How to Show Personality in a Cover Letter

How to Show Personality in a Cover LetterHow to Show Personality in a Cover Letter16I have a confession to make. I have never crafted a traditional deckblatt letter for any job Ive ever applied for. Some of my titel letters were on pretty paper ( la Elle Woods in the film Legally Blonde) and one had a sticker on the envelope, but they all had one thing in common. They all told a story. I figured that if a potential employer wanted to know all about my previous work experience, he could glean all of that info from my resume. The cover letter was my chance to go beyond skills and education and give the hiring manager a glimpse into who I really was. Heres how you can show personality in a cover letter while still being professional.How to show personality in a cover letter.Tell a (relevant) story. Weve all done it at some point. If youve started off a cover letter with, My name is _______ and I am applying for the ______ position at _____ company, youre not alone. Thing is, thats not g oing to separate your job application from the oodles of others that are currently sitting in a folder on your prospective boss computer. Try instead to start your cover letter off with a story about yourself or a funny experience you had that relates to the position. Being originalis how you can show personality in a cover letter.Be personable. The quickest way to get the hiring manager reading your cover letter to start snoozing is by starting it off with, To whom it may concern. If you are serious about your job search, you should make the effort to find out the persons name and include it in various points throughout the cover letter. You should also write your cover letter in a more conversational (read not robotic) tone. Beingfriendly is a great way to show personality in a cover letter.Offer something new. Sure, your resume has a clean and concise synopsis of all of your previous work experiences and skill sets. But that doesnt mean you need to regurgitate it all in paragraph form in your cover letter. So find something completely new to include in your cover letter that relates to your skills and the position youre applying for. If youre a former stay-at-home mom who is looking to get back into the workforce, you can connect your experience managing the PTO at your childs school to some of the managerial aspects of the job you want. Theres no doubt about it skills and experience are what will qualify you (or not) for a job. But if you show personality in a cover letter, it might get you the chance to interview and potentially get the job.Readers, how do you show personality in a cover letter? Let us know in the comments section below