Write Your Way Out of the Reject Pile

Dear Applicant,

It’s been days, maybe even weeks, and you might be wondering why you didn’t get the interview or a call back.

I’m here to tell you one possible reason why. In today’s competitive job market, it can be hard to stand out. So applicants need to take every opportunity to sell themselves – including with their cover letter.

You might think most employers don’t read them, and it’s true – some don’t. But many more do, and a well-crafted cover letter might be the one thing that pushes them to call you back and learn more.

When I talk about great cover letters, it’s not just about grammar. Yours might be well-written, proofed, edited and perfectly formatted. But if it lacks soul, it’s lacking the very thing we’re looking for in a new hire. Passion. Emotion. Drive. A real reason why you’re applying to this agency and know you deserve a spot here.

Telling stories is what we get paid to do. So use your cover letter to tell yours. We not only need your skills, talents and unique you-ness – we also need to know your motivation, dedication and passion for what you’ll do every day.

That’s the way you have to appeal to us. You’re not writing a letter; you’re writing a mission statement for who you are and why you belong here. In a tale of our agency’s challenges, you’re the main character who will save us from deathly peril. Make me want to know what’s going to happen next.

So be interesting. Be funny. Be surprising. Be fascinating. Be something different than all the others who didn’t take the opportunity to make their cover letter more than a formally worded “dear sir or madam.”

Want to avoid the reject pile? Write your way out of it. Once you’ve done that, let us read it. Send us your cover letter and resume here, and learn more about our internship opportunities.