PR/Communications Job Search–10 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter
By Marie Raperto, President, CIM Search
In today’s competitive job market, a business professional–especially for someone searching for a PR/communications job–a strong cover letter is a MUST. The cover letter is your first impression. It’s got to be strong. You’ve got to apply your professional skills on yourself. Step back and focus on the cover letter. Avoid the cover letter pitfalls:
- Cover letters are the big question when you are answering a job ad. Many people read them, many don’t. As a job candidate, you can’t take the chance of not sending one. However, you must be keenly aware of cover letter pitfalls.
- Unfortunately, statistics show that approximately 80% of cover letters are ineffective and inappropriate.
- To start, do not send a generic cover letter. Even I get angry when I get these. It should be short, concise and powerful. Keep it to approximately 200 words. A cover letter allows your personality to shine through and an opportunity to highlight your strongest attribute or skill to get you this job.
10 Tips for Writing a Winning Cover Letter 
- The tone of your cover letter should be positive and upbeat.
- The position that you are applying for should be stated.
- Give a statement of where you are now.
- Mention how much experience you have.
- Make sure to use keywords from the ad or description in your cover letter.
- Leave out meaningless adjective like dynamic, energetic, motivated etc.
- Don’t apologize for taking some ones time.
- If someone referred you, mention their name up front. If sending an email, you can mention it in the subject line.
- Never use Dear Sir or other generic titles. If you don’t have a name, start with a subject line and the job title/number.
- Close with one or two sentences linking your experience to the needs and qualifications of the position.
If someone is reading a cover letter, it should make them want to read the resume!
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I agree with Marie’s observations because she’s one of the leading executive searchers in professional public relations and related fields. She knows what she’s talking about.
The best cover letter I ever received was when I had my own PR firm for a dozen years. It went something like this: “Dear Mr. Bates, I want to work for you. Until you tell me ‘no,’ I will keep writing. I will also call. You will make me a great practitioner and I will make money for you and your firm. Here is why.”
I called him up and he told me pretty much the same thing, also referencing articles I had written and stories in the PR trades about me and my firm.
I didn’t have a job at the time but I made a place for him. I paid for it by firing someone who was unproductive and I “borrowed” a few dollars from my own salary. He made up for my modest investment in a matter of weeks. He became one of the best hires I ever made and I’ve made a lot of great hires. My clients, my staff and I loved him.
In his letter and subsequent conversations and interview, he made it clear that he didn’t just want a job; he wanted a career, he wanted to learn, he wanted to contribute, and he wanted to help me and my firm prosper. What more could I ask for?
Take Marie’s advice and think through carefully what you should say in your cover letters and how you should say it. Your future is at stake.