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First sentence is key to a great cover letter

By Melanie Nayer, Globe Correspondent, 9/11/2005

Whether you're applying for an entry-level financial position, or vying for a top-level public relations job, the perfect cover letter is what separates the job seeker from the jobless.

While there is no one formula for writing a cover letter, career counselors and staffing professionals say the best thing to do is capture the audience in the first sentence.

''Understand who you are writing to,'' said Jennifer Shire, director of the Center for Career Development at Babson College. ''Someone who is going for a career in advertising is going to present themselves in a different manner than an accountant. But the best rule of thumb is to keep it simple.''

Take yourself back to grade school, recommends Shire, and recapture the essentials of the five paragraph essay: the introduction, the three body paragraphs, and the conclusion.

''Your cover letter should have an opening statement, followed by a body with two or three points and examples of how you prove those points, and then a closing paragraph,'' said Shire. ''Use a block format, left margins, and bullet points. Give it to me quick because I don't have time to read two pages and employers are flooded with talented content.''

Regardless of the type of position you're seeking, Shire said employers will look for well-written cover letters without spelling mistakes that directly address the position available.

In today's electronic world, e-mail is fast replacing the traditional snail-mail cover letter and resumes combination. While e-mail is certainly more efficient, career specialists say mistakes that occur in e-mailed cover letters can cost the job seeker the job.

''With e-mail, you run the risk of cutting and pasting and putting the wrong name or company in the letter, so proofread before you hit send,'' said Shire.

Marc Karasu, career expert and vice president of Yahoo HotJobs, said the most common mistake made by job applicants is typos. Using spell check and reading the cover out loud before sending will help weed out mistakes, said Karasu. ''Read the letter out loud to avoid mistakes the computer missed,'' he said.

Karasu said it's important to clearly identify in the cover letter what position you are applying for because recruiters and staffing firms receive hundreds of resumes and cover letters for job openings.

''Cover letters should be tailored specifically for the position and should include the name of the company, department, and if possible, the actual person reviewing the resume,'' said Karasu. ''Recruiters receive hundreds of cover letters so keep the letter to one page or less.''

State what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you, advised Karasu. ''A major red flag for recruiters is a cover letter discussing why the applicant needs the job instead of why he or she would be valuable for the company.''

Karasu suggested the applicant highlight his or her achievements and strengths with confidence, but don't exaggerate, brag or lie.

Heather Rice, area vice president for staffing firm Adecco in Boston and Quincy, reminds job seekers that the cover letter is the first impression a company will have of you.

''It allows you to summarize your resume but also sell yourself before opening your resume, because sometimes the resume doesn't tell the whole story,'' said Rice.

''There is a lot more to someone than what appears on paper, so the cover letter is the opportunity to outline strengths and position you for the job.''

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