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Pair Your Powerful Resume with a Great Cover Letter
Every great resume deserves a great cover letter. A cover letter is crucial because it's the first thingthe hiring manager sees. And you only have seconds tograb his or her attention. So, you have to make surethe cover letter stands out from the dozens--or maybeeven hundreds--of others that cross the hiringmanager's desk each week. You might ask, why bother at all with a cover letter?If I only have a few seconds to grab a recruiter'sattention, why not do it with a resume? The answer is,that even the best resume is a rather dry listing ofaccomplishments and abilities. By definition, it's asummary. But with a cover letter, you have an opportunity to leta little bit of your personality shine through and totalk directly to the hiring manager. Plus, it's yourchance to show off a little of what you know about thecompany and to tell why you're interested in the job. Use the steps we've outlined here and you'll be well onyour way to a dynamite cover letter. Tip #1: MAKE A CONNECTION There are 3 basic parts to making a connection: 1. Draft a strong opening paragraph. 2. Show your personality. 3. Research and target your audience. * Draft a Strong Opening Paragraph. You must capture the hiring manager's interestimmediately. The best way to do this is with a dynamicopening sentence and paragraph. Be sure to refer to theposition you're vying for, and state why you arequalified for the job. Remember to frame your statements in terms of how youcan benefit the company, not the other way around. If you can, mention the name of someone the hiringmanager knows and respects. For example, you could say,"Joe Smith recommended that I contact you about youropening for a shift manager." Or, "My associate, JanetBrown, told me such wonderful things about JonesCompany that I couldn't wait to send you my resume." Rhetorical questions that make the hiring manager thinkcan also work well. This should be a question that canlead into some way that you can benefit the company.For example, "Are you struggling with the rising costsof [fill in the blank]? I can cut your costs by 30%.Here's how..." Beginning with a quote is another good way to grab thereader's attention. Although you must choose your quotewisely. And then you have to make sure you transitioninto the rest of your letter gracefully. It's also important to know what tone to set in thisopening paragraph. In some cases, this may depend onthe industry in which you're trying to get a job. Forexample, a friendly, informal tone may work well ifyou're applying to a small, entrepreneurial company.While a more formal, professional tone might workbetter for a large law firm or corporation. On theother hand, a bold statement might work really well ifyou're seeking a leadership or sales position. * Show Your Personality While your writing style should be matched to youraudience to some extent, as explained above, it shouldalso reflect your personality. Start to give yourprospective employer a sense of who you are and whatyou value. * Research and Target Your Audience You want to sell the hiring manager on the belief thatyou're a great fit for the company. The only way to dothis is if you know enough about the company tounderstand what makes it tick. Be sure you've taken thetime to learn a bit about their mission, theirproducts, their history, and their goals for thefuture. This will help you communicate hiring you willbenefit them. Always address the cover letter to a specific person. Take the time to call the company if necessary to learnthe name of the person doing the interviewing. This, initself, says a lot about your initiative and attentionto detail. Tip #2: SELL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Your cover letter should sell you as the product. So,make sure you know what skills the company needs andthen describe how you have what they are looking for.Pick one or two of your best accomplishments orabilities, and highlight them in your letter. Sure,they're listed on your resume too, but this tacticmakes sure the hiring manager sees them right away. If it makes sense to list a few accomplishments, thenlist them as bullets. This will draw the reader'sattention to that section of the letter right away. Andafter all, what you have to offer is the most importantpart of this letter. Tip #3: CLOSE THE LETTER Powerfully Ideally, you want to leave your readerhungering to know more about you. But you also want tobe proactive. So, rather than ending your letter withthe common statement, "I look forward to your call,"say you'll call them in a few days to arrange a time tomeet. If you don't have a phone number, and couldn'tfind on during your research, then try to provide anincentive for them to call you. Some people say they're going on vacation or out oftown after a certain date and ask to meet prior tothat. Others say they'll be in an area at a certaindate and time and ask for the interview during thatperiod. Be creative, but make it as real--and company-oriented--as you can. Tip #4: MAKE IT PLEASING TO THE EYE Finally, it's important that your cover letter be easyto read and professional looking. Kathi MacNaughton, a freelance writer and editor, hasyears of management and recruitment experience. Fortips & advice on writing powerful resumes & coverletters, seehttp://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com.Copyright 2004 Kathi MacNaughton. All rights reserved.
