2016 Cover Letter Tips7 Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter in 2016

The cover letter as we know it, is dead.

In May Microsoft published an interesting study detailing research on the changes in our attention spans over the last several years. From 2000 to 2013 our attention spans dropped from 12 seconds to a mere eight seconds. We now have an attention span one second shorter than that of a goldfish. Let that sink in for a minute … Which makes me wonder … What effect does dwindling attention span have on our job searches—and our cover letters?

How We Write Cover Letters Now

Super text-dense, making up one full page—sometimes more—in content. A long-winded introduction that doesn’t add value to the candidate but merely states

where you heard about the position and why you may be interested. A lengthy body of text consisting of 2-3 paragraphs—that typically either repeats

points in the resume or tries to make a connection between experience and the position to which you’re applying.

A long closing paragraph—which may or may not include a follow-up method or contact information.

Some people get carried away and delve into a long career narrative or life story.

HOW WE NEED TO WRITE COVER LETTERS

– Also referred to as an E-Note, Power Note, or Value Proposition Letter.

Tip #1: Keep It Short Before You Lose Them

Our shortened attention spans are the result of the digital age—it has changed the way we consume information; our brains are changing, and it’s affecting more than just how we use our mobile devices or consume content online. It’s changing how we conduct our job searches, requiring that we state only the most critical information—in the most concise way.

Tip #2 – Mobile Devices Rule the DayE-notes have to meet the demand of an increasingly mobile device-dependent audience. An e-note—which is the content in the e-mail that your resume is attached to—should be brief and fit on a single screen without having to scroll. Strive to use fewer than 150 words so the entire text will be optimized to fit on a mobile screen without scrolling.

Tip #3 – Create SpaceIncorporate plenty of white space when you write your e-note. Using white space in your e-note breaks up content into digestible pieces.

Tip #4: Ask/State to Engage and Fascinate

I teach job seekers to write a Value Proposition Letter—that always starts with an interesting question or fascinating fact. For example, my value proposition letter might start out by asking:

Are you a hectic CIO with no time to write your resume?Or it might say: Are you a time-pressed executive being recruited for a dream role that requires a resume

yesterday? I’m speaking to my audience: Busy CIOs and time-pressed executives—while also

recognizing and acknowledging their problem. They need a resume NOW—and they don’t have the time to do it themselves.

Tip #5: The Solution to the Problem Use 3 short bullets with provable results:

My clients enjoy results like these: In 2 weeks or less my clients are going on

several interviews. Resume response rates increase

immediately by 75%. 80% are employed in 2 months or less,

crushing the average job search time by more than 50%.

Have their attention? Great. Now show them you have the solution to their problem: YOU!

Tip #6: A Formula to Follow

Use the following point to keep your e-note creation easy. You won’t have to start from scratch every time you write a new one, and writing will be easier and faster. Remember to keep each point short! Engage or fascinate Target the need You are the solution Prove it! Money – Employers want to know how you made it, saved it, or contributed to it Brand – Make the connection Close with a call to action Edit - 150 words or fewer

Tip #7: Call to Action

When I write value proposition letters for my clients I end with a call to action. Mine might say:

Ready for results like these? Let’s chat!

Yours could say:Want to learn more? Visit my website

http://www.greatresumesfast.comOr:

Interested? Let’s talk! Call me at 1.800.991.5187

Customize your call to action in any way you want. Get them to take action—whether that action is to call you, e-mail, view your LinkedIn profile, or visit your online resume. Don’t let them stop after reading your e-note; you want them to be so compelled by the solution you provide that they just have to act.Keep these tips in mind as you write your next cover letter, and you’ll be miles ahead of your competitors.

Having a hard time writing your own cover letter? Let’s chat! Visit my website at http://www.greatresumesfast.com, call my office at 1.800.991.5187 or connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss how I help busy job seekers create interview-winning cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn profiles that cut their job search time by 50% or more and secure interviews in 2 weeks or less.