Does Your Cover Letter Sound Like You? Follow These 3 Steps to Personalize Your Cover Letter

When you're writing your cover letter, you might find yourself writing very vague sentences that sound a little something like, “I'm the best candidate because I am very dedicated.”

This might be true. But even Superman knows what he's good at and what he has yet to master. He can fly... but maybe he really stinks at baking muffins or directing traffic (because he's always trying to stop cars by stepping out into the middle of the street).

You have strengths, weaknesses and motivations too. And your cover letter is a place to start talking about them. When you're not specific about who you are, you miss a chance to deal with what makes you you—what sets you apart from a job candidate with the exact same qualifications as you.

Even though it might seem risky, cover letters work best when you talk about what makes you tick. If you only write about what you can do for the company and skip over your reasons for wanting to work for them, you miss the chance to reveal a little about who you are. And hiring managers want to meet the person behind the work.

Cover letters which aren't personalized use a lot of vague adjectives and verbs. They promise a lot but aren't specific. Think, “I work hard” or “I'm extremely dedicated”. They omit the name of the company, position or hiring manager whose name is posted in the job listing. And they include a lot of reworded info that hiring managers can easily find in your resume's bullet-point lists.

If you think your letter's not personal enough, start by adding those names. And once you've done that, follow these three steps to personalize your cover letter:

1. SHARE YOUR MOTIVATIONS.

A personalized cover letter tells your reader what you care about when you're at work. It gives your reasons for working on a past project or job—or your reasons for wanting to work on this job. You probably prioritize a paycheck and benefits, but so do most people. So go deeper. Even if you don't want to do the job forever, there's probably a reason that you're applying for that position instead of something else.

What makes you passionate about your work? Whether your motivation comes from personal, volunteer or previous work experience, your motivations carry you through when work is tough. They're yours, and sometimes they're too personal to share. But sometimes sharing them can help you make the kind of personal connection that you want to make with a hiring manager.

2. SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Awards, projects and other achievements demonstrate what you do can with your motivation. Here is your chance to explore work challenges and successes which you don't cover elsewhere. Job skills which you practice regularly fit into your resume, but this kind of explanation requires a little more room.

Don't be afraid to draw a connection between your motivations and your work. Be clear and direct. “I want to tell you about a project I worked on” works. Follow your lead-in with the details of what you did, and use measurable specifics when you can. And when you connect what you did with why you did it, your story can make you seem more real than your resume ever will.

3. DRESS UP YOUR TEXT.

Personalizing your cover letter's format makes your letter—and you—more noticeable. And it's easier to read. But don't start from scratch—match your letter's format to your resume. Use the same font, color scheme and formatting marks, including bullet points. Bullet points can work in a cover letter when you've got a lot to say and you want to skim over a few key facts.

Don't want to lose your cover letter's brand when you copy and paste it on a job board? You can keep your formatting by including your cover letter as a part of your resume file. Just make sure your cover letter is the first page. Then submit both documents as one file. And if you haven't personalized your resume's format, check out our post.

A personalized cover letter helps your reader catch a glimpse of the person behind your resume's list of tasks. If you want to make a good introduction before you speak to a hiring manager, don't be afraid to get a little personal when you write your letter.

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