Career Blog: Cover Letters
There’s great debate online as to whether recruiters read cover letters. The debate is a good reminder of why it’s difficult to find one way of applying for jobs that will suit everyone: selection committees are made up of individuals, each with their own preferences. So, some people will read the cover letter first. Others will read it – as long as the resume interests them. Others might read the cover letters for shortlisted candidates only. Some might not read letters at all. You likely won’t know the selection committee’s preferences in advance. That means that the gamble is more likely to pay off if you write a cover letter for those selection committee members who want to see it.
Happily, your letter does not need to repeat everything in your resume. Where your resume covers a breadth of strengths, and addresses (for McMaster jobs, at least) everything in the job posting that you can, the cover letter tells a focused story. Think of it as your elevator speech: there you are, on a short elevator ride with the selection committee. What two or three things will you tell them, so that they understand why you’d be good in the role you’re applying for?
This method works best if you really understand the requirements of the job, and if you know your strengths well. Look at the job posting: is anything highlighted in a section called “For Department Use Only”? Are there patterns in the strengths required? For example, the hiring department has gone to the effort to add to the basic job description, you know that the skills, knowledge or attitudes that they’ve highlighted are really important to them. If the job description asks for someone who can coordinate schedules, follow through on requests for information, report expenses accurately, and identify students who are missing required courses, a pattern has already emerged: anyone in this role must be organized and detail-oriented. Marvellous: patterns like that, and hints into what’s most important to the hiring department give you insight into the essentials of the role!
From that list, pick the two or three that are strongest for you, and tell a paragraph-long story about each of them. A story isn’t just a list of accomplishments, so make sure you include some interpretation, too. That could mean starting each paragraph with a clear sentence that doesn’t leave the committee guessing: “A common thread through the last five years of my work has been growing responsibility for coordination and for tasks requiring accuracy.” It can mean ending with a “happily ever after” for the hiring department, such as “I look forward to bringing my natural organizational ability to this role.” In between those introductory and concluding sentences, it can even include some excitement, in the form of big challenges you’ve faced: “Managing schedules for Dr. X included coordinating between clinic, university and hospital calendars and collaborating with staff at five sites. I am proud that those colleagues have thanked me for being organized and easy to work with.”
Career Planning