Every recruiter has an opinion on these familiar introductions but mine may be considered part of the unpopular vote.
My #1 rule of thumb is if a cover letter is not requested or required- don’t send one. Eek! It’s true! So many things are sent online and over email that are not read! My mantra is to have what you are prepared to write in a cover letter in the bullet points of your resume.
If a cover letter is requested, there are so many schools of thought on how to create one and how to stand out. I remind my candidates of the following: know your audience. If you are in a creative media field, go with your instinct to be creative! If you are applying for a corporate role, your subject should state the role you are interested in and perhaps your name and/or a short intro along the lines of “interested in your open position.”
I am a big believer that what is meant to be will be. Although I have built a career on coaching people how to dream bigger and how to strategize to get the next best job, I want to remind everyone to take a breath! If you over analyze your cover letter I am almost certain that you are too far of a stretch for the position! Keep it simple. Write what you would want to read if you were hiring. Chances are, it won’t be the cover letter that secures you a new role, and it won’t be your word choice 🙂
If it were me… I would express interest in the open role, mention something about my current job that makes me very suitable, and interject something important and newsworthy about my intended organization… And then sign off.
Always remember if we treat something different than from what it truly is… it becomes different! Don’t stress!
