Rather than restating your resume bullets in a narrative form, this is your chance to show the hiring manager how you solve problems and why they should want to interview you. Almost every client I work with shows me a generic cover letter, and my goal is to help folks transform the document into a story only they can tell.

But how?

Let’s say there is a job description that mentions “outreach to underrepresented students" as a core function. How can you showcase not just your skills, but your overall approach?

👎Boring: I have experience with outreach to underrepresented students.

👎Better: I have over 7 years of experience overseeing outreach to undergraduate students, including tabling, social media, and collaborating with campus partners to cross-market opportunities, with attention to underrepresented students.

Both of those may be true. But they are also probably already somewhere on your resume. And are likely to be true for many other applicants in the pool.

👍Here is an excerpt from the cover letter I submitted for my current job:

“When I began… the MLK Fellowship consisted of only financial assistance and occasional programming. I had the opportunity to rebrand the program as a prestigious campus fellowship, begin a student leadership board to provide peer mentorship, and implement structure by providing regular academic and social programming. Similarly, I took the initiative to launch and maintain the Instagram account for the Academic Fellowships Team, with special attention to broadening participation from underrepresented students and increasing accessibility, particularly for students who utilize assistive technology.”

In 3 sentences the reader gets insight into how I think about problems and how to solve them, the breadth of connection points I have had with students, and specific actions I have taken to increase accessibility.

I’m curious - how are you feeling about your cover letter?

#JobSearch #CoverLetter #OpenToWork #JobSeekers

If you would like help telling your career story with confidence, feel free to check out my Coaching Site. I’d love to connect!