{"id":2975,"date":"2018-02-24T00:11:20","date_gmt":"2018-02-24T00:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fmpblog-staging.findmyprofession.com\/career-advice\/6-ways-to-craft-an-attention-grabbing-cover-letter\/"},"modified":"2023-01-16T05:04:23","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T05:04:23","slug":"6-ways-to-craft-an-attention-grabbing-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/career-advice\/6-ways-to-craft-an-attention-grabbing-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Craft an Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Think of your <a href=\"https:\/\/findmyprofession.com\/career-advice\/how-to-write-an-amazing-cover-letter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cover letter<\/a>\u00a0like it\u2019s the first page of a book.<\/p><p>Most hiring managers only scan a cover letter for a couple of seconds.<\/p><p>Then they move on to the next one.<\/p><p>You want your cover letter to grasp the reader&#8217;s&nbsp;attention&nbsp;in a way that makes them want to keep reading to the very last word.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Introduction is Everything<\/h2><p>The key to an attention-grabbing cover letter is the very first sentence.<\/p><p>You want your opening sentence to catch the reader\u2019s attention.<\/p><p>In other words, <em>it needs to be interesting.<\/em><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>One way to do this is by starting with a professional anecdote.<\/li>\n\n<li>It hooks the reader and gives your cover letter some personality. &nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Here is a cover letter example for a Flight Attendant position at Delta Airlines:<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group fmp-border\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><p>I have always been a dreamer. <\/p>\n\n<p>When I was four years old, I dreamed I would grow wings like a butterfly. Then when I was seven, I dreamed that I would invent the very first flying car. <\/p>\n\n<p>Now I am older, and I realize those dreams weren\u2019t exactly achievable (yet), but my passion for flying has never left me. <\/p>\n\n<p>For me, being a flight attendant isn\u2019t just about the job.\u00a0It\u2019s being able to work and achieve my dream of flight every single day. <\/p>\n\n<p>So, I told you why working for Delta Airlines is perfect for me, now let me tell you how I can be an asset to Delta Airlines.<\/p><\/div><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Add a Slogan<\/h2><p>A slogan should express the value you bring to an employer.<\/p><p>It\u2019s a brief statement that can be placed under your name at the top of your letter in the far-left margin, or in italics at the bottom of your cover letter.<\/p><p>This tagline helps to leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager.<\/p><p><strong>Below are some examples of taglines for\u00a0several industries<\/strong>:<\/p><div class=\"fmp-quote blog-inner__response \">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-inner__response-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"blog-inner__response__icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-content\/themes\/fmp\/dist\/img\/blue-quote-left.png\" width=\"80px\" height=\"80px\" alt=\"quote icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Tagline for a web developer:<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Creating secure, user-friendly websites for your business needs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"fmp-quote blog-inner__response \">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-inner__response-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"blog-inner__response__icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-content\/themes\/fmp\/dist\/img\/blue-quote-left.png\" width=\"80px\" height=\"80px\" alt=\"quote icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Tagline for a sales professional:<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Closing sales, overcoming challenges, and crushing quotas.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"fmp-quote blog-inner__response \">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-inner__response-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"blog-inner__response__icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-content\/themes\/fmp\/dist\/img\/blue-quote-left.png\" width=\"80px\" height=\"80px\" alt=\"quote icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Tagline for a customer service rep:<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Showing customers that you care;\u00a0it\u2019s only fair.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"fmp-quote blog-inner__response \">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-inner__response-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"blog-inner__response__icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-content\/themes\/fmp\/dist\/img\/blue-quote-left.png\" width=\"80px\" height=\"80px\" alt=\"quote icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Tagline for a recruiter:<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Helping talented individuals find the job of their dreams.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><p>Spend some time thinking about the value you would bring to the company.<\/p><p>Try working that into a personal slogan that is unique and memorable.