In the job application process, the cover letter often represents the first opportunity you have to communicate directly with a hiring organization.  Smart jobseekers take advantage of this opportunity to engage the hiring organization and establish themselves as strong candidates, both through the content and the style of the letter.  The content of the letter will communicate the functional aspects of your interest and fit with the position; the style will demonstrate your writing skills and passion.  Neither content nor style can stand alone in an effective cover letter.

This article explores five easy-to-follow strategies for writing a winning cover letter.

Tip #1: Get In, Get Noticed, Get Out

The goal of a cover letter is to give a hiring manager enough information to consider you a qualified and appropriate candidate.  A common pitfall of cover letters is giving too much or irrelevant information.  A good cover letter is economical at three paragraphs and includes the following:

• First Paragraph - Introduction and connection to mission
• Second Paragraph - Summary of your skills/background as they pertain to the position
• Third Paragraph - Thank you, contact instructions, and closing

Sticking to this format ensures that you are providing all of the key information sought by the hiring manager, while keeping it to a length that is accessible and easy to read.

Tip #2: Personalize Your Opening

The golden rule of cover letters is simple: create a personal and unique cover letter for every job application.  A one-size-fits-all approach to a cover letter is sure to land your application at the bottom of a hiring manager’s pile.

Personalizing your letter begins with the greeting.  If a specific contact name is not provided in the job description, do not open your cover letter with “To Whom It May Concern” or, even worse, “Dear Sir.”  Do research on the organization’s website to find the right contact.  You may find the name of the director of the department in which the your desired job is located or you may find someone in human resources.  As a last resort, address your application to the Executive Director of the organization. This shows that you took the time to research the organization and will always be viewed more favorably than an impersonal greeting.

From there, explain why you are passionate about the mission of the organization.  Communicate the substance behind your passion; instead of stating, “I always wanted to help people,” try “Because I was raised with amazing educational opportunities, it’s personally very important to me to make sure that other people have access to those opportunities as well.”  The more personal and compelling your connection to the organization’s mission is, the more likely your cover letter will be read in its entirety.

Tip #3: Connect the Dots

In the second paragraph, create a connection between your skills and background and the job requirements.  Remember that your cover letter accompanies your resume, so do not simply re-state all of the information already listed on the resume; use your critical thinking skills to really analyze the job description.  Beyond the specific qualifications listed, what can you determine about what this organization is really looking for in this role?  Use your cover letter to demonstrate how your skills and experience match with what they are looking for, both the specific qualifications listed as well as the more holistic vision.  Avoid general statements like, “I know I am the best person for the job.”  It is more effective to let your skills and experience demonstrate the strength of your qualifications.

Remember to also address any cultural or personality attributes sought by the hiring organization.  Include examples that illustrate personal traits such as leadership, teamwork, flexibility, or other qualities valued by the organization. As many hiring organizations value diversity, freely identify yourself as a person of color, having multicultural experience, and/or possessing language skills if you feel comfortable doing so.  In many cases, illustrating your fit with an organization’s culture is just as important as your skills and experience.

Tip #4: Close with Style

The third paragraph is all about wrapping up your cover letter neatly and elegantly. Use this opportunity to thank the organization for considering your application and to reiterate your enthusiasm for the position, organization, and mission. This is also where you can provide instructions on how and when to contact you.

Remember that something you might not even think about could send the wrong impression.  For example, you must ensure that you have a professional email account.  A creative or expressive email handle may be fun in your personal life, but more than one otherwise-qualified candidate has not been interviewed simply because the use of an unprofessional email account demonstrated poor judgment.  If you do not have a professional email account to include, create a free account at Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail.  Generally, your first and last name or initials (or some combination of both) are acceptable.  This is the contact email address you should include in both your cover letter and resume.

Tip #5: Do a Test Run

Before you send your cover letter to a potential employer, check the job description for any specific instructions.  At the bottom of every job requisition, there are generally instructions for how the organization would like to receive applications.  For example, does the organization want to receive cover letters as attachments or in the body of the email?  Does the organization want you to include a list of references with your application?  Or does the organization want you to answer a specific question in your cover letter?  Be sure to follow the specific instructions for how to submit your application and what to include in your cover letter; this demonstrates your attention to detail, another very important characteristic for most hiring organizations.

Now comes the time to employ your “editor”—ask the best writer you know to proofread your cover letter for typos, grammatical errors, and any inappropriate wording such as humor, slang, or emoticons (happy faces have no place in a cover letter or any other professional communication!).  Also check for adequate variation in sentence structure; do not begin every sentence with “I have…”  Remember, this is a real-life example of your writing ability, a skill that is highly valued by almost every nonprofit position.

