The COVER Formula to Writing a Cover Letter (Part 3 of 4)

Writing the perfect cover letter doesn’t have to be an ordeal. In fact, it can be as easy as spelling C-O-V-E-R. COVER is an acronym for a five-step paragraph-by-paragraph approach you can use to write an effective cover letter. In this series of blog posts, I will show you how you can use the COVER formula and the announcement for the position for which you are applying as a handy guide to craft the perfect complement to your resume.

Step Four: Include specific EXAMPLES of your experience and skills in the third and fourth paragraphs.

The E in the COVER formula stands for examples. In the previous two paragraphs, you cultivated a connection with your potential employer and explained why you wanted to work for the company.

Over the next two paragraphs, you need to make your sales pitch, explaining the concrete value you can provide the employer. The cues provided in the job announcement are the blueprint for your sales pitch.

Most job announcements include a description of the position’s duties, essential functions, required and preferred education, work experience, skills, and abilities, or any combination of these. This is where we’ll start.

To understand how to approach your sales pitch, let’s return to our hypothetical Human Resources Assistant position at ABC Consulting. The expanded job description appears below:

“HR Assistant performs a wide range of personnel duties within the procedural framework set forth by the Human Resource Department. Assists in the hiring and termination process, the company’s recruiting and orientation programs. Compiles, keeps and maintains all aspects of the company’s personnel records. Supervisory reports on disability, and date and reason for termination. Compiles various HR Reports. Oversees HR recognition programs, files employment records, searches employee files and furnishes information to authorized persons as requested. Oversees Payroll function adhering to payroll guidelines, acts as liaison between HR department, its managers and PEO as necessary.”

Additionally, the announcement listed 19 essential functions. I’ve listed the first five below:

1. Conduct New Hire Orientation; explain company personnel policies, benefits, and procedures to employees or job applicants.

2. Examine employee files regularly to respond to state and federal compliance requirements on behalf of company. Responds to managerial and state inquiries providing information for personnel actions.

3. Answer questions regarding examinations, eligibility, salaries, benefits, and other pertinent information.

4. Process, verify, and maintain documentation relating to personnel activities such as staffing, recruitment, training, unemployment claims and appeals working with outside vendor by supplying information timely. Upkeep of company job descriptions, assists in comp studies as requested. Maintain performance evaluations and classifications.

5. Gather personnel records from other departments or employees.

Job duties and functions are generally listed in order of importance. In applying for a position, endeavor to address the first three duties and functions in your cover letter. If your experience doesn’t match the top three, descend the list chronologically until you identify three. Using the keywords and phrases in the job announcement, provide quantifiable and specific examples of your work experiences. For instance, in applying for the Human Resources Assistant position, you might detail in this paragraph your experience conducting new employee orientation, maintaining personnel records, and answering employees’ HR-related questions.

Here’s an example of how the third paragraph in your cover letter to ABC Consulting might read:

“In my present role at XYZ Company, I am intimately involved in every phase of our employees’ life cycle. I assist in the hiring process, including coordinating career fairs, creating job advertisements, screening resumes, and preparing offer letters. I conduct a two-day orientation and on boarding program to familiarize new hires with company benefits, policies, and procedures. I also maintain accurate payroll and personnel records for the 125 employees in our office. During a typical day, I interface with employees, all management levels, and outside agencies, as authorized, to answer personnel questions and furnish requested information.”

The ABC Consulting job announcement also listed numerous preferred skills and attributes a candidate should possess. These included active listening, speaking, time management, critical thinking, writing, and proficiency with Microsoft Office products and HRIS software. In paragraph four of your cover letter, you would describe particular instances when you used two or three of these preferred skills. More importantly, though, you should be able to articulate how you will use these skills to make a valuable contribution to your potential employer. Here’s an example of how the fourth paragraph in your cover letter might read:

“If extended an offer to join your company, I am prepared to make an immediate contribution in three ways. First, I have used the PeopleSoft software program for two years and have a high degree of proficiency. As ABC Consulting will be transitioning to this software in March, I can assist in training your employees on the system. Second, because I am comfortable speaking in front of any size group, I will be able to represent your company effectively in offsite recruiting events and succinctly convey information during new hire orientation. Last, my current position involves working on several projects at one time and generating reports under strict time deadlines. These tasks have enabled me to sharpen the kind of time management and prioritization skills that will be an asset to your company.”

In the final post of this blog series, we'll review how to request an interview in the fifth paragraph of your cover letter and look at the completed sample cover letter.

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