Are you sending a form letter with your sportscasting job applications? If your answer is yes, stop it immediately.
If an employer is reading cover letters, your form letter will not get you the job. Instead, invest the time to customize your letters and dramatically increase your chances of receiving a favorable reply.
Here are three keys to successfully selling yourself in your cover letter:
1. The Elevator Pitch
If you step onto an elevator with an employer, you have 10 seconds to tell them why they should hire you. Therefore, don’t tell them everything you’ve done – only share the most relevant things. Your approach to your cover letter should be the same.
It is easier to write a 60-second radio commercial than a 30, but the 30 is usually more effective. Similarly, shorter cover letters are harder to write but usually pack a bigger punch.
2. Stay Relevant
Don’t try to summarize everything you’ve done, just include the things that you’ve done that are relevant to the position.
Your application for a football and basketball play-by-play job shouldn’t reference your sports update anchor experience. Your application for a TV sports anchor/reporter shouldn’t mention your sports talk show hosting experience. And if the position for which you’re applying doesn’t include sales, no need to reference your history as an account executive.
[Tweet “Shorter cover letters are harder to write but usually pack a bigger punch.”]3. Don’t Repeat Your Resume
Your cover letter and resume are separate documents for a reason. Don’t try to summarize in your cover letter everything that you have done – that is the purpose of your resume. Instead, use your cover letter to sell yourself and your experience that is featured on your resume.
When you are in the sportscasting job market, your cover letter is often the first impression an employer will have of you. Make it count.
