Ploymint

Take a minute to think about what your college’s career development center told you about how to write a cover letter. There’s a good chance it involved summarizing points in your resume and trying to link your skills to the job’s requirements. How has that worked for you?

That old-school cover letter is failing millennials, so why is it still being peddled by campus career centers? Ditch those stale methods and check out these seven cover letter tips for 2016.

1. K.I.S.S. (Keep it Short and Sweet)

One of the common cover letter mistakes is rambling. We start giving a play-by-play of every job we’ve had and every instance when we’ve used an applicable skill.

The reality is hiring managers are not reading these personal essays. The average attention span is eight seconds – one second less than a goldfish. That means they read the first sentence, if that. Which brings us to the next tip.

2. Utilize White Space

Today, most resumes are read on a computer screen or mobile device. This means your cover letter should read like a piece of web copy.

Short paragraphs of two to three sentences rather than one or two giant paragraphs are the way to go. I’d suggest reading some articles on CopyBlogger on writing web copy, and then apply that advice to your cover letter.

3. Ditch the Traditional Intro Paragraph

If your intro paragraph is along the lines of ” Hi, my name is Brett Pucino, and I’m applying for a the position of junior copywriter,” then there’s a 99% chance your resume won’t even get read.

The one purpose of your cover letter is to create enough interest for the hiring manager to continue to your resume. The first sentence should be like a lead in a piece of web copy- a hook to get the reader to read sentence two.

4. Poke the Bear

You want to use the intro in your cover letter to identify the problem the hiring manager is facing. In sales, we call this “poking the bear.” It is the phase when the salesperson asks her client questions designed to uncover problems that can be solved by purchasing the product.

In the case of the cover letter and resume, the product being sold is you. Ask a question in the intro based on your company research and the position that’s open. Here’s an example for what I offer:

“Are you looking for a copywriter who crafts copy that not only attracts traffic, but converts that traffic into revenue that increases your company’s bottom line?”

This sets up the next tip…

5. Figure out Your Unique Value Proposition

If the cover letter is selling the product of you, then you are a brand. It’s the philosophy behind the personal branding movement.

What makes brands explode is their unique value proposition. In other words what makes them different from the competition. In order to craft a truly killer cover letter, you have to know why you can solve the company’s problem better than the thousands of other applicants.

6. Soothe the Bear

The second paragraph is where you soothe the bear by positioning yourself as the solution to the pain you created in the first paragraph. It’s best to do this in three bullet points. Here’s my example:

• “I’ve ghost-written hundreds of articles spanning dozens of niches over the last five years.”
• I’ve learned the best practices in web copy and top social media marketing strategies from digital internships at KateWritesRight and TheBuzz.co.uk, respectively.”
• “I write in the millennial niche for online publications such as Ploymint and ChelseaKrost.com, where I write articles designed to create an action.”

These aren’t perfect examples, but they show the gist. It’s the new way to show the link between your experiences and the qualities outlined in the job description.

7. Have a Call To Action

The final paragraph of a piece of web copy is the call to action. It’s simply the action the writer wants the reader to take. In terms of the cover letter, the action you want the reader to take is to contact you for an interview. Be sure to include:

• Your phone number
• Your e-mail address
• Your LinkedIn profile

By using these seven cover letter tips for 2016, you’re setting yourself up for an amazing new career in the new year.