. But don’t overdo it. Selling yourself as the “perfect fit” when you’re actually not can be a huge turnoff for hiring managers. Instead, stick to being humble. Share your passion for the work and eagerness to learn what you don’t know. If you do that — plus follow the tips above in the case recruiters don’t read your letter — you’ll set yourself up to land that next big opportunity in no time.
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What to Do if Recruiters Don’t Have Time to Read Your Cover Letter originally appeared on usnews.com
