You know you’d make a great administrative assistant, but you’re having trouble getting your foot in the door with prospective employers. The key may be in the often-overlooked cover letter you’re submitting with your resume. The secret to success when it comes to writing a cover letter is to think of it as an advertisement for a brand – your brand. It’s your chance to sell yourself to prospective employers just like brands sell their products to consumers in ads.
Grab an Employers Attention with the First Line
It’s no exaggeration that the first line of your cover letter is often what determines whether or not a prospective employer reads on. Make your first line memorable so that employers can’t help but read on. Highlight some near-impossible feat you pulled off in a previous job, a personal experience that shows why you’re made to be an administrative assistant, or some educational experience that prospective employers will want access to. But match your tone to the company’s tone – the more conservative the company, the more professional your opening line and the rest of your cover letter should be, and vice-versa.
KISS and Tell
If you’re not familiar with the KISS acronym – Keep It Simple, Sweetie – the administrative assistant cover letter is the best place to learn. Your resume is the place to list all your educational and experiential information; the cover letter is the place to introduce your personality. By all means accentuate your positives, but don’t overdo it. Keep things simple and to the point, and above all, as short as possible without shortchanging yourself. Your cover letter should be no more than one page, and be easy to scan for important information.
Get a Second Opinion
Before you send your cover letter out, have a trusted colleague or – better yet – a person who employs an administrative assistant to look it over for you. Ask if that person would hire you based upon the letter you’ve written, and follow that up by taking any criticism cordially – then using it to improve your cover letter.
Don’t know whether your cover letter makes the grade? The Portland employment professionals at Staffing Partners are on the job to help you make employment connections, including skill-building. Contact them today to find jobs and skills that will help you further your career goals.