Robert PiroshRobert PiroshRobert PiroshRobert Pirosh

HOW TO

Write a CoverLetter

By

David Perell

Write a Cover Letter

YYYYeah, you’ve never seen a cover letter like that.

Most cover letters are written with the suit-and-tie, stick-up-your-butt professionalism of corporate boardroom speak, as if the recruiter on the other side is allergic to personality.

Pirosh does the opposite. Instead of addressing every skill in the job description like he’s checking off a grocery list, he shows mastery by categorizing words in ways you’ve never considered. Who knew that words could be buttery? Or creaky? Or crunchy? Or crackly? Or that suave "V" words were a thing? His wordplays have a halo of love around them, and showcase Pirosh’s charisma as much as his talent.

Pirosh is a screenwriter, but this approach is far more effective than if he’d pitched his script ideas. Recruiters scan cover letters, so you have to catch their attention fast. It only takes a glance to see that Pirosh has done something different.

Pirosh doesn’t hide his personality either. He shows the many facets of his character instead, and we get a feel for his wit, warmth, and free-spiritedness.

What are some examples? “Horsing around” shows playfulness; copywriting at a New York ad agency shows concrete experience; “Oh-Heavens, my-gracious, land’s-sake words" evokes a sort of folksy, old-fashioned charm. He writes to the recruiter’s human-ness instead of their corporate-ness. Taken together, he strikes you as the kind of guy you’d want to 9-to-5 with (and maybe even sling some after work beers with).

Writing cover letters presents a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that you’re competing against hundreds of other applicants. The opportunity is that your competition lacks the courage and creativity to write with such boldness. A cover letter isn’t your hard-sell. In fact, the point of a cover letter isn’t even to get you the job. The point is to pique the recruiter’s interest.

So next time you write one, ditch the corporate sludge and show some pizzazz instead.

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