(This article is reprinted with the permission of www.ExecSearches.com, for whom it was originally written.)

     If your life were an autobiography, what would the dust jacket say about you? The cover letter is the dust jacket of your resume, and the recruiter’s first introduction to your voice.
     The biggest secret in headhunting is that recruiters read cover letters last. But, before you stop reading this article, remember that any materials that make it as far as a “hold” pile will be read, from cover letter to references. It is then that cover letters matter most, as they have the power to distinguish intriguing possibilities from average, everyday candidates.
     A cover letter not only adds another dimension to your application, it also shows the recruiter you can write. Yet, from easy to catch mistakes like forgetting to change the name of the company in the address block to larger issues of quantity, substance, and tone, a bad cover letter can torpedo your hopes on landing an interview.

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

     Cover letters should run about three to four paragraphs, comprising your introduction, relevant passion, skills and qualifications, and contact information. Note that missing from this list – as they waste valuable space, may be illegal, and are certainly irrelevant – are age, height, weight, marital status, number and age of children, hobbies, race, religion, pets, or the results of your last physical. Do not, under any circumstances, ever attach your picture to the cover letter unless you are responding to a call from the Barbizon School of Modeling.

What have You Done for Me Lately?

     Whether you have had a career in a specific non-profit field or are looking to shift into this arena, explaining your passion in your cover letter can provide much needed depth to your paper presentation. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your employer can do for you, but what you can do for your employer.” The same is true for cover letters.
     For example, no employer is going to get excited over the possibility of providing a “challenging and fulfilling opportunity where a generous salary can be earned while serving others.” Most employers, on the other hand, will race to the phone to call a candidate that is “inspired by the opportunity to ensure adequate healthcare for underprivileged children while contributing to the long-term financial sustainability of the organization.”

Where’s the Beef?

     We all have friends who busy themselves telling us how fantastic they are, but never deliver any meat; and we all detest that once-a-month lunch which we never seem to be able to dodge. So, why introduce yourself to a headhunter this way? The headhunter won’t smile politely over the soup course while waiting for his steak.
     Give your recruiter something of substance to chew on in the cover letter. Choose three or four key responsibilities from the position description and explain clearly and concisely where you have successfully managed projects or tasks of comparable size and complexity in your career.

Laura Gassner Otting is founder and president of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, a niche consulting firm dedicated to strengthening the capacity of nonprofits and their staff, and is available to discuss individual resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies.

Increasing the capacity of nonprofits and their staff.