Saying It Again: Make It Unique for Each Company

From: Karen Silins

If you learned nothing else from this guide, you should have learned that you must tailor your letter to the employer. You need to make it individual enough that the employer knows you thought about this particular job and that you're not just sending a formula letter out to every company in town. Of course, that doesn't mean you need to write a completely new letter each time. You probably are applying to one or two types of job – right? After all, most of us have a particular position or field in mind.

If you want to work in finance, you're going to apply to companies in that realm. If you want to work as a waitress, there's not much variety in terms of what you need to say to each restaurant. If you hope to become a news reporter for a local paper, you can send pretty much the same application to each of those papers.

Nonetheless, you need to personalize each letter so it appears to be tailored for that particular employer. The easiest way to do this is to include details about the company that show you did your homework. Perhaps you could mention the corporate mission statement or philosophy and how it reflects your own personal values.

You might comment on a recent, positive news story about the company. Showing your interest in the organization by relaying information not available in the job posting demonstrates your willingness to "go the extra mile." Such actions will set you apart from other candidates.

If you know someone who works at the company, ask him if you can use his name in your letter. Mentioning a reference who's already employed there can make the person doing the hiring sit up and take notice of you. It's an effective way to make your letter unique with just a few words.

Another option is to think about the company and try to come up with some aspect of it that's special or different from other companies in the field. For instance, if you're applying to a publishing company, you might cite a recent best-seller or a high-profile author to show you've paid attention to the company's track record.

The bottom line is that an employer wants to know that you've seriously considered his company and that you aren't just blanketing the local economy with the same cover letters. A few well-placed details can go a long way in terms of convincing him that you're serious.

Of course, you must always make sure that the skills you list match the requirements in the job description. You can use the same basic cover letter from company to company, but you should remove any irrelevant information and add any pertinent information.

Remember, you can keep the same salutation, personal background information, and conclusion. That's a substantial amount of material, so taking the time to ensure that it's in good shape in the first place will save you a lot of time in the end.

Karen Silins has been a professional resume and cover letter writer for 16 years and is the acting president and executive board member of the Association of Online Resume & Career Professionals

For more information about writing a cover letter that will grab the employer’s attention, please visit: http://www.breakthrough-cover-letters.com/