How important is the cover letter?

[Reporter4]

If you're sending out tapes, how important is the cover letter? Should you write one "form letter" and just tweak it a bit for each market, or is it better to write a new letter for each market?

Any general advice about what to say?

Thanks!

[adam & doctor drew]

I'd write a new letter each time but don't kill yourself.. just a sentence or 2 to sell yourself (with something that's preferably NOT on your resume).

the #1 thing is still the tape.
if they like the tape, you've got a shot.
if they don't like the tape, nothing else matters.

[Gil]

A good cover letter tells me this applicant knows how to write, and makes me take a closer look at the tape.

[Obewon]

I know I'm the exception to the rule, but I figure I've looked at a couple thousand resumes and I don't think I have ever even read one cover letter.
It's totally irrelevant to me. First the tape and if that rings a bell, then I look at the resume to see if they went to high school.
Letter doesn't even rank a look for me.

[Sir Dropham Pants]

Each station has its own process. Some go right for the tape and maybe read the letter later. Others read first, then watch. Gil's point about the letter showcasing your writing ability is well taken. I've seen "letters" that accompany tapes that are no more than scraps of paper (mostly from agents). My opinion, it is best to have a good letter along with a good tape. Proofread the hell out of it, spell the ND's name correctly, and if you include any "I've always wanted to live in ___" make sure you have some facts and knowledge to back that up. I talked with a news director in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago who would get annoyed with the constant letters from people claiming to have always wanted to live in the desert. Flagstaff is in the mountains, hours from the desert.

[overthehill]

I've posted this before, but what the heck, one more time:

The cover letter won't get you the job but it might keep you from getting the job.

The cover letter is your introduction to the prospective employer. It is a snapshot of you, a first impression of who you are. First and foremost, make sure there are no typos, misspelled words or grammar errors. It's important that punctuation is correct and that you follow a standard format for a business letter. Neatness counts!

Especially when it's the very first thing the prospective employer will see. I recommend looking at examples of cover letters which you can find on-line. What you say is important because, again, the employer is getting a sense of who you are. Try to avoid "cutesy" phrases such as, "My name is Chrissy and your newsroom can't exist without me!" or "Hi, I'm Butch and I'm beggin' you to hire me!" Instead, tell the ND what qualities, ethics, experience, talent and commitment you have to offer.
Have a family member, friend, colleague, someone read your letter to proof it for mistakes and to make recommendations about changes that should be made. It's really important that you take this step.

I know of people who were too embarrassed to show their letter to someone else because they were afraid to be criticized. OK, but if you don't want someone who cares about you to see what you wrote, why would you expect someone who's never met you to be kinder or interested?

Again, the cover letter will not get you the job but it might get their attention. During a time when the field is so thick with qualified candidates, use every opportunity you can to get their attention.

The cover letter should “fill in between the lines” of your resume. If the resume says Associate Producer, the cover letter would detail the tasks associated with that job.

Don’t be afraid to be a little creative with your cover letter. NDs are used to seeing—Hi I’m Bob and I want to be the next reporter for Channel X.”
Find ways to make your letter and YOU standout.

In order of importance:
1.Resume Tape
2.Resume
3.Cover Letter
4.Typos/spelling on 1-3
5.Cuing your tape to the start
6.Easy-to-read label on tape

Cover Letter Challenge:
Leave "I" out of the first sentence of your cover letter, and use it fewer times than you use the word "you" or "your." The big challenge with cover letters is to make yours stand out, to get the attention of the hiring manager. Keep in mind, a news director may look at more than a hundred cover letters for one opening. It isn't easy to make yours memorable. Almost all cover letters begin with something like, "I am applying for the position of...." or "I am interested in joining your team..." or "I understand you are looking for..", etc.

Challenge yourself to find another way to approach this person. It is best is if your opening sentence shows that you know something about the market. How about something like, "Congratulations on your May numbers. KXXX continues to trounce the competition!" Not applying to a winning station? How about something like, "With news budgets shrinking, stations need producers who can do more with less." (What news director can't relate to that?) Anyway, the idea is to make your cover letter 1) stand out from all the others, 2) show that you know something about the market 3) provide a sample of your writing skills and 4) get them interested enough to read your resume and watch your tape.

The cover letter is an important part of your job search. You need to do everything you can to distinguish yourself from all the other people who are applying for the job you want. Consider the cover letter an opportunity to do just that.
Almost all cover letters begin the same way. It goes something like this: "I am applying for the position that I saw advertised...." BORING! The letter often goes on to summarize what the reader will see on the resume. Boring again! Cover letters often make the mistake of focusing on the applicant--and not what the applicant can do for the station.

