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 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

By Phil Baker, Often, especially in the case of a cover letter, knowing what not to do is just as important as what to do. Though every job is different and the information in the letter should reflect that, there are some things that, if included in this document, will probably get your resume thrown [...]

By Karen Silins Nowadays, so many companies are recruiting online that you’ll probably be asked to submit a cover letter online at some point. The employer might ask you to paste your text into a textbox or to e-mail your resume.  (Typically, this means you need to include a text copy in the body of [...]

Struggling to write a cover letter? You’re not alone. Based on the dozens of inquiries I get every week on this subject, here are four common cover letter questions, with answers to guide you. By Kevin Donlin, Struggling to write a cover letter? You’re not alone. Based on the dozens of inquiries I get every [...]