Each year, Career Directors International hosts the TORI (Toast of the Resume Industry) international awards competition. This year, Career Solvers received five nominations and three 2nd place awards in the following categories:

• Best Executive Resume
• Best Creative Resume
• Best Cover Letter

A cover letter is recommended when sending a resume to a hiring manager or recruiter. The letter allows the job seeker to tailor their resume to the open position and start a dialogue with the hiring authority. Here are ten tips for more powerful cover letters.

1. Begin your cover letter with a compelling statement. Rather than starting your cover letter with a reference to the position you are applying for, write a statement that aligns your candidacy with the organization, industry, or job function you are targeting.
2. Minimize the use of the word “I”. Vary your sentences to keep the reader engaged.
3. Ask for the interview. Create a strong call to action in your letter by expressing your interest in the company and requesting an in-person interview.
4. Match your qualifications to the requirements of the job. Create a cover letter that addresses each job requirement point by point. The stronger the match you can make between the two, the greater the likelihood of securing the interview.
5. Build rapport with your audience. Discuss relevant business issues and ask thought provoking questions to show your reader that you recognize their needs.
6. Include a famous quote to make your point. Incorporating quotes that are relevant to the topics discussed in your letter is a great way to create an interesting and memorable document.
7. Keep the letter to one page. Keep your cover letters short and use short paragraphs and bulleted lists to keep the reader’s attention and make it easy for them to determine the match between your qualifications and their open job.
8. Address the hiring authority by name. The likelihood of building rapport with the reader and validating your interest in the job is increased when the inside cover address refers to the specific person rather than “Dear Sir”. Whenever possible, sleuth around for additional information on the hiring manager so you can personalize your letter.
9. Reference the position you are applying for. Be sure to mention the job title and job number in the body of your letter as well as in your email subject line. Many hiring authorities request this information and your inability to follow their instructions could jeopardize your candidacy.
10. Sign your name. In this age of email, sometimes people forget to do this. If you are sending a letter regular mail, include your handwritten signature. If your correspondence is via email, create an electronic signature.

A visitor to my site recently asked me to critique a letter he was sending to someone he saw speak at a professional conference. The purpose of the letter was to introduce himself and request an informational interview. Like many of the introductory letters I see, the letter was very general and lacked the information necessary to compel the reader to pick up the phone and say “come on in”.Like cover letters, letters of introduction must contain evidence of your past successes and an overview of how these successes are transferable to another business environment. Don’t just tell your reader that you are a fast learner, an out-of-the-box thinker or a great communicator…these attributes are meaningless unless they are discussed within the context of your achievements.

A better strategy, when writing an introductory letter, is to identify your profession and core competencies and then list three quantifiable examples of your success within this profession. For example, don’t just say that you are detail-oriented…say that your attention to detail is evident from the $300,000 in accounting errors you uncovered last year or your ability to master five new computer software products in under three months is proof of your ability to learn new things quickly.

Remember, when you send a letter seeking an introductory meeting, you need to differentiate yourself and your most marketable skills. Ultimately you want the person you are trying to meet to become an advocate for your candidacy who can introduce you to a potential hiring manager or decision maker.

Today a client asked me to explain the differences between the resume and the cover letter. Many people assume that the cover letter is just a formality and simply something hiring managers and recruiters have come to expect. But the cover letter serves a much higher purpose. Job search is about building relationships and proving to a prospective employer that you are a good fit for the organization and someone who will forge a positve relationship with the firm. Your cover letter is your first opportunity to establish rapport with an employer. With a style that’s less “formulaic” than the resume, the cover letter allows you to interject more about your personal brand and competencies and identify your reasons for career progressions, shifts, and detours. In a sense, the cover letter humanizes the process of search and lessens the tedium managers face when combing through a mountain of resumes. In addition, a good cover letter addresses the employer’s needs and showcases the candidate’s ability to figure out employers’ problems and proactive solutions. So next time you draft a cover letter, think of it as a key “touchpoint” with a hiring manager, rather than a required form letter.