Nancy wrote: “You are a prolific writer – good on you- but I am a true ‘Visual Learner’ and I would like to see an example of the actual cover letter. ‘A picture says a thousand words.’ I appreciate your enthusiasm!”

Thanks Nancy!  I appreciate the comments and questions.  In order to do justice to Nancy’s request, I will give you a real-world example.

I’m going to warn you, this is a very long blog post (more than 3,000 words), and each part of it is important.  Come back to it if you need, but I’m going to cover:

1. How to analyze a job posting
2. How to figure out if the job is a sham/the company is cheap
3. How to know if you’re qualified
4. How to properly research the company
5. How to begin your cover letter
6. What to say in your cover letter
7. How to end your cover letter
8. What to do after you’ve sent your cover letter

Here’s a real job posted on Andrew Hudson’s Job List – a list of creative jobs in and around Denver.  Andrew is, frankly, amazing and I hope he won’t mind we’re using an older listing from his site.  This is the job we’ll be “applying for”.  Along the way – make notes and let me know with a comment if I’ve forgotten something.

Company Overview
Water For People helps communities in developing countries improve the quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygiene education programs. Water For People believes access to safe drinking water and effective sanitation are basic human rights, vital to health and economic development. Water For People believes that drinking water, sanitation and hygiene problems are most effectively solved through community involvement using local resources. Local communities must be the driving force of all development efforts. Water For People believes in the power of partnerships and searches out trusted NGO, local governments, and private sector partners who share its vision and work together to build long-term relationships.

Job Description:
This is an exciting early career opportunity for the right person who is looking for challenge and support of a non-profit mission to make a difference in the lives of thousands upon thousands of people. Water For People is a not-for-profit organization that has an 18-year history of developing highly successful and sustained water and sanitation projects throughout ten countries in Central America, South America, Africa and India. The organization’s success at designing and implementing sustainable projects is unprecedented.

The Marketing Assistant is a key support person responsible for assisting and supporting marketing staff in the concepting, creating and distributing key devices and tools. Key responsibilities include graphic design, web maintenance, writing, editing, and basic PR responsibilities. Additional responsibilities involve planning, coordination and support of overseas marketing efforts.

Job Qualifications:
The ideal candidate should possess a range of the experience, qualifications and characteristics encompassing most or all of the following:

* Experience coding HTML as well as updating websites using a CMS tool
* Experience working with Photoshop, InDesign and other creative software
* Experience writing marketing materials and editing for length and voice.
* Proficiency in Word, Excel and PowerPoint
* Excellent communication skills, both written and oral presentation
* Spanish language skills helpful but not required
* Degree in Web Design, Graphic Design, Marketing, Communications, Business or related degree combined with some level of on the job experience (internships okay) preferred.

Salary: $30-40K|$20/hour 40 hours week

Application Deadline: 07/15/09

How to Apply:
Interested applicants should forward a single-page cover letter and a resume no longer than 2 pages to jobs@waterforpeople.org.

Website: http://www.waterforpeople.org/site/PageServer?pagename=About_Career01

Please mention that you found this on Andrew Hudson’s Jobs List.

How to Analyze a Job Posting

This is a pretty standard job description.  Lots of fluff and jargon, hype about the business, and so on.  Let’s get down to the bare-bones:

• Title: Marketing Assistant.
• Company: Water For People.
• Key Skills: HTML, CMS tool (good question here), Photoshop, InDesign, writing copy, editing copy – length and voice.
• Key Words (about company): communities, developing countries, safe drinking water, effective sanitation, basic human rights, community involvement using local resources, partnerships
• Key Words (about position): graphic design, web maintenance, writing, editing, basic PR, not-for-profit organization, designing and implementing sustainable projects, concepting, creating, distributing, planning, coordination and support
• Salary: $30-40K
• Education Required: Web Design, Graphic Design, Marketing, Communications, Business or related degree combined with some level of on the job experience (internships okay) preferred.

First, let’s look at the Salary to see if they’re sane.

According to PayScale.com, a Marketing Assistant with my degree and qualifications in Denver would be making an average of $31,575.  The low end is $25K and the high-end is $39K.  Their listed salary of $30-40K tells me that they’ve done their homework – AND that they aren’t cheap bastards.  Because they are expecting to pay at least the average salary, you can know that they will probably play fairly in the negotiations (and expect you to do the same).  They’re also willing to pay more than the average if you can show them that you’re worth it.

If the salary is off to the low-end, you can be assured that the company can’t pay you what you’re worth.  If the salary is off to the high-end, there’s usually a catch or something – like the frequent, yet unmentioned trips to Antarctica to film videos with the company-sponsored penguin colony.

Next, let’s look at the key skills and education.

