Couple of quick hits to consider the next time you shoot off a cover letter. For most, the cover letter is always – and I mean always – an afterthought or no thought. Heck, most resume go naked as it is and that’s a shame. For a lot of resume, that cover letter can be [...]
Leonardo da Vinci’s Cover Letter Works Because…
December 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Great cover letters embody timeline principles. And Leonardo da Vinci’s cover letter really drives home that point. Quick background… Leonardo da Vinci was interesting in getting a job with Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. Evidently besides his skills involving painting; he was also an armorer and a military gadgets inventor. So wanting work, he did what all [...]
What Makes a Cover Letter Compelling?
August 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
What is it about a cover letter that makes it compelling? What is compelling and who is it compelling to? And the answer has nothing to do with how well the cover letter is written. Besides, it’s not an “A” you’re looking for – it’s a job you want. But first, let’s begin with these [...]
It’s Never Too Early To Make a Bad Impression…
August 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Just so we’re clear – I probably know less about cover letters, resumes, job hunting than your average, run of mill brown bear foraging for grub at Jellystone Park. No Yogi Bear am I. So, what’s the point? Well, I am opinionated and I like to dispense what I know – regardless of whether anyone [...]
It’s Time to Use Your Cover Letter Introduction As a Marketing Tool
July 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Jessica Holbrook, Writing your cover letter may seem like a mundane task-something you must do to ensure you submit all documents required when applying for a job. But in reality, your cover letter is so much more than that! This document gives you the opportunity to add life to the technical nature of the [...]
Tough Times Job Tips
July 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
“So easy a CAVE MAN can read it?” by Jimmy Sweeney, Have you ever started to assemble an appliance, a kid’s toy, a new computer, or a book cabinet and threw up your hands in frustration? The manual or set of instructions is useless. “Why can’t these people write in plain English?” you might shout. [...]
Instant Job Search Success – ‘Big Bang’ Theory!
June 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Jimmy Sweeney, If I failed to grab your attention with the title of this article you might not be reading this first sentence right now. You can call it a ‘title’ or a ‘headline’ but the secret is to ‘pack a punch’ at the top of any written communications. Done properly, this practically forces [...]
Principles of a Great Cover Letter
June 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The following is reprint of a great article by Kat Neville that was originally printed in the Smashing magazine (here’s the link to the original article, http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/25/what-makes-a-great-cover-letter-according-to-companies/). The article itself is very well written, with lots of good advice and observations from hiring managers. You would do well to heed some of what is in [...]
Four Cover Letter Flubs to Avoid
May 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Caroline Levchuck, Resumes get a lot of attention during a job hunt. However, don’t forget to give your cover letter its due. After all, employers usually review a cover letter prior to looking at your resume. If your cover letter doesn’t pass muster, your resume won’t ever get any attention at all. Each time [...]
Cover Letters and the Sense of Urgency Myth
May 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Phil Baker, You can learn and take advantage of the same principle businesses spend billions of dollars to broadcast. Many job hunters are working from a position of weakness and are therefore hesitant to create a sense of urgency in their resume cover letters. They believe they must be available at all times for [...]
Cover Letters: How to Get on the Employer Wish List
March 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
by Phil Baker, How do companies come up with job qualification requirements? When you are preparing to customize your resumes and cover letters for prospective employers think about this: Someone wrote the job posting; an employee where you want to work created the job posting or description for the company. For certain jobs, there is [...]
Selling versus bragging on your Cover Letter
February 26, 2011 by 1 Comment
There’s a lot of advice out there on how to write that one cover letter – you know – the one (not Neo) that will get you the coveted interview. Just slap “cover letter” into your Google search box and you’ll get back hundreds of thousands of results. Heck, do it on my little site [...]
Cover Letters for Over Forty Job Seekers
February 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
by Phil Baker, Recently an associate of mine, Trent, who happens to be over forty and seeking a management position, asked me to write his resume and create cover letters. He expected he would have younger competition and initially wanted to play down his work history in order to conceal his age. Because he had [...]
How to Make Your Cover Letter a Perfect Fit for Any Opening
February 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Jessica Holbrook, Let’s face it, a blanket cover letter just isn’t going to cut it these days. So how can you make the best use of your time while maximizing your results? Here are a few simple steps to customizing your cover letters. (And if you don’t think you SHOULD customize your cover letter [...]
Don’t Kill Your Great Resume with a Bad Cover Letter
February 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
There are probably as many, or as much confusion, misunderstanding and downright misinformation regarding cover letters as there are about networking. Why there should be so much “controversy” or angst over this one sheet of paper is beyond me. Here it is – You need one and you need a good one. Why, you ask. [...]
