There is the debate that cover letters are dead, but the reality is that some companies still request them, so you want to be prepared.
An estimated 26% of recruiters consider cover letters to be an important factor as they make decisions on hiring.
Additionally, up to 56% of employers appreciate a cover letter with the resume.
Cover letters should generally include information that is geared towards expressing your passions and qualifications as an ideal job candidate.
This is what the hiring managers, recruiters, and employers are looking for.
So, you must know the proper ways to show passion in a cover letter.
Open With a Personal Greeting
Use the name of the person you are going to speak with if you know it.
If that is not possible, try greetings that look like you are addressing the “position.” For example: “Dear [person’s name]” or “Dear [Department] Team.”
Skip the bland, “To whom it may concern.”
Here are a few reasons it makes a huge difference to use the name of the reader:
- You convey passion in a polite way by showing that you are personable.
- You show respect in that you did the research to find out who you will be speaking with.
- You are also directly addressing a person by name, which is a very engaging way to get their attention.
This is especially true if the person reading the cover letter has already read hundreds of boring cover letters with an impersonal opening.
Show You Researched the Company and Job
Anyone can say, “I really want this job because I love the company.”
Do the work and take your passion a step further.
- Demonstrate that you know something about the company.
- Then tie it into something you feel passionate about.
For example, try saying something like this:
I was excited to see one of the responsibilities for this position involves [here is where you tie in your passion].
In order to be able to write something like this, you have to thoroughly read the job description and take time to review the company website.
More so, you have to know what you are passionate about before applying.
You can also mention in your cover letter that you are aware of customer experiences others have had with the company or state something about the recent direction the business seems to be headed in.
This shows that you follow the company and care about what happens to it.
Describe Your Qualifications With Powerful Verbs and Action Words
A great way to show passion is by using words that help someone visualize you in the act of working for the company.
The more active and colorful your words, the better.
Sounding passive or apologetic makes your cover letter read as if you lack the passion to work for the company.
Here is a list of action verbs to get a better idea of the types of action words you can use in a cover letter.
Explain Your Quantifiable, Concrete Results
Think of those times in your life when you know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you achieved something great.
- Now, take some time to practice and write about it.
- Once you’re done, read it back to yourself.
- How do you generally describe your accomplishments?
Determine if you describe your concrete results in a way that sounds apologetic, shy, or lacking strength.
If so, change it!
When you finally write your cover letter, be sure to explain the unbreakable, concrete results of things you had worked on in the past.
It is one thing to make a statement like this:
I worked on this project as part of a team and we succeeded in reaching sales goals.
While positive, it merely sounds like you showed up to work and did a job.
Now consider this next statement of achievement:
I created and executed a strategy from scratch that led to $1M in new revenue sales.
This provides a concrete detail and it sounds like the applicant has a passion.
You can be sure this will come across in a positive way to the hiring manager.
List Reasons Why You Are Personally and Professionally Excited to Apply
When you take the job description and list out why you are excited about each and every requirement (without writing a book), you show yourself as a passionate human who considers how you can bring value to the company.
Listing your skills is not enough. The passion comes in seeing how you explain the excitement of getting to use them and how.
Consider this example from a cover letter by Find My Profession, written for an operations leader job candidate:
As an accomplished operations leader with over 20 years of experience in distribution, logistics, and facilities management, I’ve consistently succeeded by effectively developing and executing service strategies in driving significant growth and exceptional service.
I have a proven track record of building and leading high performing teams, and aligning operations with corporate goals. In consideration of ABC’s posting for the operations leader position, I am confident my skills and background align with the requirements of this role.
Tailor the Cover Letter to the Job
Template cover letters just do not cut it.
You have to show your passion by tailoring your cover letter to the job at hand.
Remember cover letters are also a chance to show off your writing skills, too.
Write about things that make you feel passionate, and chances are that you have a leg up on those without writing experience who try to submit cover letters.
Closing Thoughts
If you’d prefer to leave your resume and cover letter in the hands of professionals, we can help.
Find My Profession is a top-rated professional resume writing service with a focus on senior and executive-level job seekers.
We also offer a package that includes a fully customizable cover letter for any position and company.
Job searching is hard enough as it is. The last thing you want to do is risk being passed up for your dream job because of an inferior cover letter.
Contact us today and see how we can help land your dream job.
