While most psychology job seekers still think of the resume as their primary ‘sales’ tool, the value of an effective cover letter has grown exponentially over the last decade.
With some mental health positions attracting hundreds, occasionally even thousands of applicants, a unique and relevant cover letter can assign a degree of interest and appeal to your application that would otherwise be lost amongst other resumes.
Crafting such a letter, however, is no simple task. While your psychology resume can easily be built around a template and formatted for style, a cover letter requires a degree of creativity and sales savvy that can be hard to create. The risk of creating an ineffective cover letter is quite real, and it’s far from uncommon to hear of an entitled, poorly planned cover letter ruining an otherwise good resume.
These four steps can help you craft a psychology job cover letter that’s relevant, informative, and specific enough to gain the attention of hiring managers. Apply all four when writing your next cover letter and be sure to treat it like the job it is, as a highly effective cover letter can quickly push new doors open.
When explaining your job history to a potential employer, it helps to keep three ‘s’ factors in mind: sales, scope, and suitability. List your experience and tailor it to your employer’s needs, while also explaining the scope of your experience in the workplace. Specific project milestones and figures can help differentiate you from other applicants. Finally, explain why this experience makes you a suitable candidate for the position.
Skills are one thing, results are another. Following your brief introduction, explain how the skills and experience you have listed have helped employers meet their goals. Far too many candidates fail to put their skills into terms that are easily understandable to an employer. Reach above your competitors by explaining exactly how your skills have already produced measurable results.
Statistics reveal that most employers spend less than 15 seconds reading a cover letter. That’s not much time, especially when you’ve used most of your letter to talk about yourself. While it can be tempting to take the ambiguous route and leave your target position to the employer, an assertive and clear reference to the type of job you are interested in can help your cover letter stand out.
Listing your contact information isn’t enough. End your cover letter with a defined pitch – a call to action that prompts your potential employer to pick up the phone and quiz you for more. Despite a preference for email in the workplace, it’s best to aim for a phone call in response to an application or cover letter – doing so allows you to ‘close’ the deal on the phone and offer greater value.
