Cover Letters Start Conversations
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Remember when you were in high school or college, and there was someone across the room you really wanted to meet? Remember how you would do anything just to start a conversation so you could get to know each other?

When the "someone" you really want to meet is a potential employer, keep that crowded party in mind as you write your cover letter! Use the letter as a way to initiate an interesting conversation -- one the other person will want to continue. Here are some guidelines:

Before you say (write) anything, what information can you find out first? Who is this person? What's his/her name? What do they care about? What's going on in their world? Remember how you'd ask your friends to give you "the scoop" on the person you wanted to get to know? Do your research on the employer -- and the position, industry, and hiring manager -- too.

Get introduced if at all possible. It's always easier to meet someone for the first time and start a conversation if you have a friend in common. In that crowded room, you're no longer a stranger when someone introduces you. So, explore your network to see if you can find a connection. If your cover letter starts with something like "Joe Smith suggested I contact you to explore...," your reader is already paying attention.

Kick the conversation off well. If you want to get to know someone at a party, you don't want to bore them. Avoid it in a letter too! Try to start the letter off with something to capture their attention. Not: "I read with interest your posting on www.connecticutjobnetwork.com." But instead something like: "I am a senior executive with deep industry expertise and a record of driving business change and delivering exceptional financial results." It doesn't have to be clever and catchy, but let it communicate something interesting and relevant to this particular person.

Convey your genuine interest in them. You need to share information about yourself in the letter, but the reader needs to know you really care about him/her too. This is where your research pays off -- to help you customize the letter and talk about how you can meet their needs. So the language is not a constant stream of: "I did this, I know that, I, I, I, me, me, me...." It's also things like: "I have long admired your organization's [share some insight into their mission, products, services, etc.]" And/or "My research into your company suggests...." And/or "I understand that your company is facing [specific issue]; I addressed exactly this kind of issue when I worked at...."

Distinguish yourself. You wanted the person at the party to remember you, right? Same goal for the cover letter. So, be sure to share information that's memorable: your special skills, your specific experience, and especially the results you've achieved. Let them see your unique brand -- the value you bring.

Every letter and every situation are different, but the principle is always the same: Your cover letter is not a boring formality or a flat one-way communication. Take care in writing it, as you would in initiating conversation with someone you really want to know. You just might make a real (and lasting) connection.