Cover Letters Guru

Cover letters are the individual persons forst chance to express their intelligence, education and communication skills with a prospective. A cover letter should never be a formatted boiler plate affair like a resume. The cover letter should be always a customized document, bowing and bending to the winds of the prospective employers status. Expressions advanacing the candidates knowledge of the propsectives industry or business environment is always a good inclusion in any cover letter. Protocals of business should be learened and adhered to also in the formed words and sentences. Your cover letter ios your glance accross the room at an desireous human. Your footing should be sure, poliet, somewhat assertive but with humility and eligance.

more on this plosyposhy wioth examples later. Here is some more advice on the subject.

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A cover letter or covering letter is a letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document such as a resume or curriculum vitae. A successful cover letter results in the resume being scanned and moved to the "contact this applicant" pile rather than the "thanks but no thanks" pile. It also sometimes accomponies a scientific article.

Think of the cover letter as the job seeker's introduction to the employer/recruiter. It is also a marketing device.

The cover letter should highlight a few (no more than 5) specific points in the job seeker's experience and skills that match, or exceed, the requirements of the job. And, it should be written to address the employer/recruiter concerns. No: "Your job interests me." Yes: "My experience in (whatever is needed) can help you with (whatever is needed)."

A good closing is critical.

Although some authors recommend ending a cover letter with a statement such as, "I will call your office in the next week to schedule an appointment," others find this pushy and prefer a more deferential approach, such as "I think we could both benefit from meeting to talk about this opportunity in more detail. I would like to follow up within the next week to discuss your thoughts. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call me at XXXX if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration." Many believe that the latter approach expresses interest but avoids telling the employer what the process should be.

Wednesday, 8th March, 2006

How To Write an Effective Cover Letter

Your return address should appear in the top right hand corner, without your
name. As a general rule, you should avoid abbreviations in the addresses of
your cover letters, although abbreviating the state is increasingly common in
all business correspondence.

The date should appear two lines beneath your return address on the right
hand side of the page. Write out the date; do not use the abbreviated format.
Example: May 12, 1995

Always try to find the name and proper title of the addressee before you
send out a cover letter. Two lines beneath the date, list the full name of the
addressee preceded by Mr. or Ms. (Do not use Miss or Mrs., even if you
happen to know the marital status of the addressee). On the next line, list the
individual's formal title; on the subsequent line, list the name of the company.
This is followed by the company's address, which generally takes two lines.
Occasionally, the individual's full title or the company name and address will
be very long, and can appear awkward on the usual number of lines
allocated. In this case, you may prefer using an extra line.

The salutation should be typed two lines beneath the company's address. It
should begin with "Dear Mr." or "Dear Ms.," followed by the individual's last
name and a colon. A colon appears more businesslike than a comma. Even
if you have previously spoken with an addressee who has asked to be called
by first name, you should never use a first name in the salutation.

State immediately and concisely which position you wish to be considered
for and what makes you the best candidate for that position. If you are
responding to a classified ad, be sure to reference the name of the
publication and the date the ad appeared. Keep the first paragraph short and
hard-hitting. Example: Having majored in Mathematics at Boston University,
where I also worked as a research assistant, I am confident that I would
make a very successful research trainee in your Economics Research
Department.

Detail what you could contribute to this company, and show how your
qualifications will benefit this firm. If you're responding to a classified ad,
specifically discuss how your skills relate to the job's requirements.
Remember, be brief! Few recruiters will read a cover letter longer than half a
page. Example: In addition to my strong background in mathematics, I also
offer significant business experience, having worked in a data processing
firm, a bookstore, and a restaurant. I am sure that my courses in statistics
and computer programming would prove particularly useful in the position of
research trainee.

Describe your interest in the corporation. Subtly emphasize your knowledge
about this firm (the result of your research effort) and your familiarity with the
industry. It is common courtesy to act extremely eager to work for any
company where you apply for a position.
Example: I am attracted to City Bank by your recent rapid growth and the
superior reputation of your Economic Research Department. After studying
different commercial banks, I have concluded that City Bank will be in a
strong competitive position to benefit from upcoming changes in the industry,
such as the phasing out of Regulation Q.

