Melanie Said:

Cover letter for resume help?

We Answered:

Your cover letter is a chance for you to introduce yourself, highlight some achievements or qualities that may not be on your resume, and draw a connection between how your skills will match the organization's needs. Since you are changing careers, it's even more important, because your resume alone may not tell the story of why you'd be a perfect candidate for them. Say a little bit about why you're changing - maybe this non-profit really inspires you, or you found your true calling doing some volunteer work, etc.

Think about how you would like to "brand" yourself. Are you friendly and outgoing? Passionate and driven? Detail-oriented and analytical? Write down a list of 3-5 adjectives that you think describe your strengths and will be a fit for the organization. Keep the job description in mind, but don't just regurgitate their own posting to them - employers see right through that.

I try to use a touch of humor, a lot of big-idea words like "vision" and "passion" and "discovery," and I tell a little bit of the story of my career journey and talk about my volunteer work for a local non-profit.

You don't have a lot of space, since the best cover letters are no more than one page, but think about how you can present the best parts of your personality in a small number of words. Imagine that you were taking an elevator ride with the hiring manager and only had that much time to tell him/her about yourself; what would you want to say?

Good luck!