Forbes and other job searching advice website are really kean on writing what they call “Pain Letters” in place of cover letters. I am going to tell you exactly why a Pain Letter will inflict you the pain of not getting an interview and why they are a pain for the Hiring Managers who have to read them. Then I am going to show you a much more effective method for writing Cover Letters that will substantially increase your chances of securing an interview.
WHAT IS A PAIN LETTER?
Glad you asked. The Pain Letter is a letter written directly to the Hiring Manager where the applicant explains a situation where they had saved the day! The Pain Letter, hopes to relate problem solving skills to the resolution of the “pain” that the Hiring Manager is experiencing. The Pain Letter is effective if the reader has an “Aha!” moment and realizes that his or her problems can be solved based on whatever solution was penned in the letter. This is a terrible strategy for a couple of reasons.
First of all, whatever Superhero moment that is described in the letter is a complete shot in the dark. Maybe the Hiring Manager needs an Accounting Manager who can train the staff properly and review their work. Instead, the Pain Letter describes a time where the applicant devised a process improvement that cut costs and saved money and time. Great accomplishment, but it is still the equivalent of trying to treat a headache with a leg cast.
The second problem is that no one can explain a Superhero moment without explaining the problem, the solution, and the solver’s involvement. There is hardly a way that this can be done in a simple paragraph. The result of the “Pain Letter” (and the Forbes link above is a great example of this – here it is again) is the dreaded “long-ass letter” that the Hiring Manager may not going to want to take the time to read because he or she has 150 other resumés, cover letters and additional pain letters to go through.
Finally, Forbes suggests researching the company or LinkedIn and finding the Hiring Manager’s name, which is probably not listed on the job posting (since the HR Person or HR Department are the usual addressees). Once the applicant has found out who the Hiring Manager is, the applicant is to write the Pain Letter and send it via regular mail; thereby, bypassing HR and avoiding the letter being lost in the shuffle of e-mail or LinkedIn spam.
Yes, this shows some assertiveness and perhaps a touch of moxie. However, it is also borderline obnoxious. No, I would say more than borderline. It is more late-1980’s-yuppie-douchebag-obnoxious (which is a pretty good representation of Forbes’ readership).
Moreover, The Hiring Manager may take the stance that the Pain Letter author is not one to play by the rules by circumventing the process laid out in the job posting, and is therefore banished from the interview process…FOREVER! (insert evil laugh here) This strategy could work, but would you want to bet applying for your dream job on it?
THERE IS A MUCH MUCH BETTER WAY
A good strong Cover Letter is brief and lays out two simple things (with one exception which I will explain below). A Cover Letter should have 2 sections listed in columnar format: “Your Requirements” and “My Qualifications.” Let’s look at an example.
If the job ad for Construction Operations Manager reads “10 years experience in the construction industry with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business or related field, supervisory experience up to 3 people and experience analyzing Construction Contracts, this is how the Cover Letter should appear:
Dear xxxxx:
I am applying for the position of Construction Operations Manager that was placed on Indeed.com. My qualifications are as follows:
I can best be reached on my cell at (555) 555-5555 or by e-mail CoverLetterPro@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Your Name
And that’s it!
The beauty of this format is that a) it is very quick and easy to write Cover Letter this way (you can pump out 5 in 15 minutes!), b) most of the writing has already been done for you since you are lifting text from the job posting (plagiarism – yay!) and c) this abbreviated method that highlights your qualifications requires minimal effort on the part of the reader to get to the meat.
You are doing the Hiring Manager’s job for them by linking your qualifications to the actual requirements listed in the job posting. You are also at an advantage if it is reviewed by an HR person who knows nothing of Construction Contracts–you are checking the boxes for them in less than 30 seconds’ time. Now your resumé and Cover Letter is destined for the “good” pile.
Finally, you can use either the table function in MS Word or you can use Excel and paste the grid into your document. Remember to left justify and Top Align each cell. You can also center the titles to each column or right justify. Keep the font size uniform in your document though, which is important to remember if you are pasting from Excel.
As I mentioned above, the only variation in this cover letter is listing any extenuating circumstances in your application. For example, if you are living in Las Vegas and applying for a job in Miami, you will probably want to explain why you are relocating to Miami, as some companies will reject non-local candidates. This is a good chance to state your case, just don’t be too long-winded. I would recommend explaining your situation in the lead paragraph and keep it to no more than 2 sentences.
Example: “I am relocating to Miami as I am originally from there and am moving closer to my family.” Simple, concise and to the point.
CONCLUSION
The Cover Letter should be brief and easy to read. It should highlight your qualifications with the goal of putting your resumé in the “qualified must interview” pile. Brevity is key.
The Pain Letter has the right idea, but the timing is all wrong. Save your Superhero moment for the interview where you have prepared your 20 questions that you have prepared in advance to ascertain the problem. It is then that you can show them your cape and demonstrate what a true Superhero you are!