DEPI Staffing - Full Service Healthcare Staffing Agency

Paragraph 1: Flatter the company and show you've done your research.

If the job listing specifically says to submit a cover letter, then you must! You don't want to penalize yourself immediately by not following directions. Unless there is a specified name in the job listing, always address it to "Dear Hiring Manager."

Okay, so you open with "Dear Hiring Manager", now what?

Lucky for you, DEPI Staffing has spoken to a cover letter expert, and we're here to guide you step-by-step through her secret formula to cover letter success. This formula has gotten her interviews for all of the positions she's ever applied for, and she was offered a job for all but one of them.

Now, obviously you're not going to get the interview if you"re totally unqualified for the job (i.e. a Physician Assistant is no where close to the same thing as a Personal Assistant); however, this formula can help you properly organize your thoughts, highlight your best assets, and (most importantly) grab the hiring manager's attention.

1. Flatter the company and show you've done your research.

Most people are tempted to start their cover letters with a general overview of what position they're applying for, where they saw the listing, or an explanation of why they are interested and would be perfect for the job. Sounds reasonable, right? The only problem is that hundreds of other applicants are beginning their cover letter the exact same way.

Right off the bat, you're sending the wrong message... that you're exactly like everyone else and there's nothing that stands out about you. Wouldn't you rather begin your cover letter by commanding the reader's attention and providing something memorable so they'll remember your name and application come hiring decision time?

That's why your cover letter should always begin with something anecdotal... a story, a memory, an experience, or even something you've read recently. This anecdote should be tied into what the company means to you and will help the hiring managers remember you more vividly, e.g. "Oh, the so-and-so girl! I remember her!"

But beware! Don't just talk about yourself. Keep in mind, this first paragraph should be about the company, not you. Don't ever start your cover letter saying why the company would be good for you... sorry to say, but they don't care about that. You need to show them the exact opposite... why you would be good for the company.

By human nature, we can't get enough of hearing about ourselves or what wonderful things we've done, so always begin your cover letter by flattering the company very specifically. How specifically? Well, you want to show them you've really done your research, so don't say something general, like "I admire your workplace diversity. "Bring up specific things like statistics, numbers, recent research, latest technology advances, awards they've won, or notable accomplishments.

In the example below, the writer immediately grabs the reader by sharing an anecdote. She then connects the anecdote to what she knows about the company. Any hiring manager is certainly going to be impresses with the depth of research the writer has put into the opening paragraph alone.

Dear Hiring Manager,

Born and raised in San Francisco, I've always known San Francisco Community Hospital as a household name. Now, having thouroughly studied the health care industry as a nursing student, I have come to fully understand the extent of SFCH's awe-inspiring accomplishments. A formidable player in the health care sector with award-winning pediatric and cardiovascular services, I admire SFCH for always striving to give back to the community with their Doctors for Life campaign, while continuing to technologically innovate with the most cutting-edge electronic medical record systems.

Please visit us tomorrow when we continue "Our "Not-so-Secret" Formula to Writing a Successful Cover Letter" blog with "Be Specific...Very Specific".