Are these skills that you have?  Are any missing?  What have you done that’s similar?  Answering these questions gets you prepared to write your cover letter.  Or, lets you know that you shouldn’t bother.  These are listed in the order that they appeared on the job description, which are usually most important to least important.  Does your education match the one they have listed?  Do you have any special qualifications, certificates, honors, or anything that might make you more qualified?

Mismatched or hodgepodge skills (for example, seeing both JAVA and VB.Net programming languages on a job description or requesting that you be proficient in web graphic design and, oh, I dunno, Microsoft Publisher) indicates that you might be dealing with people who have no idea who they’re looking for.

Do the Company key words interest you?

Here’s a hint: when half of the “job description” is actually a company overview, part two… you know that culture is wickedly important to these people.  You want to make sure that if you apply to this job, you are crazy passionate about communities, developing countries, safe drinking water, etc… and share their passion and ideals.  If you don’t meet their expectation of fitting in to the company culture, you might as well shred your resume now.

How to Properly Research a Company

Okay, I’m interested – let’s start writing…

Time-out.  You haven’t done your homework yet.  Have you even visited the website yet?  Figured out who the key players are?  Who are their competitors?  Did you even stalk your potential new boss on LinkedIn?

Sheesh.  Okay, start by doing a little recon on the company.  A Google News Search on “Water for People” reveals that they received a donation of $216K from AmWater at the beginning of July and there was a Run For Water 5K on July 25th in New Jersey (apparently).  This will be important in a little bit, but first… let’s do some stalking.

Checking the “Water for People” Staff Page tells you your potential future boss’s name.  A quick check on LinkedIn using his name and the company name shows you that Mr. Peter M. doesn’t have a LinkedIn page.  Bummer.

The LinkedIn page can be crazy valuable.  Here’s why: Nick Armstrong.  Now, not everybody believes in having their information public like I do – and you actually have to give LinkedIn permission to publish these things.  But, say your future boss was me.  You’d know I have an interest in podcasting, Star Trek, and that I attended CSU.  These are valuable tidbits of knowledge to have on an interview and in mind while you’re writing your cover letter.

There’s one last thing you need to do before putting pen to paper (or turning on your Word Processor): call Water for People.  Find out who the cover letter for the Marketing Assistant position needs to be addressed to.  Be POLITE, even if the receptionist can’t help you or you reach a voicemail system.  And do leave a voicemail if you have no other choice.  Something like: “My name is Nick Armstrong.  My number is 123-456-7890.  I’m interested in the Marketing Assistant position, but I’d like to address the cover letter personally.  If you could call me back and let me know who I’m writing to, I’d be grateful! Again, my name is Nick Armstrong and my number is… Thanks!”

If they don’t get back to you, call again the next day or write an e-mail to the account visible on the “contact us” page.

Writing the Cover Letter

Now that you know who you’re writing the letter to (avoid “To whom it may concern” at all costs), you can start writing.  Here’s a cover letter I am making up for this position.  I’ll talk about each paragraph in detail below.  Assume that everything I say in my cover letter is the truth (even though pieces of it are made up) – you should always tell the truth in your cover letter about your experience and history.  I’m only making things up here so that I can show you something more fun than a programming job.

July 29, 2009

Dear Mark Pewtershmitt,

I’m excited to be writing you to apply for the Marketing Assistant position at Water for People.  Having reviewed the website, checking out all the cool things Water for People has done lately, and connecting with Water for People’s mission, I feel that Water for People’s Marketing Assistant position would be a challenging and fun opportunity!

I am a 2007 graduate of Colorado State University where I earned a 3.54 GPA and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing and Computer Information Systems in four years, also minoring in Media Studies.  My degree focused on several skills – website design and coding, marketing and promotion, and business writing.  I’m fluent in HTML as well as writing proper business copy.  In my professional life, I focus mostly on graphic design and copy writing, with some HTML editing daily.

While at college I joined an environmentally-conscious student group working to plant trees around campus.  My primary role was fundraising, although I did do a fair share of marketing as well.  By the time I graduated, I had raised over $3,000 and planted 18 trees in various locations on campus.

In my current position, I maintain the company website, which is written in a combination of PHP and HTML.  We use WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) and I use it to directly manage and edit the copy that appears on our websites, located at http://localhost/.  I also designed many of the website graphics in Photoshop and for the printed brochures, I used InDesign.  More of my graphics, copy writing and HTML-based work can be seen at my online portfolio, located at: http://localhost2/.

In my spare time, I enjoy building a community for my non-profit podcasting group Giant Gnome Productions, which specializes in Star Trek audio drama.  The current story line revolves around a world, coincidentally enough, suffering from a polluted water supply.  If only the world’s problems were as simple as driving away a few Romulans!

I’m very interested to learn more about the Marketing Assistant position, including which content management system is in use at Water for People and how your recent events were marketed – such as the Run For Water 5K in New Jersey last week.  I’m also interested to learn more about the work you do with other organizations like AmWater.

