The dreaded cover letter. Nobody likes writing them, but they are a necessary evil. Most job applications require them and even if they don’t require them, you should include one anyway. So what’s the deal with the cover letter? It is your introduction to the reader to your resume among other things. But more than that, it is your chance to give an extended version of your 30 second commercial or elevator speech.
Here are my do’s:
-Tell the reader who you are and why you are writing. Where you went/are going to school, where you are currently working, etc.
-If there is a specific position or department that you are interested in, say it.
-If you are the perfect fit for what they are looking for, let them know. If you did Facility Operations for a college athletics’ department and are applying for a Facility Operations role at a professional stadium or arena, explain the similarities and the transferable skills you have.
-Name drop. This is more important in the sports industry than any other industry.
-Thank them for their time; offer to follow-up (and then actually follow-up).
-Keep it to 2/3 of a page at most. HR and Recruiters in sports get thousands of applications each week, keep it short, simple, and to the point.
-Customize it to each situation.
-Find an actual person to address it to. Use Google, the company’s website, or LinkedIn.
Here are my don’ts:
-Don’t regurgitate your resume.
-Don’t say that you are interested in sales, marketing, operations, finance, and accounting. “I’ll do anything” is not a good strategy here.
-Don’t send a stock cover letter template.
-Don’t address it to “To whom it may concern”.
-Don’t have any spelling or grammatical errors. This is essentially a writing sample!
-Don’t offer to follow-up (with a call or email) and then not do it.
Lastly, read it over a few times and then ask others to read it over. Like a resume, cover letters need to be tweaked, edited, and fine-tuned.
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