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Be Confident<\/h2><p>Showing confidence in your cover letter shows an employer that you believe you have what it takes to do the job you are applying for.<\/p><p>Don\u2019t end your cover letter with a phrase like, \u201cI hope to hear from you soon.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>Instead, try something like, \u201cI look forward to hearing back from you.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><p>This shows confidence.<\/p><p>You want the job and you are qualified to do it, so act like it.<\/p><p>But don\u2019t be over-confident, as this can make you seem overqualified.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Be True to Yourself<\/h2><p>You want your cover letter to show who you are.<\/p><p>You want to demonstrate that you are a real person and give the reader an idea of how you will be a great culture fit for their company.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Show a little bit of your personality in your cover letter.<\/li>\n\n<li>Add some humor in places where it would be applicable.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><p>Would you want to read through over 100 cover letters that all essentially say the same thing?<\/p><p>No, you aren\u2019t a robot. Luckily, robots don\u2019t read your cover letter;&nbsp;humans do.<\/p><p>So, don\u2019t be afraid to show your humanity.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Find the Addressee<\/h2><p>Do everything you can to find out who will be reading your cover letter.<\/p><p>This way, you can address them directly.<\/p><p>If your cover letter is addressed, \u201cTo Whom It May Concern,\u201d&nbsp;you have already made your first mistake, and you haven\u2019t even gotten to the actual letter.&nbsp;<\/p><p>If the name isn\u2019t listed in the job posting, go to LinkedIn. Look up the company&#8217;s name and try to find the person who is responsible for doing the hiring for the position you are applying for.&nbsp;<\/p><p>If you can\u2019t find it, call&nbsp;the company and ask&nbsp;for the hiring manager&#8217;s name.<\/p><p>If all else fails and you can\u2019t find an actual name to address your cover letter to, default to \u201cDear Hiring Manager\u201d.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Do Your Research<\/h2><p>Researching the company you are applying for is vital.<\/p><p>Personalizing your cover letter with information about the company shows that you want the job. You want to make it evident that your <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.comcareer-advice\/targeted-resume\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resume is\u00a0tailored<\/a> to the company you are applying for.\u00a0<\/p><p>Hiring managers automatically assume that you are going to send off the same resume and cover letter to every job that you apply to.<\/p><p>So, demonstrate that this is <em>not <\/em>what you are doing.<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Don\u2019t just use the name of the company a couple of times.<\/li>\n\n<li>Use keywords from their mission statement.<\/li>\n\n<li>Explain why you will be an excellent fit for the company overall, not just the position you are applying for.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><p>You can also use information from the job posting to show how your skills and achievements align with what they are searching for.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cover Letter Templates<\/h2><p>If you are not interested in crafting a cover letter from scratch, you can also think about using an online cover letter template provider.<\/p><p>While templates can be great tools to get started, remember that you are going to want to customize <em>your<\/em> cover letter for each job <em>you<\/em> apply to.<\/p><p>Focus on adding value to the company, and only highlight skills that are going to be relevant to the role you are applying for.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing Thoughts<\/h2><p>Good luck landing that dream job!<\/p><p>If you&#8217;d prefer to leave your resume and cover letter in the hands of professionals, we can help.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Find My Profession is a top-rated professional resume writing service.<\/p><p>We also offer\u00a0fully customizable cover letters for any position and company. You can purchase a cover letter on its own or with a <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.comresume-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new resume<\/a>.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.comcontact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us<\/a> today and see how we can help you land your dream job.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think of your cover letter\u00a0like it\u2019s the first page of a book. Most hiring managers only scan a cover letter for a couple of seconds. Then they move on to the next one. You want your cover letter to grasp the reader&#8217;s&nbsp;attention&nbsp;in a way that makes them want to keep reading to the very last [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"non-tsap-single.php","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"author-detail":[50],"class_list":["post-2975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resumes-help-more"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2975"},{"taxonomy":"author-detail","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.findmyprofession.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author-detail?post=2975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}