First of all, let’s agree that the ONLY purpose of the cover letter is to get someone to want to read your resume. It is NOT a recap of your resume or a short story of how you moved from job to job. Since employers spend only a few seconds glancing at your letter, it should be short, easy to read (using bullets) and compelling.

Example: “I have over 15 years leading the highest level IT initiatives and was 1 of 3 Executives at Microsoft responsible for launching the Windows 95 operating system”. This is an extreme case, but you really don’t have to put much more than that in the cover letter as most people would immediately want to know more and pick up the resume. So let’s look at how you can instantly grab attention.

Trick #1:
A great trick is to start by thinking about how people in these positions are measured and what the best candidate in the world would deliver. For example, for project managers, employers want to see a consistent track record of delivering projects on time and with a high level of quality. So tell them that you can deliver these things.

“I have over 10 years of experience leading highly visible, complex projects and have earned a solid reputation for meeting aggressive deadlines and bringing internal/external customer satisfaction to new heights”.

Get the idea? You just told them that you have a track record of delivering the results they are looking for.

Trick #2:
Most people send the same basic cover letter to all firms. Employers are really impressed when you demonstrate you know something about their organization. So demonstrate your knowledge and put in a line that shows you’ve done your homework.

Example:
“I’ve followed your company for a number of years and with your recent acquisition of Cognos you will probably need someone who understands both Cognos and your company's tools”.

Wow! So far, you’ve told them you are a star performer who can deliver exactly what they want and that you are experienced in meeting some of the specific challenges that their organization faces. Now prove it.

Trick #3:
Here is where you put in 2 to 5 bullets that prove you can deliver results. Bullets make it easy to read and easy for you to swap some bullets in for others depending on what they want. Here, you’ll want to quantify your accomplishments as much as possible.

Example:
“I am a member of the Elite "Red Team" which is the part of the PMO that is assigned to turnaround troubled projects. I have led over 12 critical projects and, using industry best practices and tools, was able to put them back on track. Most importantly, we received accolades from our efforts and earned an unprecedented level of trust with our stakeholders".

Trick #4:
You’ve proved you are a superstar (and even if you’re not, you should think like 1), so now is the time to bring it home. Your closing paragraph should indicate that they should read your resume, that there is a lot more to know, and you will be calling them in a few days to find out more about the position.

There are a lot of important concepts here – yes, you will call them and no, you will not just ask them if they got your resume, but instead will demonstrate you strengths and knowledge by asking insightful questions that indicate you are truly interested in this position. Employers notice people who call and this is your opportunity to build rapport with the decision makers who hold the key to your dream job.

Follow these simple tips and you will definitely make yourself stand out.