If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing
by: Heather Eagar
Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing.
The cover letter accompanies the resume at all times as the primary support document.
Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or another type of electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume.
There are, of course, other tools you?ll use when job seeking.
Your cover letter and resume come first of course, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters for after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters.
If you have good cover letter writing skills, and good resume writing skills, the other written tools should be a snap to compose.
Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing.
The method and format are a little different however.
Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages.
Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume.
Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.
Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much.
Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them.
The old adage ?tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them? holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.
As an example, let?s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position.
In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings.
Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers.
Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals.
The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them.
An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say?.
? Experienced in
quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.
? Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.
The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews.
With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume.
Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview.
In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position.
This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
About The Author
Heather Eagar Are you guilty of sabotaging your own job search along with the opportunity to earn more money? Heather Eagar, a former professional resume writer and creator of ResumeLines.com, provides reviews of the top resume writing services (www.resumelines.com) that put you in charge of your career so you can get the job you deserve. Sign-up for your free Job Search Tips E-Course (www.resumelines.com/ecourse).
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7 Must-Do Tips To Create A Powerful Ad Copy
7 Must-Do Tips To Create A Powerful Ad Copy
by: Azwan Asmat
When creating an ad copy, you should make it believable and persuasive. Some of us are missing some crucial things to include. Here are 7 tips to help you create a powerful ad copy.
1. Use a "P.S." at the end of your ad copy. This is where you either want to repeat a strong benefit or use a strong close, like a free bonus. For example, "P.S. You can get (product), worth over ($), for the low price of ($)!" Another example, "P.S. I can not guarantee the (No.) bonuses will be here tomorrow!"
2. You could end your ad copy with a discounted price. Just list your regular price and then offer a discounted price off the order ?right now?. You could also offer a rebate that takes effect instantly. For example, you could say, "Instead of paying $99, you could order now and get an instant rebate of $20 - you only pay $79!"
3. You could end your ad copy with a free sample or trial...
7 Must-Do Tips To Create A Powerful Ad Copy
Sample resume > 7 Must-Do Tips To Create A Powerful Ad Copy
6 Vital Tips For Creating A Superior Resume
6 Vital Tips For Creating A Superior Resume
by: Rita Fisher
1, Keep It Short
Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume, the shorter your resume, the most desirable it is. Aim for one page.
Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such a short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you list the most relevant information within the upper half of the first page because that is the section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed.
2, Spelling, Spelling, Spelling
It is not enough to run the word processor’s spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.)
Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee...
6 Vital Tips For Creating A Superior Resume
Sample resume > 6 Vital Tips For Creating A Superior Resume
The Power Of Words: Market Yourself By Adopting A Whole New Language
The Power Of Words:
Market Yourself By Adopting A Whole New Language
by: Allison Nazarian
I think we all agree that gone are the days when we would mass e- or snail-mail tens or even hundreds of resumes just for the sake of telling ourselves that we?ve done all we could to find the right job.
Assuming that it?s fair to say that the right job search is all about the right job and the right employer, then how do you let the right employer know you are the right employee?
Really, when it comes down to it, the only thing between you and your next job is a few hundred words that, if chosen correctly, can take you places.
When it comes to knowing and using the right lingo, you?ll want to:
Do your research.
What kind of company is this? Do you know and really understand what they do? What is their culture, are they by-the-book or casual?
What ideas and themes do they embrace? What does their website, their...
Sample resume > The Power Of Words: Market Yourself By Adopting A Whole New Language
Need Interviews? A Sample Letter for Following-Up Your Resume Submission
Need Interviews? A Sample Letter for Following-Up Your Resume Submission
by: Heather Eagar
A sample letter to use as a guide when preparing your follow up letters can assist your job search, save you time, and make you look very professional.
Take a look at the following, and use it as a guide when preparing your own follow up letters.
SAMPLE FOLLOW UP LETTER
Date
Decision Maker, Position
Company
Address
City
State, Zip code
Dear (use name),
I wanted to touch base with you concerning my recent application with your company.
Knowing you are busy I?ve enclosed another copy of my resume for your review.
My interests and work experience are in the areas of sales and sales management.
Having worked with Xyz company for the past seven years as a sales representative, I have strong experience and believe I could be a strong asset to your organization.
I would...
Need Interviews? A Sample Letter for Following-Up Your Resume Submission
Sample resume > Need Interviews? A Sample Letter for Following-Up Your Resume Submission
17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview
17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview
by: Laura Adams
Several Days - One Week Before the Interview
1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand.
To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company.
Study up on the company's products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information.
Are there any new trends in the industry?
2. Identify the organization?s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.
3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization?s needs.
Practice answering...
Sample resume > 17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview