Tailor your cover letter for each job

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In my previous life, I reviewed a lot of cover letters. All too often, the cover letters would discuss the applicant's qualifications and background, but would fail to address the qualities I referenced in the job description.

Now when I write a new cover letter, I always start with the job description, and craft my letter around it. I identify key traits, qualities, and experiences that the job requires, and then structure my letter to address how my background makes me a good fit for the position. I see the letter as an opportunity to explain how the experiences listed on my resume qualify for this particular position.

This approach inevitably takes longer than sending a stock cover letter, but also gets a lot more responses. Remember that the potential employer reading your cover letter is less interested in who you are than they are in finding the right fit for the job - it's not about you, it's about them, and your cover letter should reflect that.

What pitfalls have you seen in cover letters? Share your suggestions for job seekers in the comments!

Katie Ellis is Data Training Coordinator at NOI

P.S. MIT has some excellent resources for cover letters, resumes, interviewing, etc.

Photo from aresauburn™, via Creative Commons