Garvey: Cover letter tips

My name is Garvey, I'm a global staffing manager here at Google.
I hire essentially all the cybersecurity engineers here at Google.
I've hired across the US, Zurich, London, Sydney, Australia, and virtually any office that you name.
This space is unique in the sense that it's growing, it's vastly evolving.
You have a number of candidates that have pivoted, changed positions in their life, come from all different walks of life, right?
So, cover letters is an opportunity for you to tell that story.
A resume tells me the facts, what have you done, but a cover letter tells me who you are.
Why cybersecurity?
Why this space, why this opportunity?
What draws you here?
Most folks that I've met that want to enter this space have a reason.
Either they've been the victim of some sort of cybercrime, or they know others who have, or they've seen something that has affected them in their lives, that has brought them to that moment.
I want to know more about that.
I want to understand what your passion is, what your interest is in this space.
So I think in particular when it comes to cybersecurity, when it comes to cover letters, it's your opportunity to tell me kind of what's written in between those lines of that resume that's brought you here.
How long should a cover letter be?
I don't think there's any perfect science to that, you know.
First give me a few lines about yourself, your family, your hobbies.
And then after that, really kind of cut to what makes you unique, what makes you different than this other applicant?
What has brought you to this opportunity?
How have you overcome adversity?
How do you plan to do so in this work environment?
What does this job mean to you?
What are the soft skills that you can present and bring to your colleagues in this role?
If I'm a candidate that's making a career transition, I want to know in that cover letter, why?
Is there a particular reason cybersecurity excites you?
Is there a particular reason you're making this transition?
What haven't you found in your previous career?
I want you here forever, right?
And if I keep you here forever, I want to keep you happy, right?
So what makes you happy?
What are the things that you see in this space that are going to excite you, that you're passionate about?
All right, I want to see that written on the cover letter.
Don't just sort of standardize your cover letter and just fire it off regardless of the company that it is, right?
Tailor your cover letter around that mission.
What's their mission?
Make it a part of your own.
Know the company's mission, know their purpose, their products.
Insert that in your cover letter.
A cover letter is meant to capture someone's attention quickly.
You can't manage to capture the attention of someone for the entirety of what you've written, right?
So, what is it about you that interests me, that brings you to this time and this opportunity?
You want to capture someone's eye first and then capture their attention and their mind, right?
So be bold, be loud, right?
I think keep the words simple, but like, be bold.
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