MORE RESOURCES: Employment opportunities Department of Taxation and Finance Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Jobs and careers | Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs Your career level Continental Governor Newsom releases new framework to create high-paying career pathways with and without four-year degrees Office of Governor Gavin Newsom Looking for work? These industries are expected to see major growth in Tennessee - Commercial Appeal Careers UNCO News Central Jobs- Legacy Energy.gov California nixes degree requirements for 30K state jobs Higher Ed Dive US Department of Labor announces latest actions to secure sustainability of Job Corps program US Department of Labor Careers | Career Opportunities West Virginia University Jobs, inflation, and the Fed: How they're all related Yahoo Finance Working for ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Calif. Master Plan for Education Includes Digital 'Career Passport' Government Technology Careers | Home USDA.gov US Department of Labor awards $99.3M in grants to support training, job services to prepare young people to succeed in high-demand careers US Department of Labor Employment | Department of Corrections Governor Tom Wolf Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov Start your career journey with Illinois, a top leader in research, teaching, and public engagement University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Draw your own chart game: how well do you know the jobs market? Financial Times Careers at Willamette Willamette University Aligning workforce development with changing industry needs World Economic Forum Jobs at Liberty University Liberty News Career Opportunities UMHB Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers at Union | Human Resources Union College Careers Washington State University Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Nursing jobs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Work At Chess.com Chess.com Our People: Associate Experiences and Paths to Opportunity Walmart Corporate Careers at Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University Work for Us (U.S. National Park Service) National Park Service US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown The Associated Press UF Health Careers UF Health - University of Florida Health Careers with Lexington Police Department City of Lexington, Kentucky (.gov) Working at Siemens Energy: Careers & Job Opportunities Siemens Energy Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Careers Medline Careers at Discovery Education Discovery Education Careers S&P Global Internship Opportunities | BCG Boston Consulting Group India's job market projected to grow 9% in 2025 The Economic Times Careers at Jacobs Jacobs Jobs report on eve of election will be among the most muddled in years The Associated Press Job vacancies at the EUDA European Union Students and graduates JPMorgan Chase Constellation to Launch Crane Clean Energy Center, Restoring Jobs and Carbon-Free Power to The Grid Constellation Energy Tourism to see 61 lakh new jobs in 10 years Deccan Herald US employers added just 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes and strikes sharply reduce payrolls The Associated Press Highest-Paying Engineering Careers in 2024 University of North Dakota How To Use AI To Find A Job Forbes Mental health at work World Health Organization Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools JobFeed NSW Department of Education Careers City of Norfolk (.gov) Careers at King County King County ANU council members say Bell’s second job was never mentioned The Australian Financial Review KCMO Career Center | CITY OF KANSAS CITY | OFFICIAL WEBSITE City of Kansas City (.gov) Apply for a Job - The City of Vancouver, WA Careers City of Somerville Careers Penn State University IT sector to witness 15-20% growth in job opportunities in 2025: Report Business Standard Careers UTSA Today Careers City of Fort Worth Employment University of South Carolina Careers @ UO University of Oregon ADM Job Openings Unlocking Nature. Enriching Life. | ADM Careers at the ICR The Institute of Cancer Research Career Opportunities University of Houston Careers at Florida State | Office of Human Resources Florida State University UH Careers University of Houston Career Services Wake Tech Newsroom Current Job Postings City of Windsor Careers at UHD UHD Current Job Openings Pinellas County Careers at UND UND Events Calendar |
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