The willingness to learn new skills and be a good match with the company’s culture are some of the most desired characteristics employers want out of job seekers, according to a recent survey from Express Employment Professionals.
Cover letters are a way to showcase your soft skills and personality, but they can also be a great way to give insight into your integrity. With the average read time of cover letters at less than one minute, you’ll want to keep your cover letter brief but still take advantage of the opportunity to stand out.
We’ve previously discussed three ways to establish your integrity in a cover letter, and we’ve now added two additional tips to the list.
I’m Trustworthy
After you read the job description or job posting, include a brief story in your cover letter of when you have been trusted in the past to take care of related tasks. State how you handled the request and the pride you felt in completing the project. If you have specific measurements for the success of the project, include those or provide a quote from a note you received thanking you for your hard work on the project.
I’m Knowledgeable
Share a quote or thought from an industry article or training and explain what you learned from it briefly. Detail how you stay informed on trends and changes in your industry and why you believe it’s important.
I Have My Own Values
If you have your own personal values or mission statement, share that. Then explain why the job or company aligns with that. “The Leadership Challenge,” by James P. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, offers great advice on creating a personal values statement and how you can use that to guide decision-making. If you don’t have your own values statement, review the values of the company you are applying to and select one that resonates with you and expound on that.
I’m a Team Player
Most employers want to know that the person they recruit, and hire will get along well with the rest of the team. In your cover letter, briefly mention that you value your colleagues’ viewpoints and are always open to discussing and brainstorming project ideas, even if you disagree. If you are questioned about this during your interview, give an example of a period when you had to collaborate with others or had to resolve a conflict with a colleague or manager.
I Hold Myself Accountable
You will make a mistake at some point in your career. It is critical to demonstrate that you are accountable for your actions and that you are eager to learn and improve in your role. Include these keywords in your cover letter, and if this comes up in your interview, be prepared to tell a story about a moment when you had to demonstrate accountability on the job.
Taking the time to craft a cover letter that demonstrates your integrity can be one more way to stand out in the job applicant pool.
How do you demonstrate your work ethic/integrity during the application process? Share your ideas in the comments section below!