In the closing paragraph, specifically request an interview. Include your
phone number and the hours when you can be reached or mention that you
will follow up with a phone call within the next several days to arrange an
interview at a mutually convenient time.

If you are responding to a newspaper ad that asks for your salary
requirements, you may decide that you would rather discuss such matters at
the job offer stage. However, not stating your salary requirements when
asked to do so may jeopardize your chances of even getting to an interview.
(This is particularly true of entry-level positions). If you decide to state your
salary requirements, do so in a range. For example, your cover letter may
read, "I seek a starting salary between $18,000 and $22,000."
Example: I would like to interview with you at your earliest convenience. I
am best reached between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M. at (617) 555-1483.

The closing should begin two lines beneath the body of the letter and should
be aligned with your return address and the date (toward the right of the
page). Keep the closing simple--"Sincerely" suffices. Four lines underneath
this, and aligned with the word Sincerely, type in your full name, preferably
with a middle name or middle initial. Sign above your typed name in black
ink. Don't forget to sign the letter! As silly as it sounds, people often forget
to sign their cover letters. This creates the impression that you don't take
care with your work.

You will help the employer to see you as a meticulous, detail-oriented
professional if you include an enclosure line at the bottom of the letter.

This information came from Every Woman's Essential Job Hunting
and Resume BookBy Laura Morin, Published by Adams Media
Corporation

Sunday, 19th February, 2006

Cover Letters - Free Weekly Examples, Samples

Write effective resume cover letters. We will be adding free samples, examples, templates in various formats and career areas below each week.

Writing effective cover letters is critical to even getting an interview.

Cover Letter Do's and Don'ts:

Source: FSU Career Center

· follow rules of layout and format of a standard business letter

· slant letter toward what you can offer employers, not what you think
they should be offering you

· address, whenever possible, to an individual, along with his/her correct title

· spell, punctuate, and paragraph correctly

· write in your own words and in conversational language

· hand-sign, rather than type your signature

· print your letters on good quality paper

· be brief, concise and to the point

· close with a direct request for some sort of action (i.e., interview appointment)

· take advantage of any link to the employer that can put your foot in the door or give you an edge over the competition (for example, mentioning the name of someone you know in the organization)

· use stiff language or phrasing

· be gimmicky in an attempt to be original or clever

· load with constant use of the word "I"

· be lofty in tone or indicate you will do the employer a great service by "considering" a position

· be excessively emphatic about your reliability, capacity for hard work or intelligence. This kind of self-appraisal is usually best understated. The appearance and tone of your letter and resume can say more about you than you can gracefully say about yourself.

Sample Cover Letter Outline -

Your Present Address

City, State, Zip Code

Ms. Persons Name
Title

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr. Person name:

1st Paragraph . Tell why you are writing; name the position, field, or general career area about which you are asking. Tell how you heard of the opening or organization.

2nd Paragraph . Mention one or two of your qualifications you think would be of greatest interest to the organization, slanting your remarks to their point of view. Tell why you are particularly interested in the employer, location, or type of work. If you have had related experience or specialized training, be sure to point it out. Refer the reader to the enclosed application form, resume or the fact that the XYZ Career Placement Office has or will send full credentials to provide additional information concerning your background and interests.

3rd Paragraph . Close by making a request for an opportunity to visit the employer. Indicate that you will follow up with a phone call about the possibility of a meeting. If, instead of wanting an interview, your request is for further information concerning openings, it would be polite to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Make sure your closing is not vague, but makes a specific action from the reader likely. Thank the employer for his/her consideration of your application materials.

( Handwritten Signature)

Thursday, 8th December, 2005

Resume Corner Beginnings

Beginnings. This part of the Blog will cover topics related to resumes. That all important sales tool that leads to success or disaster even before you get the chance to interview.

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Wednesday, 29th March, 2006