You’ve found a great job opportunity. Your resume is on point, and you know that you will shine in an interview. The only thing you have left to do is compose a cover letter. By now, you know that it’s important to use proper spelling and grammar, to include your contact information, and to express an interest in the position. Here’s something that you might not know; Did you know that there are psychological tricks that you can use in your cover letter to help convince the recipient that you are a great find? There are!
The trick is to approach your cover letter as if you are making a sale. Just like there are things that marketing experts do to make their products and services more attractive, there are steps you can take to make yourself more attractive. Your cover letter is one place where you can make this happen.
Learn About the Company Culture and Adopt It
One psychological trick used by retail clothing stores is to tailor advertising, signage, and store decoration for their target customers. For example, the clothing store Hot Topic gears all of their marketing efforts towards hip teenagers and young adults. Your target customer is the company for which you want to work. So, visit the company website and do a bit of online research. Then, tailor your writing style so that it closely matches the writing style used in the company’s communications. This will cause the person who reads your cover letter to view you as a person who will fit in.
Don’t Write in a Way That Seems Anxious or Pleading
Remember that you are selling yourself. If you are pursuing a position, it’s because you’ve reviewed the qualifications, and you believe that you can do the job. Your job, as you write your cover letter is to express the fact that you are enthusiastic about the opportunity, and to get the recipient interested in you. Your job is not to beg for a scrap of time and attention. Please eliminate the following phrases (and similar ones) from your cover letter:
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- I believe I Am qualified.
- Please take a moment to consider…
- I hope you will be impressed…
- I would appreciate hearing from you.
- Please read my enclosed resume.
Instead, tell your reader what caught your eye when you read the job listing. Let them know how you related the job requirements to your skills and experience. Don’t beg to hear back from them. State that you look forward to meeting with them. Confident people get what they want for a reason. Humility won’t get you an interview. It only sends a subtle, but clear psychological cue that you aren’t worthy of consideration.
Make it About Them
Let’s face it. The person or committee reading your cover letter isn’t interested in what you know and what you’ve done. They’re interested in what you can do for them. They’re also interested in hearing about themselves. We all are. It’s human nature. You can use both of these things to your benefit. For example, if you are applying for a job as a social media strategist, don’t write that you know how to mitigate a negative social media event. Write instead that you would love the opportunity to turn any negative social media issues the company faces into something positive.
Remember that you only have one or two paragraphs to make an impression. This means that every sentence that you include in your cover letter must have a purpose.
About the author: Julie Ellis – popular blogger and Chief Editor at Premier Essay. Her wide experience in the field of education, self-improvement and psychology gives her the opportunity to help all people that are willing to make the world better. For more, follow Julie @premieressay
