Entrepreneurial Freedom

A Cover Letter Should Show Nothing ‘More’ Than The Real McCoy

By Beverley Neil CERW, CRW

I recently read a very apt modern day description of what a cover letter really is - or has evolved into being - Career Marketing Letters.

They have passed the point of simply ‘covering’ the résumé and formally announcing that you are forwarding your application for job title so and so to being powerful documents in their own right.

If you are considering adding résumé writing to your services, you will need to understand that while the résumé is a hard hitting, concise and factual document, the cover letter is where your client’s personality gets a chance to shine through.

Yes, the employer wants to know the facts of what your client has achieved and how he or she meets the company’s specific requirements, but the employer also wants to know your client, the individual, and how they communicate and express themselves.

As the résumé writer, this can create a tricky balancing act. You want and need to sell your client, but you also need to showcase ‘the person’ and keep the communication to within the limits of how your client communicates. With some clients - very tricky.

So how do you approach a cover letter for a client who communicates in a down-to-earth manner? With honesty and integrity for the individual.

You can never falsely sell anyone. Remember, it is not you who will be sitting at the interview trying to live up to a false image. Yes, by presenting a great oratory you may win the interview for your client and praise for your skills, but at what cost.

In this example both polish and integrity of the individual has been maintained by drawing upon the individual’s own words to bring out the personality that will greet a potential interviewer:

“Over the 25 years I have been involved in the smash repairs industry I have always maintained pace with technology and am known for taking up state-of-the-art methods in advance of my competitors. The best buzz I get is the look in a young boy’s or a man’s eyes when I show them something they have never done, or I show them how to fix the problem and it all comes together for them.”

Including an expression such as ‘the best buzz’ may not be considered precise, professional writing, but it does demonstrate the individual’s personality and enthusiasm and way of communicating.

So, yes, sell your client as powerfully as possible, but only ever within the bounds of who your client really is and how he or she will communicate in a face-to-face situation.

If you would like to learn more about writing powerful online cover letters and résumés please visit www.onlineresumewriterscourse.com or feel free to contact Beverley direct on d_scriptive@optusnet.com.au

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