The Art of a Well Written Cover Letter and Thank-You Note

It’s the season for new grads to apply for their 1st professional job after graduating from college.  Today I offer some tips in this very competitive job market to help new grads stand out from the crowd of applicants. 
Should I write a cover letter and thank-you note post interview?  The answer is yes to both!  Here’s why: 

• The cover letter allows you to express your competent writing style.  Your resume is fairly set and gets tweaked slightly for each job but the cover letter can vary widely based upon the job you apply to. 
• The cover letter allows you to weave stories and experience that relate to the job you are pursuing.   It shows perseverance that you are going “above and beyond” just hitting “SEND” with your resume along with many other candidates.    
• You will rise from the pile of resumes that the recruiter has yet to review, creating a chance for a quickly scheduled phone interview before further competition weakens your odds.    
• You may not be an ideal fit for the job you applied for but your cover letter can share more depth and allow the recruiter to consider you for other opportunities.
• If you apply online and the company doesn’t have a vehicle to submit a cover letter, then call and ask for the email of the Recruiter and personally send it via email.  Then include both your resume and cover letter.   

Should I Write a Thank-You note?

• MOST definitely yes!  Because very few candidates do, and you will rise above your competition. 
• When I was a corporate recruiter for several years I can recall on ONE HAND how many “thank you” notes I received and it’s so easy to do!

• The “thank-you” note is another chance to convey your passion for both the company/job and how you will make an impact if they hire you. 
• It’s polite to thank people for their time.  It only takes 5 minutes or less to write a note and has a “big bang” for the price of a $.49 stamp! 
• If you interview with a group, it’s nice to send each interviewer a personal note.
• Is it OK to send thank-you’s via email?  Sure, but everyone else does it so your email may get lost in the “inbox”.  A personal note carries much more impact! 
• Select some nice cards and get ready to interview and write.  Let me know if you get the job and if a cover letter or thank-you note made the difference.  I would love to hear some success stories from my readers.