Working Girl’s tip is to try to always start your cover letters with the word “you” (or “your”)–i.e., your first sentence should focus on the potential employer rather than on yourself.  But for a different take, check out these ideas from Jessica Holbrook of Great Resumes Fast.

On a weekly basis any hiring manager probably receives between 50 to, well, probably hundreds of resumes and cover letters. The key is to catch their attention from the start and the best place to do that is in your cover letter. So I am going to tell you what the worst possible way is to start your cover letter and then give you some creative alternatives to use instead.

This is the most boring intro line because everyone uses it:

“Please accept my resume for consideration of the (XYZ) position within your organization.”

What a snoozer! Everyone uses that line, let’s see… being like everyone else isn’t going to get you very far in your job search now, is it? No, it’s not. So what you need to be is different, but more than different, unique and valuable. Let’s take a look at some more creative and attention-grabbing opening lines:

Administrative:

If you are spending too much time on tedious office duties and administrative tasks, then I have the solution for you.  My experiences in office administration and client services have equipped me with a multitude of skills including office management, business operations and exemplary customer service.  I am confident that my application of these and my many other skills would be an asset to your company.

Customer Service:

It’s twice as hard to attract a new customer as it is to maintain an existing one. Unfortunately, this fact is often overlooked by many businesses. Delivering high-quality, responsive service is vital in (industry ex. Banking) and that’s exactly what you’ll get when you hire me. As my resume indicates, I have worked in client services for more than (number) years so you won’t have to go to great expense training me.

Non-profit:

In today’s challenging economic climate, many people will respond to your advertisement. Few will be interviewed. One will be hired.

However …

Of the many to respond, few will be as qualified as I am, having in-depth experience in community and public outreach.  No one else will bring my track record and the expertise I can offer – expertise that equips me to start delivering results for you immediately with maximum positive effect for your bottom line.

General:

Integrity.  Innovation.  Initiative.  If you had these qualities in mind for the position of (position title) then I suggest we meet to discuss the numerous qualifications I would bring to the organization.  With my demonstrated track record of successfully directing pharmacy operations and introducing initiatives that directly impact the bottom line, I am confident that I would be an excellent fit for the position at (company name).

Of course, these are only a few sample introductions and the remainder of your cover letter needs to be just as dynamic as these introductions.

Jessica Holbrook is a former Executive Hiring Manager for Fortune 500 companies and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates powerful, customized, and targeted resumes that are guaranteed to get her clients interviews. For a free resume analysis visit Great Resumes Fast, or for a free phone consultation call 1.877.875.7706.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 8:58 pm and is filed under job hunting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.