Every so often, a journalist will tell me about an opportunity they are excited about. And then they will say those dreaded words: I’ll apply … as soon as I can get the perfect cover letter together.
Each time, I want to shake them gently by their shoulders and set them straight: Stop letting the fantasy of the ideal cover letter stand in the way of your career.
A reader sent this question to Ask the Recruiter :
> I’m a senior journalism student. I’ll soon begin my search for full-time journalism jobs and I wanted to ask about cover letters: What information should applicants include in a cover letter for a journalism position? What are recruiters looking for when they read one? > > I’ve received conflicting advice about how to approach cover letters. Some recruiters suggested telling a story to demonstrate my writing skills, while others recommended a more straightforward approach. The answer may depend on the recruiter or publication, but I’d appreciate any guidance on what makes a cover letter stand out in this industry.
I’ve seen many journalists pour themselves into cover letters, certain that if they can skillfully weave together an evocative story that reflects their ambition or commitment, they will stand out and eventually land the job.
But after more than 12 years of wading through applications and sitting through many hiring meetings, I am here to tell you: Journalists, please stop torturing yourselves over what is essentially a 500-word writing assignment.
Instead of putting off applying for a job while you agonize over a cover letter, you would likely be better served by ensuring your resume, portfolio, networking and interview skills — the things that truly set candidates apart — are as strong as they can be.
A cover letter is rarely the deciding factor when it comes to getting hired. The hiring editor , often the person who will manage the new hire, is assigned to recruit candidates and review applications. Many applications are immediately rejected because the candidate has no journalism experience or lacks the qualifications the role requires.
Having a resume that reflects the qualifications outlined in the job posting is critical. When I edit resumes, I encourage journalists to be specific. Don’t just say you were a videographer assigned primarily to cover sports. Go deeper, outlining how you persuaded a player to participate in a popular social media video trend for the newsroom’s Instagram account. List awards you’ve won. If you are fluent in languages other than English, note that.
Update your resume after you hit a major accomplishment. That helps ensure you accurately describe the achievement while the details are still fresh. This also means your resume is ready whenever an opportunity arises.
Worried your resume isn’t impressive? Regularly look for opportunities to add new wins to your resume, such as a page-one enterprise story, a top-read story of the week, a beautiful photo capturing a community event or a new initiative you’re rolling out across the newsroom.
The editor will often narrow the pool to their top 10 or so candidates. At this point, they will spend more time reviewing cover letters and carefully assessing each candidate’s portfolio.
If your portfolio isn’t competitive, many editors will have a hard time moving past that, even if the cover letter was written by Gabriel García Márquez. You’re unlikely to get a senior writer position with only breaking news clips built largely from press releases. You probably won’t get a staff photographer job by submitting a handful of blurry images.
Technical problems can turn some editors off. Make sure your material is easily accessible and looks good. Don’t just send links to paywalled sites. PDFs are your friend here.
So let’s say you’ve beefed up your resume and put together an interesting portfolio. Now you’re ready to spend some time on that cover letter.
I went back and reviewed some of the cover letters of the most successful people I’ve helped hire in recent years. Some focused on the journalist’s origin story — a standard cover letter formula for early-career journalists. These tend to highlight how their childhood inspired their decision to become a storyteller. Others adopted a direct approach: I am applying for this job and here is why I want to work in your newsroom.
Another option is to start with a paragraph that walks the reader through how the applicant landed a big scoop. Or you can share your news philosophy.
After the opening paragraph, a traditional cover letter might briefly capture your career journey without repeating your resume; explain why you want to work for that particular organization and close by expressing interest in discussing the role.
A cover letter is also useful for explaining a significant career gap, why you are making a major career change or any other critical information that might not be clear from your resume.
To the reader’s point, there is a lot of conflicting advice about how to write a cover letter because editors have different priorities. Some barely glance at them, while others will advance a candidate based on a compelling narrative. Because you don’t know what kind of editors you will encounter, I would make sure your cover letter is persuasive, spell-checked and fact-checked, and then move on.
After finalists meet with a hiring team, those staffers usually get together to discuss each candidate’s experience, the quality of their portfolio, the strength of their ideas and any perceived shortcomings . The cover letter hardly ever dominates the conversation.
Perhaps it helps to think of the cover letter as a routine assignment. Most reporters can write a 500-word story in a few hours or less. Treat your cover letter the same: Don’t write anything you’d be embarrassed to have your name on, and don’t miss your deadline.
You are your best advocate. And you are more than a cover letter.
Want to chat about your career questions? Email me at [email protected] with the subject “Ask the Recruiter.” Questions can be published with your name or anonymously.
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