Cover letter2

Bold Cover Letter Tips for Executives

Cover letter2Executives can make their cover letter stand out with several modern approaches, in both content and design:

Shorten It Up

Skip the stuffy and standard 4-paragraph approach and generate a tactical letter that clearly outlines value and offering through short and succinct impact statements. Think โ€˜less is moreโ€™ and โ€˜quality of content over quantityโ€™, keeping content sparser in space but richer in results. Deliver bite-sized details and one-line bullet points for easy-to-absorb influence. Introduce content with a question and follow it up with succinct result statements, such as:

My results accelerating company growth and expansion?

  • Achieved 500% year-over-year growth in just 2 years.
  • Turned around an under-performing enterprise to achieve 56% increase to the bottom line.
  • Boosted revenue 25% through market expansion strategies.

ย Cut to the Chase

Steer away from formal language that beats around the bush; be more direct and to the point.Instead of โ€œI believe that my skills would be an excellent match for your role requirementsโ€ โ€ฆtry: โ€œThis is how you could benefit from hiring me:โ€โ€ฆor โ€œIf your company is looking to advance profits, I can helpโ€โ€ฆ.and provide the proof. The proof is important!ย  Back up any claims of success with proof of skill or you wonโ€™t be taken seriously.

Launch a Question

Do your research to identify potential pain points of each application and then open your cover letter with a direct question like: โ€œDo you need a technical executive who can fuel collaboration between business and IT?โ€ or โ€œIs your company is looking to advance operations and raise project performance?โ€ These eye-catching questions are tailored to the role requirements and certain to attract attention.

Be Nontraditional

Recruiters read cover letter after cover letter of similar content and design. Try adding a chart, graph, or testimonial box right into the letter for appeal and interest. Employ color, bullets, or bolding components to help feature key content. Steer away from traditional paragraph-dense templates and consider breaking out top impact statements into a box or sidebar to summarize offerings in a more succinct and eye-catching manner.

 

Quick things to AVOID in your executive cover letter:

  1. Long-winded details. Less is more when recruiters are short on time.
  2. Fluffy superlatives like โ€˜excellent, outstanding, super, amazingโ€™. In a cover letter, these words are a lot weaker than they sound. Let your results do the talking for you.
  3. Addressing the letter โ€œDear Sir or Madamโ€. Archaic and unappreciated. Find a name and address it the person directly for each application.
  4. Generic letters that are never customized. Content must be tailored each and every time.

 

Adrienne Tom

Looking to get noticed for top jobs? I can help. Visit me online at CareerImpressions.ca to learn more about my award-winning resume and LinkedIn writing services that helped C-suite executives, VPs, and directors land top jobs at billion-dollar companies, start-ups, and everything in between. โšœ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฑ. Everyone has value to offer employers. But conveying this story in a modern, succinct executive resume isnโ€™t easy. I can do this for you. โšœ ๐—œ ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ โ€˜๐—ฎ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฒโ€™. I'm often told that my process is as valuable as the final documents. People feel more empowered and confident after our work together. โšœ ๐— ๐˜† ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ. I hear amazing success stories from my clients. For 15+ years, I have written hundreds of executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles that generated increased recognition and escalated earning power for my clients.
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