Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
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: Careers University of Northern Colorado February US job openings slip to 7.6M, consistent with a healthy but decelerating job market AP News Supply Chain Lowe's INTERNSHIP - SIMULIA EMAG User Success Dassault Systèmes Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) Working for ICE ice.gov How to use AI to get a job interview and nail it – along with the salary you deserve | Job hunting The Guardian Careers City of Ontario, California (.gov) Careers at Prairie View A&M University PVAMU Home Careers | Home USDA (.gov) Careers at FEMA FEMA.gov Meet a millennial who quit her tech job, temporarily moved to Paris, and started a baking business in NYC Business Insider Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Careers - MDOT Maryland.gov Careers Baxter Current Job Opportunities City of Keene (.gov) Jobs City of Rochester, New York (.gov) Work at Fairfield Fairfield University Corporate Career Job Areas Target Employment Opportunities | Game Commission Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Store Hourly Job Areas Target Careers at USCIS USCIS (.gov) Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs and Training at FDA fda.gov Work at Butler Butler University Employment | Department of Corrections Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Water Services Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group Careers Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov) Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers at Willamette Willamette University Career Opportunities UMHB Careers Johnson & Johnson Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Finding Your New Career at the City of Phoenix City of Phoenix (.gov) IOM career gateways International Organization for Migration Careers Washington State University Jobs at Liberty University Liberty University Careers BASF Careers at the IOC Olympics.com Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Jobs and careers | Veterans Affairs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs I landed job offers at Meta, Microsoft, and Google, thanks to this LinkedIn hack anyone can use Fortune Student internships at J&J Johnson & Johnson Careers Career Comeback UBS Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP) Wisconsin Department of Health Services (.gov) Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them The World Economic Forum Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis, MO (.gov) Careers WVDE Careers The Ocean Cleanup Ready for your next great job? ADP Careers Our Hiring Process Target UF Health Careers UF Health Careers Job Seekers Illinois Human Resources Careers CrowdStrike.com Careers KPMG Careers at Union Union College March 2025 Preview: What to Expect in the Jobs Report Center for Economic and Policy Research EPA employees rally in Denver against President Trump’s job and funding cuts - Colorado Public Radio EPA employees rally in Denver against President Trump’s job and funding cuts Colorado Public Radio Careers at Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty Jobs for Veterans and transitioning military VA Careers (.gov) DOE Report Shows Clean Energy Jobs Grew at More Than Twice the Rate of Overall U.S. Employment Department of Energy (.gov) Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Talent Solutions CBIZ The Job Market Is Frozen The Atlantic Careers Euromonitor Interview Guide and Tips Target Provincial Government Job Opportunities Government of Prince Edward Island Current opportunities Turner & Townsend Recorded Video Interviews Target 25 Best Jobs That Pay $100K or More | Careers | U.S. News Money/ US News Why hasn’t AI taken your job yet? Financial Times RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO POLICY-INFLUENCING POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE The White House (.gov) Work at UI Health Care | University of Iowa Health Care University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade AP News WORK AT LVMH LVMH Careers at Jacobs Jacobs SNAP Helps Millions of Workers in Low-Paying Jobs Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Work with us JPMorganChase Tariffs are 'lose-lose' for U.S. jobs and industry, economist says: 'There are no winners here' CNBC |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Something That Hasnt Been Invented Yet! Most of us were brought up to study hard, get good grades, choose a "practical" college major, and strive for a "good job."Talk to a stranded midlife career-changer and you realize the game has changed. Avoid Your CV Always Ending Up in the Bin Cover Letters must grab the reader's interest so that they immediately want to learn more about the writer (you).Your cover letter is generally the first document those potential employers will read. How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice, practice, practice.There are plenty of websites that offer lists of popular job interview questions, and knowing the types of questions to expect can be very useful. Applying for a Job in Another Country? International Resumes Is an International Resume still a Resume? This is a very common question among those looking for work overseas for the first time. When you contact companies about applying for a job with them you will not often be asked for a resume, you will be asked to send along your CV. The Interviewable Resume It is rumored that the only word William Shakespeare wrote on his resume was "Available." We'll probably never know if that is true. Job or Career At this present time I have a job. It pays some of my bills, and again I have a job. How to Make Your Career Change Easier Despite what your grandmother told you, life is not supposed to be a struggle. The same is true for making a career change. Believe And Get Hired Good things seem to come in bunches, especially in a job search. Ever wonder why?Example: ever know someone (perhaps you?) who, after many weeks in a fruitless job hunt, suddenly hit a "hot streak" and landed two or three interviews in a matter of days?What happened? What changed? Did the job market suddenly improve? Perhaps. Sample Resume Objectives: Good, But Summaries Are Smokin! Since college I've been told that a resume ought to have an "objective statement" at the top. Maybe you've been told the same. Rich Career, Poor Career What makes for a rich career? It is more than just the salary and benefits. A rich career is one that suits your talents and provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, as well as one that provides the right compensation. Recruiting on the Web Requires Special Record Keeping for Legal Purposes by Lesli Peterson, Business Analyst, VCGwith Phil McCutchen, Marketing Manager, VCG With the age of the Internet upon us, recruiting methods have expanded dramatically. Staffing companies now regularly use the Web to locate qualified candidates for their open positions. Ten Tips to a Job Winning Interview These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1. Surviving The Technical Interview Ah, the technical interview. Nothing like it. Hospital Staff at Great Risk of Attack and Injury Whilst at Work There are millions of people working extremely hard every day in the UK to ensure that the public are healthy and recover from illness or accidents. Countless medical staff around the country study hard to become doctors and nurses and then work long hours and endure stressful situations in order to save the lives of men women and children every day. College Labor is Available in Ohio Ohio has always been big on education and that means a bright, energetic and reliable workforce for expanding businesses. A business which wants to expand its number of outlets should be looking strongly at the Ohio market place as there are many very strong and economically viable areas to do business. Tackling Your Unemployment Creatively Are you unemployed or been laid off? You are not alone if that is any comfort to you. Worldwide millions of people are in the same predicament as you are. Fun At Work Leads to More Success Common sense at work: Such qualities as loyalty, energy, intelligence and hard work are certain to be in any consensus of what it takes to build a successful career."However, there's another essential ingredient that is too often overlooked," says Ramon Greenwood, senior career counselor at www. How To Get A Job Writing Speeches Jobs in speech writing are amongst the most difficult to find, but are much sought after. In many cases, the subjects that will deliver them will want to find expert advice on what to say, how to say it, and how to make themselves look good through it. Passing The Police Test Just Became Easier You've taken the police officer selection test or law enforcement entrance exam, but just can't seem to get a high enough passing score. You know you would be a good police officer if you could overcome that first hurdle. 3 Reasons To Hire From Outside Your Industry While at times it may prove comfortable and convenient to hire from within your current industry, often the best candidate for the job comes from outside your "comfort zone". How can that be? As a recruiter focused on a highly regulated and competitive industry experiencing significant growth nationwide, here are 3 reasons to hire from outside your industry:1.
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|