Try a BLT When Creating Your Next Cover Letter!

During transition, we often fret over our resumes, spending hours translating military skills into something relatable to civilians, seeking advice, and tailoring for a specific job. Significant mental energy is dedicated to this critical job seeking essential. However, when it comes to the online application, exhaustion often sets in and there is little energy left for the meager and neglected cover letter.

In any job search, the question of the cover letter is sure to arise. When it does, contemplate the following:

- Do I really need a cover letter?
- Is anyone going to read this?
- Should I just use a generic cover letter format and get this task over with?
- With my relevant information in the resume, do I need to spend much time on this?

Experts in the placement field say that the well-written cover letter - not the resume - will land you more job interviews. As a transitioning service member, it would be a tragic mistake not to spend the time and effort necessary for a personalized cover letter each time you submit an application.

But, how do you rapidly construct a great cover letter?

Create a cover letter with a tasty BLT!

Your cover letter needs to be Brief, with superb Layout, and must be highly Transportable. Here are a few tips!

B - Brief

Do not overdo your letter. A short, pithy, excited and to the point cover letter will get read. HR folks are not going read through a long boring document when they are quickly scanning for the right candidate. Often times, less is more. One page is the maximum you should ever write.

Make sure your cover letter communicates what you can do for the business, how you will benefit the company, and your bottom line. You may need to take a few minutes and perform some internet searches to relate your added value in clear terms.

L - Layout

Address your cover letter to a real person! Find out who will receive the cover letter and address your cover letter to him/her. If you cannot get this information, open with a subject line – something like: “Cover Letter: Your Name, Your Credential”. Remember, “Dear HR Team Member” is lame. Calling the front desk and asking who you should address the letter to shouldn’t be shied away from.

Open the cover letter with a hook. The first sentence must grip the reader. The hook will almost guarantee your cover letter and resume get a much closer look. You can do this through one of several methods, but it should be a way that is true to yourself and your personality and experience.

Be excited! You can express your excitement for the job opportunity. This translates to motivation and dedication. This will make HR want to find out more about your qualifications.

Use keywords. Since scanning or applicant tracking systems are widely used, another approach to using an opening line is to make it keyword-heavy. Do this by throwing in the terms that are used in the job description as frequently as possible.

Don’t be afraid to name drop. Using a personal connection is a foreign concept to many service members; we just don’t do this in the military. If someone in your professional network refers you, don’t hesitate to drop the name straight away. This is done all the time in the civilian world; in fact, people often receive referral payments for doing so. Remember, time is money and this method helps HR rapidly fill positions with quality candidates who are already known to their staff.

Integrate current events. Your cover letter opener can influence employers by demonstrating your knowledge of recent news associated with the company and relating that to the position you are applying for. But remember to let them know why you would be the best candidate as related to this news - don’t just drop a current event and dive into your unrelated qualifications.

T - Transportable

You want to be able to rapidly reuse your cover letter over and over again. So you need to create a folder for cover letters. You need to be able to quickly tailor the opening and cover letter body to relate your skills to the essential elements of the job announcement. Don’t forget to save your cover letter for quick modification and future use.

Always reread your cover letter before sending it in for obvious, job disqualifying errors, such as using the wrong name of the company or the position you are applying for.

Ensure you have an enthusiastic ending and request something. Ask the employer for some kind of action. Go ahead and request an opportunity to interview this week or at the earliest convenience. You don’t get what you don’t ask for. This is often a great way to end your cover letter. Thank them for the opportunity. Your closing should assume you are going to land the interview.

Bottom line...

As a transitioning service member, the cover letter is your marketing sheet. There is only one purpose of the cover letter…..get job interviews. Use some of the strategies listed here and you will get quality job interviews. The more interviews you attend, the wider range of opportunities you will receive. Remember, applying and interviewing for jobs is a career long process and it takes lots of practice.