"I haven't read a cover letter in five years" proclaimed an HR manager with a large defense firm. Instead, she goes right to the resume looking for the skills, experience and education her hiring managers are seeking. And with many candidates beginning a hiring process by uploading documents into an automated system, it's easy to view the cover letter as a distraction at the very least or, at worst, an indication you're out of step with contemporary best practices. 

However, the vast majority of hiring managers we talk to emphasize the value of a cover letter to focus the selection team on your unique strengths and the aspects of your background that best connect you with job requirements. "A cover letter won't get you hired, but done properly it will get your resume read with serious attention," says Martin Yate, author of the seminal best selling Knock 'em Dead series of career building guidebooks. 

The best practice is to develop a letter or e-mail that connects your experience, passion and education to the requirements of the job you are seeking. In a maximum of one page -- or about three paragraphs -- explain why you're applying for the job, what makes you unique among the many applicants for the position and how you will add immediate value to achieve specific results, which generally involve making money or saving money. Additionally, a leading HR manager in a large defense and homeland security firm recently told me that she likes to see covers letters that explain "exactly what you will do in the position." 

The objective of this exercise is to make the reader want to know more, which they will obtain from your resume and your LinkedIn public profile. Your resume is normally a .pdf or Word document attachment to your cover e-mail and your LinkedIn public profile is normally visible to anyone with a web connection. Also, ensure your LinkedIn public profile URL is changed to your noun name (follow the prompts under profile -- edit profile from the LinkedIn main navigation bar) and list your LinkedIn public profile URL in the header of your cover letter or in your e-mail signature line, if your cover letter will be submitted as an e-mail. A professional and polished LinkedIn profile and a LinkedIn public profile URL that is not a string of alpha-numeric gibberish will identify you as a technologically savvy candidate, which is a huge issue for older job seekers. 

In my experience, candidate cover letters often focus too much on reiterating their interest in the job, thereby squandering an opportunity to highlight what distinguishes them from other talented applicants. The fact that you're applying for the job establishes your interest. Keep your focus on the employer and what you believe they need, based on your careful review of the job posting and discussions with employees currently working for the employer. 

Another frequent shortcoming of job candidates is not submitting a customized cover letter. A generic cover letter that restates information contained in your resume and that does not use the language of the firm -- based on your careful review of the job posting and company web site -- will not set you apart from the herd of applicants seeking this opportunity. 

Finally, stay positive. If you have negative information pertaining to your departure from your last role or a gap in work history, resist the urge to testify against yourself. Your cover letter should focus on the energy, enthusiasm and results you will bring to the position and not volunteer any potentially negative information. Be prepared to discuss problematic aspects of your work history only when asked and use your cover letter or cover e-mail to focus on your ability to deliver immediate value. 

Paid MOAA members can see more career building best practices at www.moaa.org/transitionwebinars and connect with our award winning career management consultants by writing to transition@moaa.org.