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Writing a Must-Read Cover Letter
If you want to land an interview, you'll need more than a perfectly polished resume, you'll also need a perfectly polished cover letter. A cover letter does more than provide a mere introduction, it gives the employer an opportunity to see why you are the right candidate for the job-before she even takes a look at your resume! By taking the time to customize a cover letter to each job opportunity, you can almost guarantee that your resume will get a good look instead of landing a permanent home in the circular file-or worse, the recycling bin. Put yourself in the employer's shoes for a moment. You have stacks of resumes on your desk and only one position to fill. Because you are crunched for time, you'll need a quick way to review everyone's qualifications and reduce the pile to a handful of possible candidates. How will you do this? By browsing each cover letter. If a cover letter intrigues you, you'll then flip to the resume and give it a look before deciding which pile the resume belongs in. WHY ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE? This is the burning question on employer's minds. When you are writing a cover letter, let the employer know how you can benefit her company. Include a few career highlights and give a few examples of how your expertise will be a positive addition to the staff. Resumes often focus on past accomplishments and employment history. Although that is valuable information, the employer really wants to know what you can do for them. Give examples of how you plan on increasing profits, locating new customers or increasing productivity. Employers will be impressed that have spent time thinking about how to better their company before you even step through the door. BREVITY IS BEST You may feel compelled to rattle on about your employment history and recent accomplishments to stress your extensive experience. But, you don't want your cover letter to appear overwhelming. If you were presented with a page long document with tight margins and small text, would you be excited to dive in? Employers won't be either. Remember, your resume may be only 1 of 100. Make sure the important details jump out instead of burying them in blocks of text. Your cover letter is not intended to replicate all of the information in your resume. Think of it as a teaser-if you grab their interest in the cover letter, you can guarantee that your resume will get a fair look. In general, a cover letter can be accomplished in half a page. Depending on your situation, it may be shorter or longer, but make sure it never exceeds a page. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION Since resumes don't explain potential resume problems, such as gaps in employment history, it is often acceptable to explain any discrepancies here. Keep it brief and don't get too personal. It's not a good idea to share too much information, and never, never bad-mouth a former employer. Regardless of the circumstances, this will almost definitely destroy your chances of an interview. NEATNESS COUNTS It probably goes without saying that your cover letter-and resume for that matter-should be polished and neatly printed on high quality paper. Make sure to proofread the letter to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Don't rely on spell check, which usually doesn't locate misuses of words such as "there" and "their" or "two" and "too." If spelling isn't your strong suit, have a word-savvy friend edit for you. Neatness also includes addressing the letter to the correct person. Using the introduction "To whom it may concern," or "Human Resource Personnel" is inappropriate and looks lazy. Make a good impression by calling the company to find the correct person and his/her title. It will be worth the effort. Writing an individualized cover letter is time-consuming and tedious, but it is worth all the effort. Take the time to write a sparkling letter and your soon your phone will be ringing with interested employers. Good luck! Lindsey Hadwin is the President of Pro Resume, an online resume writing service. For more information, go to http://www.proresumegroup.com
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 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 Careers at FEMA FEMA Find a Job Samaritan Health Services Careers | Job Opportunities | MaineHealth MaineHealth Curry College launches job guarantee program Inside Higher Ed Careers at Bucknell Bucknell University Career Paths FEMA Job Search Results - Careers at UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group Industry sells workers on ag jobs The Western Producer My career race is in the home stretch, here's what I know Financial Times Careers Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Work at West Point - Employment Opportunities at USMA | United States Military Academy West Point West Point Employment USC Upstate Green careers report: Understanding green jobs and their increasing demand The Economic Times 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 Careers Opportunities: Join our Team National MS Society What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs The New York Times 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 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 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 8 Best Finance Jobs to Pursue | Best Jobs | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money Search Careers Site AstraZeneca US 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 Credit Check for Employment: What to Know NerdWallet How to Become a Raleigh Firefighter | Raleighnc.gov RaleighNC.gov Careers at Campari Group people.camparigroup.com 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 GenAI Will Change How We Design Jobs. Here's How. HBR.org Daily US economy likely generated 200,000 new jobs in July The Associated Press Explore and find your profession TotalEnergies.com John Lewis publishes job interview questions to aid preparation Personnel Today Jobs home Mitie Find a Role Bain & Company Upgraded National Career Service portal to give job market a fillip Business Standard Careers at UNHCR UNHCR Exploring green careers The Star Online Jobs Energy.gov Employment Opportunities City of Windsor Careers City of Somerville Careers | City of Norfolk, Virginia - Official Website City of Norfolk (.gov) Jobs at Parks Canada Canada.ca Careers & Employment Pinellas County Employment Opportunities Unity Health Toronto |
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