Some ideas for the next time you draft a cover letter:

• Invest time. Too often the cover letter is an after thought. We spend time compiling a tape, making dubs, printing labels, sweating over every detail of the resume, then scratch out something we call a cover letter. The cover letter is the first impression a news director will have of you. Make it your best.

• Focus on what you can do for the station, don't focus on you. A news director is interested on how you can solve his/her problem--not about your professional history. (Save that for the resume.)

• Leave the word "I" out of the first sentence of your cover letter. That will challenge you to put the focus on the station, not on you.

• Do your research. It is imperative that you know something about the market, something about the station. Use the Internet. Find out everything you can about the ownership, the station management, the newsroom management. Call the station on the weekends and talk to writers and producers. Call the competition. Visit the station website. Many stations stream their newscasts, so you can even become familiar with their product. Find a way to use some of this information in your cover letter. It can be as simple as something like, "Nice job on the exclusive lead last week...."

Let your cover letter show that you've done your homework. It is worth the time it takes, and could make a big difference in your job search.

[TopRamen]

Ditto on leaving out "cutesy" phrases. One cover letter an asst. ND told me about featured the killer line "I produce shows that rock."

[Media Hack]

I agree with the poster who said there's a better chance a cover letter hurts someone than a cover letter helps someone.

What I mean is this... if you send me a cover letter with bad spelling or bad grammar, you're not likely to get the job. If the cover letter includes the wrong name or call letters because you forgot to change them, you're not likely to get the job.

However, the chances of your cover letter making any big positive difference is slim.

I would, however, recommend that you do a separate cover letter per station, although repeating some of the basics is fine.

Too few applicants actually research a station before sending out a tape and resume. Spend a little time learning about what that station does and how they do it and you'll know more about what the News Director wants. Then tailor your cover letter (and tape, if possible) to fit what he/she is seeking.

[thenewsleader12345]

I would just change the call letters... but also add 1 or 2 lines about why you want to work at that particular station.

Otherwise.. you are gonna be sending out about 60-100 cover letters for an onair job... so you dont have the time to write new letters for all of them.

[DoneThatToo]

Mail merge is a wonderful thing.

[kmfdmatt]

Originally posted by Gil:
A good cover letter tells me this applicant knows how to write, and makes me take a closer look at the tape.We keep telling you that you're a man of rare backbone. When will that sink in? ;)

[Pinkie]

Originally posted by happynews:
I would just change the call letters... but also add 1 or 2 lines about why you want to work at that particular station.

Otherwise.. you are gonna be sending out about 60-100 cover letters for an onair job... so you dont have the time to write new letters for all of them.But it does allow you to add things like if you're from the area, went to college there, grew up there, etc. It allows you to advertise that you'd be a good investment for the station.

If they like your tape.

[Spike]

A cover letter is like pants. Your pants aren't likely to land you a job. But good luck getting a job without pants.

[Stimpy]

You must have a cover letter but it won't get you a job. The order of importance for the material in your packet is:
1. Tape
2. Tape
3. Tape
4. Resume
5. Cover letter

Keep the letter short and make sure you proof read it. Telling a News Director that your favorite station in Waco is KUSA will not be helpful.

[Spike]

There's a tendency to read some of the advice here and think that cover letters aren't important. Just the fact that a cover letter won't usually get you a job does not mean you shouldn't have one, or that you shouldn't have a good one.

Specific example: I once got an interview based on a cover letter. Most of the interview was with the chief photog, who was basing his decisions mostly on tapes. But the news director had been the one to whom the original listing had said to send those tapes, and part of the interview was with her. It turned out she hadn't watched my tape at all, but she had insisted that I be brought in anyway.

"You wrote a great cover letter," she said. "I read that and told [the chief] to bring you in for an interview." Then she asked me if I had any interest in being a writer.

In the end I wasn't offered the job. It was clear to me and to them that I wasn't ready for it. But without that cover letter I wouldn't have even gotten the interview.

[gdiamante]

Originally posted by happynews:
I would just change the call letters...And do that carefully. I just got a cover letter that had my call letters at the top, but another station's call letters in the text!

I do read cover letters. A good cover letter and resume will get me to look at your demo. Not the other way around. Your demo will tell me what you can do on-air, but I am vitally interested in what you can do off-air because we're a tiny shop.