Finally, test sending the cover letter in the format desired by the organization to your own email account.  This will allow you to make any adjustments in formatting before sending your application to the actual organization.  As a general rule, keep formatting to a minimum so that it will be preserved across different email or word processing programs.

Final Thoughts
A thoughtful and well-written cover letter is a very important piece of your application and is taken seriously by organizations.  A good cover letter can strengthen your application and help you get to the next stage of the process; a poor cover letter can result in the instant disqualification of your candidacy.  Take advantage of this opportunity to make a great impression!

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

The resume is a key part of any job application, and applying for a nonprofit job is no different. The question is, how is writing a resume for a nonprofit job different from writing one for a corporate position and how can you create a resume that effectively markets yourself to a nonprofit audience? This article will provide tips and advice about how to tailor your resume to nonprofit organizations.

Tip #1:  Focus on Culture Fit
Nonprofits look for different types of information in a resume. Like all organizations or companies, nonprofits look for evidence of relevant skills and experience that will help the candidate to be successful in the position and add value to the company. Nonprofits, though, look beyond specific skills and qualifications; they are particularly interested in how a candidate is going to fit within their unique organizational culture.  Therefore, a good nonprofit resume will include key personality traits and a connection to the organization’s mission as a first step in demonstrating culture fit.
Tip #2: Opt for a Chronological Resume
There are generally two distinct resume formats: functional and chronological. Functional resumes group skills by job function and therefore highlight skills over employment history. Chronological resumes present information using a timeline approach, grouping experience by job title and employer. Chronological resumes are generally the best choice, as they illustrate job growth, are easy to follow, and don’t require the reader to hunt for basic information like specific places of employment or dates employed. A resume should clearly and concisely tell your “employment story”; if the story is not clear, the reader will assume that there is something you are trying to hide.
Tip #3: Tailor Your Resume to the Position
Don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach with your resume. Tailor your resume for every job application. This includes mapping your past experience to the specific requirements outlined and using key words and phrases from the job description, as well as addressing unique cultural competencies required by each organization.  For example, if the organization values teamwork and collaboration, make sure you include examples from your work history that illustrate these traits. Remember to include relevant or exceptional leadership roles, committee assignments, fundraising, or community involvement activities.
Tip #4: Demonstrate Your Connection to the Organization’s Mission
As noted above, nonprofits are looking for evidence of your connection to their mission in all parts of your application.  On your resume, be sure to list all past experience, paid or volunteer, that you have with organizations working in a similar mission area. If you don’t have any such experience, begin your resume with an objective statement that concisely describes your interest in this area.
Tip #5: Use Accessible Language
In many cases, the person receiving and screening your resume may not be the hiring manager for the position, so craft your resume for a general audience; any reader should be able to look at your resume and have a clear picture of your experience and interests.  Avoid jargon or terminology that is not widely recognized.  For example, in describing your experience in education, use phrases like “increased 80% of students’ reading levels by two grade levels within one school year” instead of referring to state-specific tests such as the MCAS. 
Tip #6: Quantify and Qualify Your Experience
As much as possible, use data to show exceptional results, such as specific amounts of funds raised or specific operational efficiencies instituted. When describing management experience, include the number of direct reports. In addition, use examples that will illustrate universally sought cultural competencies like flexibility, teamwork, and leadership.
Tip #7: Choose Every Word Carefully
Your resume is an example of your writing ability, a skill required by almost every role at every nonprofit. Use active language, write in a style that is easy to follow, and avoid including irrelevant information; as you re-read your resume, make sure that every single word is important to the message that you are trying to communicate. Candidates early in their careers should limit their resumes to one page; those with more experience can use two pages, but no resume should be longer than two pages.  In fact, hiring managers will often treat long, wordy resumes as a demonstration of poor writing skills and therefore discount the candidate immediately.
Tip #8: Keep Your Format Simple
Do not use excessive fonts, styles, or colors and have a good balance of white space on your resume. Before sending to organizations, send your resume to yourself or other friends and family to see how the formatting transfers across different computers.  For example, a resume using a font that isn’t recognized by the recipient’s computer will never be read. 
Tip #9: Include Current Contact Information
Be sure to include your current contact information. If you are a graduating student, include your permanent address and a permanent e-mail address.  Avoid listing unprofessional email addresses or phone numbers with unprofessional voicemail messages.
Tip #10: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
Having typos or grammatical errors in your resume is a sure-fire way to ensure that your application ends up in the garbage can.  Make sure there are no errors at all; have two or three strong writers review every version of your resume before you send it out.

Taking the time to create a targeted and polished resume can make all the difference in your nonprofit job search. A thoughtful and well-written resume helps a potential nonprofit employer evaluate your application against the qualifications and requirements of the position and decide whether to pursue your candidacy further. It is your job to make sure they have plenty of reasons to invite you for an interview!

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.