Please call or email me at your earliest convenience so that we can discuss the Marketing Assistant position in detail and schedule an interview.  My number is 123-456-7890 and my e-mail is Nick…com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your time,

Nick Armstrong
Cell Phone
Email
Website Portfolio

Holy crap. What did he just say in that Cover Letter?

In the span of about 30 minutes, I busted out a cover letter – it’s not the best one I’ve ever written, but it’s not the worst either.

This cover letter is one page in length, just like they asked.  I’ve checked it in both Word and by print-previewing it in email form.

In the intro, we’ve successfully avoided the “To Whom It May Concern”.  In an email, you can omit the date and your address as these are redundant or unnecessary.   I introduce myself and tell Mr. Pewtershmitt why I’m writing him.  I give him a basic run-down of why I’m excited to apply.

Then, I tell him my basic info – my education qualifications, my experience, and note that I’ve made sure to include most of the key skills in this paragraph.  Web design, graphic design, HTML, writing copy, etc.  Or at least some variation of them as I set them up in the next few paragraphs.  The trick is, you want them to see you’re qualified without having to dig too much to get to that info.  Notice that I described my education as quickly as possible and fit in a lot of facts into one sentence: 2007 grad, 3.54 GPA, CSU, two majors and a minor in four years.

In the next paragraphs, I talk about the experience that I have which will benefit me in the position.  The more experience you have, in general, the better – particularly if you have achievements which really kick ass.  I’d have listed them here, but, saving HP $2K per eligible employee per year doesn’t really speak to my world-saving humanitarian skills.  Match your achievements to the job you’re applying for.  In this case, my made-up achievement (yours should be real) of the tree-hugging group was the one I wanted to emphasize.

In the next paragraph, I talk a bit more about my personal life and additional experience.  This shows I’m not just a 2D person, I exist, I have hobbies, and I’m capable of being and bringing more to the job than just work experience.  Okay, so, it’s a pretty nerdy joke, but… then again, I’m a pretty nerdy guy.  It’s okay to be true to yourself.  If they can’t take you for being you, then you wouldn’t be happy working there in the long-run.

Next, I ask questions based on my research and knowledge of the company.  In the job description, they list “content management system” but not which one, specifically.  This is a good time to ask about it as any, since it shows you were paying attention and have knowledge enough to know that there’s more than one.  I also ask about how the marketing assistant position would be doing real-world work… like the 5K and the partnerships with other organizations.  Again, you’re showing that you have an active interest in the company and care enough about the job that you’ve done some research.

Finally, we’re ending with a call to action – please call or email.  I’d like to schedule an interview with you as soon as possible.  These are important terms and can be worded however you’d like – but it gives a nice wrap-up to the letter and a next step to take if they’re interested.

Note that I’ve put my contact information in two places here.  I’ve put it in my signature and on the “please call” line.  You can put it in lieu of your address on top of the letter, too (same order as your signature).

Before you send your letter, have someone proofread it for you.  E-mail it to someone to check over.  Make sure your “your/you’re” and “there/their/they’re”s are all right.  Nothing kills your chances faster than looking like an idiot.  Save it for an hour and come back to it with fresh eyes.  Tripple-check you have the right address to send it to, and are sending from the right e-mail address (the one that looks like your name, not I<3Kitties69@gmail.com).  Make sure all the relevant documents (resume, references, etc) are attached.

After you send the Cover Letter

The Waiting Game Begins!

It’s sent! Let the waiting begin!  It can take a while in this economy for anyone to get back to you, but most companies will at least send you an auto-reply telling you that they received your stuff.  If you don’t hear anything (besides an auto-responder) after a week, send another email, attaching the original documents and cover letter, and say something like, “Dear Mr. Pewtershmitt, I am still very interested in the position and hope that it’s still open.  If so, I’ve attached my original cover letter, my resume and my references in this e-mail for your convenience.  I would love to schedule an interview with you soon for the Marketing Assistant position at Water for People – call me at 123-456-7890 or email me back at nick…com so we can arrange a time.  Thanks for your consideration,”  End this letter with your signature and contact info.

If another week goes by with no contact, send another e-mail – similar to the one above, but modify it so that it sounds fresh and new.

My rule is if you haven’t heard back from them within 3 weeks and after 3 emails, you’re likely never going to hear from them.  Don’t fret – there are other jobs out there.  Just put as much into applying for those as you did for this one, and you’re sure to hear back from someone eventually.

Always be polite – never discouraged, never down, never angry or upset.  It’s a small world and everybody knows friggin’ everybody, so be nice.

The Last Word

Remember that the economy is primed to put wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows full of resumes on the desks of hiring managers everywhere – you have to stand out.  Do your homework, don’t be afraid to show you have personality and hobbies, and go the extra mile to make sure you don’t get forgotten.  Keep your chin up – you WILL find a great job, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think you deserved it.