The need for a resume is a foregone conclusion – Right!? The need is not so clear for the “much-maligned” cover letter. Actually as an aside, I’m not sure that the cover letter is maligned or not, but it did seem like a cool sentence to write – syntax wise (ooh big word). The challenge […]
The Recap on Writing Effective Cover Letters
Okay, here’s the recap! The one and only purpose of a cover letter is to get the reader – hopefully a hiring manager – to read your resume. I say hiring manager because, believe it or not, the hiring manager and HR has definitely – different – agendas. Generally both want to make a good […]
Email Cover Letter is Different…
Just wanted to touch base on email cover letters. That would be opposed, to say, sending a cover letter via regular mail. The one thing about emails – it seems to me – is that it has made us “lazy.” Twitter, texting, etc. has contributed to sloppy writing. And that’s coming from me – the king […]
2 Quick Hits on Writing a Great Cover Letter
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…
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?
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 […]
Tough Times Job Tips
“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!
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
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 […]
Cover Letters: How to Get on the Employer Wish List
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 […]
Cover Letters for Over Forty Job Seekers
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
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 […]
Bad Cover Letter Example
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 […]
How to Format Your Letter for Online Submission
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 […]
Four Cover Letter Questions
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 […]
