Coming Soon to a Cover Letter Near You!

Coming Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouComing Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouComing Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouThis Blog post originally ran in February 2008. With summer blockbuster season upon us, we thought it was a good time to rerun this cinematic explanation of the cover letter. When you go to the movies, you always landsee previews of the coming attractions. The goal, of course, is to make each member of the audience whisper to their companion, Ooh, that looks good. I cant wait to see the movieIn career terms, your cover letter is the preview and your resume is the movie.Movie previews (or trailers) shamelessly tease us with the most dramatic scenes, the funniest jokes, or the steamiest love scenes, because those are the things that have been proven to motivate you and me to spend our time and money on movies. Previews use music, narration, and strategic dialog to work you into a frenzy of anticipation. Sometimes they even splice together parts from two different scenes. TH ATs what you need to do in your cover letterTease Your AudienceA good cover letter pulls out and emphasizes the most relevant skills, accomplishments, and qualifications that appear in your resume. Shine the spotlight on the things that will intrigue your audience and pique their interest. Make your reader think, Ooh, I cant wait to see the resumeIf you have appropriate skills from two different jobs, splice them together in the cover letter. For example, if the job youre targeting calls for Sales and Marketing experience, mention those together in your cover letter, even if you did Sales at Job A and Marketing at Job B. Pay attention to the previews next time youre munching on $10 popcorn and drinking a bucket of soda. They can teach you a lot about the science of promotion