Some speeches are so powerful and inspire so much passion that they plant the seeds for a revolution or a big change in society. Why are some speakers so good at connecting with their audience and some so bad at it? At the root, a speech is about conveying a message and making an impression. Good speakers know that to be heard, they have to be clear, inspirational, and … lead. Indeed, giving a speech is about leading people in the right direction with one’s vision of how things should be.
That’s why speeches are so important in politics. The leader of a political party has to be able to affirm himself as someone with direction and drive in order to inspire confidence in the electorate. But no matter how many attributes we associate to “good speeches,” it all comes down to one thing: “making a statement.”
A good speech is about “making a statement.”
Those that fail when they stand in front of a crowd are those that have no real clue of what they want to say, have no confidence in themselves, or couldn’t say it eloquently enough. All that translates into one thing: no conviction. A leader must have conviction in order to succeed.
The same holds true for resumes and cover letters. It’s about connecting with the recruiter and making a statement: “I am the best candidate for the job. Give me at least a chance at an interview.” Faced with a good application, a recruiter will always give that applicant the benefit of the doubt. No employer wants to let go of a potentially good recruit.
So when you are facing the difficult task of writing a resume or a cover letter, keep that in mind. When you are done writing, let it rest, come back on it later, and ask yourself this question: “Have I made it clear that I was the best candidate for the job?” If the answer is “no,” you know what you’ve got to do…
