ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Nuts and Bolts of Effective Cover Letters
As a job seeker, you shouldn't overlook the importance of a cover letter. If written strategically, a cover letter increases your chances for consideration, and provides an opportunity to highlight your individuality. A cover letter is much more than just a letter stating, "I read the job announcement in Sunday's classified, please accept this letter as an application of interest". It is a statement that tells the reader what they can expect from you if hired. The challenging part of writing a cover letter is determining what information to include. After all, all the juicy information was included in the resume. What could you possibly add to the cover letter that will add substance to your qualifications? Keep in mind that the resume and cover letter have different purposes. A resume demonstrates that you can do the job, it highlights your past accomplishments, while a cover letter points out the extent to which you match the job requirements for a specific a company and how you will fit in. A well-written cover letter gives you an advantage over your competition because it provides another opportunity to showcase your experience and qualifications. Cover letter basics can be mastered by following the pointers below. Sell! Sell! Sell! A cover letter is more than just a business letter; it is a sales letter. Begin with a strong introduction, layout the benefits you offer, and establish credibility by showcasing your accomplishments. Write as you speak. The cover letter should have a professional conversational tone, but sound as though a real person wrote it. Many people fall in the trap of using big word to communicate their message. Instead, write in a straightforward manner that entices the reader to review the resume. The words you choose should demonstrate enthusiasm for the position, company and industry. Write from the reader's perspective. Action words should not be reserved for the resume. Begin each sentence with a power word. Don't use a passive voice. Avoid starting sentences with the word "I." Like the resume, the cover letter's focus is on the hiring company, and beginning too many sentences with "I" puts the spotlight too much on you. Don't rehash your resume. Be creative when presenting your qualifications and accomplishments. You don't want to bore the reader by simply repeating the information you included in your resume. Find different ways to communicate the same message. The best way to do this is by selecting three to five major selling points and highlighting them in the body of the cover letter. Doing so will entice the reader to do more than just glance at your resume. Ask for an interview. Be proactive. In the last paragraph tell the reader that you will be contacting him or her to setup a meeting time. After all, the purpose of applying for a job is to be invited in for an interview, so don't be shy, go for it. You should use every tool at your disposal to secure an interview. Targeted cover letters add to your portfolio of qualifications and deserve as much consideration as a resume. About The Author Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR- esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Tips on How to Write High Impact Letters of Recommendation Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter of recommendation for an employee or colleague. This person values your opinion of him or her, and you'd be glad to help them advance. The problem is you're unsure of what to say or how to say it! Here are four tips to keep in mind when preparing your recommendation. Writing Powerful Resumes ? 10 Golden Rules Your resume is your sales letter. It may not get you the job. But it must get you an interview. The resume should be written to arouse the interest of the employer so that you get your appointment for an interview. This is the primary purpose of a resume. Here are ten golden rules to follow in creating a very powerful resume. Ten Things To Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job 1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. When you find yourself sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say, "What I want to have is..." Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2) Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities to do your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is well suited to telecommuting. Now you just need your boss to agree that this is a great idea, but how? Using Keywords to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Job Leads Many people are choosing telecommuting as an option to bring in an income while being at home. Whatever the reasons that we choose to work at home, the one thing we all have in common is the problem of locating legitimate jobs online. We often come online with the idea that finding a job online will be easy. Best Strategy Using Internet Job Search Engines Best Strategy using Internet Job Search Engines Job Interviews -- The Four Worst Objections You?ll Face and How to Deal with Them Dealing with tough questions and objections is an essential part of job interviews. Here are four common ones that derail many candidates. Read on to find out what they are and how you can deal with them. Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Petite Model? Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering if you have what it takes to succeed? There are lots of magazine and commercial modeling opportunities for good modeling jobs. Take this quiz to find out if you qualify to be the next top face in the petite modeling industry. Answer honestly. These 15 questions will tell you what your chances are of being able to make it as a top paid petite model. Air Liquide: Driving Liquid Air Have you ever heard of liquid air? The process of liquifying air was a major scientific achievement that took place over 100 years ago. Even after 100 years there are only a few companies that liquify air, which is probably why you've never heard of it before. Liquifying air is a cheap way to isolate different gasses like oxygen and nitrogen. Diplomats and Spies "The Baratarian pirates also offered their services. Even though an American naval force had destroyed their base on Grand Terre Island in September, the Baratarians rejected British overtures to side with them. (6) {Other accounts make it clear the men were willing to go it alone or against the Americans and yet Lafitte convinced them to support the American cause. I see this as part of the French Masonic or Merovingian/Priory plan that included Napoleon. Lafitte and Joseph Napoleon later tried to break Napoleon out of St. Helena. I think Lafitte was their agent and played any role or side to support their cause first and foremost. They wanted the US to become a real force in the world. Their counterparts in England had declared French Masonry was without a soul. They had formally declared them to be any number of silly things. It continues to some extent to the present. I shall address this more as I proceed but suffice it to say that at some level we have an inner sanctum of people who are playing both sides for fools.} Instead they pleaded with American officials to accept their services. According to one observer, 'this transition from piracy to Patriotism' was due to the influence of Edward Livingston. The pirates had promised Livingston $20,000 if he could secure their acquittal on charges of violating the trade laws,?" (7) Genes and Work Ethic If you have good genes, you are blessed. If they are exceptional, you might be successful on that alone. Benefits of Mystery Shopping For Secret Shoppers Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to scrutinize employees, products and customer services of any organization. The benefits that they get from mystery shopping are: Fact or Opinion? "You ain't going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck." What if Elvis believed this Grand Ole Opry manager's critique after his l954 performance? Or the Beatles listened in 1962 when Decca Recording Company responded, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out." The Importance of Background Verification Today's society has created an environment that requires business owners to be armed with numerous tools. Many employers currently spend little time verifying the accuracy of employment applications and the cost of not doing normal due diligence can be staggering. What Do You Want From Life? The tragedy for millions of people is that they never decide what they want from life and make plans for it. Life will provide whatever we demand. Most of us don't demand what we want but simply settle for what our job supplies. Too many jobs are dead-end with little room for advancement. Avoiding 10 Deadly Interview Mistakes Too many job seekers set themselves up for failure before the interview ever takes place. They fail to target their audience, demonstrate relevant skills and experience, or present themselves in a way that grabs the attention of potential employers. Plan for success and avoid these ten deadly interview mistakes. Evaluating Job Offers -- Eleven Warning Signs You Must Watch Out For Moving into a new job always involves some degree of uncertainty. You should do your best to find out all you can about a prospective employer, starting right from the pre-interview stage. Tips To Survive A Layoff The following eight tips will help make sure that recover from a layoff sooner than you think. Think About a Nursing Degree If you decide to get a degree in nursing, there are many things you need to know and consider first. Choosing your nursing school may not be as easy as you expect. There is research that needs to go into it to be sure you get the best school available to you. You are going to want to look into different college programs, where they are located, how much they cost, what degrees they offer as well as information about scholarships and more to help you make an informed decision about which is best for you. Make The Right Career Move It is not realistic for HR Managers to believe that there will not be any staff turnover in the organisation. Having regular staff turnover need not be a negative proposition as it may imply that the industry is very dynamic. There are also other varied reasons for this: The organisation may undergo a restructuring exercise or its headquarters may be relocated to a different country. With new talents to improve the competitiveness of the organisation, it is dependent on each employee to take full control of his career progression.
|
|
|
|
|
