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7 Deadly Cover Writing Sins
Don't start off your job search with one (or more) strikesagainst you by committing any of these common cover letterblunders. Each is easy to avoid, but they can sink yourchances of an interview if you include them in your letter. 1. Sending your letter to the wrong person, location, ordepartment. Do you really want your letter to land you a job at thecompany you're sending it to? Then take the time to verifythat you have the proper name, title and address for thehiring manager or other decision maker who should receiveit. Unless you're absolutely sure you already have the most up-to-date contact information, take a few minutes to call andask. Otherwise you may as well not bother sending yourletter - it most likely won't reach the intended recipient.And if it does, he or she won't be impressed that you didn'tbother to take this simple step. 2. Irritating your potential employer with a pushy, arrogantor conceited tone to your letter. Are you truly God's gift to humanity? If not, chances areyou ought to come across with a bit of humility, notbraggadocio. Save the "I am too good for you not to hire me"stuff for when you're bragging to your friends about thegreat job you just landed. (Even they probably won't beimpressed - and they already like you!) Instead, let youraccomplishments and skills speak for themselves. 3. Typos, misspellings, punctuation or grammatical errors. There's no excuse for leaving any of these mistakes in acover letter (or a resume for that matter). If such matterstruly aren't your strong suite, ask a friend to look yourletter over for you. Blatant errors like these are just onemore reason for a hiring manager to shunt your resume andcover letter aside, never to be seen again. Why? Becausethey'll think you are too lazy, too uncaring or toounskilled to be a good fit at their company. 4. Writing rambling, unfocused sentences and paragraphs. Few hiring managers want to think they're reading a newlydiscovered missing page from James Joyce's Ulysses.Especially when all they really want to understand is whythey should read the enclosed resume. Tightly writtensentences and three or four short paragraphs thatcommunicate the answer to that question will help ensureyour resume gets read, not tossed. 5. Writing long letters, even if well focused and wellwritten. Here's a good rule to live by: Don't go over one page. It'sa cover letter, not your autobiography. Capture yourreader's attention quickly and impress him or her with yourwell written main points. Then let your resume do the restof the talking. Until the interview of course. 6. Writing a letter that is all about you, and not aboutwhat you can do for your prospective employer. Do you listen to WIFM? Sure you do. That's What's In it ForMe, the little radio station in our heads that everyonelistens to, including the person who receives your letter.Your potential employer wants to know what you can do forhim or her, not the other way around. Make sure your letterhighlights why you will be able to help their company sellmore widgets, design better satellites or otherwise make itsfuture brighter. 7. Using odd layouts, too many fonts, colors and otherattention getting devices. With rare exception, attention getters like overly busylayouts, exotic multi-color designs and odd sized paper haveno place in a cover letter or resume. Save it for thedecorations at the next office party. Follow these common sense suggestions and you'll write acover letter that is bound to make you stand out-and landyou an interview. Copyright 2005 by Vincent Czaplyski, all rights reserved. You may republish this article in its entirety, as long asyou include the complete signature file above withoutmodification. Copywriter and consultant Vincent Czaplyski is founder ofhttp://www.impressive-resumes.com, your online source forprofessionally written "industrial strength" resumes andcover letters guaranteed to land you an interview.
MORE RESOURCES: Report: community college students need more career guidance Inside Higher Ed Will Artificial Intelligence Steal My Job? | On Careers | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money Careers - Human Resources Kennesaw State University The energy transition’s effects on jobs MIT Technology Review Workers eager to fill 3,000 Las Vegas jobs to build Brightline Fox 5 Las Vegas Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov Careers Boys & Girls Clubs of America Careers at TWU | The Office of Human Resources | TWU Texas Woman's University Careers Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Careers Micron Tesla mass layoffs impact Bay Area, with over 2,750 jobs lost San Francisco Chronicle Curry College launches job guarantee program Inside Higher Ed Careers at FEMA FEMA Find a Job Samaritan Health Services Careers | Job Opportunities | MaineHealth MaineHealth Careers at Bucknell Bucknell University Industry sells workers on ag jobs The Western Producer Career Paths FEMA Job Search Results - Careers at UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group My career race is in the home stretch, here's what I know Financial Times Green careers report: Understanding green jobs and their increasing demand The Economic Times Employment USC Upstate Veterans and transitioning military | VA Careers VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Data indicates a strong job market but some employment seekers — even those with a Ph.D. — say they struggle Yahoo Finance Careers Smith College Grécourt Gate What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs The New York Times Careers Opportunities: Join our Team National MS Society Careers at NATO NATO HQ Apply for a Job The City of Vancouver, WA The Best Jobs in America in 2024 | Careers | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money Despite lagging performance, California expected to avoid recession Los Angeles Times Join our team FHI 360 Chesapeake Public Schools Employment Opportunities Chesapeake Public Schools Careers at USI University of Southern Indiana Careers Medline Newsroom Work for Us (U.S National Park Service Careers The Ocean Cleanup Another month of robust US job growth points to continued economic strength The Associated Press Careers | US Forest Service USDA Forest Service Lawsuit claims Sheetz denied employment to class of job applicants because of their race WPXI Pittsburgh Careers in mental health services : Career Outlook: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics Careers Technip Energies Careers Tulsa Health Department Early careers UBS AI Will Transform the Global Economy. Let's Make Sure It Benefits Humanity. International Monetary Fund Careers CPKC Work Here UnitedHealth Group CoinGecko Careers: Careers at CoinGecko CoinGecko Careers with Impact IFC Press Releases 4 tips to get a job this year, including networking advice Business Insider Best job site of 2024 TechRadar Education and Development WellSpan Health The Challenges of Retiring from a High-Powered Job HBR.org Daily Opinion | The A.I. Economy Will Make Jobs More Human The New York Times Careers The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Career Outcomes Smith College Grécourt Gate GenAI Will Change How We Design Jobs. Here's How. HBR.org Daily 10 Things to Know About Autism and Employment Verywell Health Job Search Websites and Apps for Retirees | Retirement | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money US economy likely generated 200,000 new jobs in July The Associated Press John Lewis publishes job interview questions to aid preparation Personnel Today Explore and find your profession TotalEnergies.com Jobs home Mitie Career Services Wake Tech Newsroom Upgraded National Career Service portal to give job market a fillip Business Standard Find a Role Bain & Company Careers at UNHCR UNHCR Exploring green careers The Star Online Jobs Energy.gov Employment Opportunities City of Windsor Careers City of Somerville Employment Opportunities Unity Health Toronto Careers | City of Norfolk, Virginia - Official Website City of Norfolk (.gov) Jobs at Parks Canada Canada.ca |
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