Archive for the ‘Cover Letter Tips’ Category

How to do a Cover Letter – Avoid Pretentious Tone

Monday, April 4th, 2011

How do you like it if you read a report or a letter that is full of pretentious wording? While the author feels that he or she may be more knowledgeable or superior to the readers, it can actually annoy them and create a negative effect. This can happen to your job application documents.

Some job hunters are too eager to make a first good impression trying to appeal to the recruitment personnel with fancy words. But, it can create adverse situation and force the employer to stop reading your package. Such doing is not only damaging, but it’s ineffective.

So, how to do a cover letter that is attention-grabbing and effective in the eyes of an employer? Well, think about a conversation with a close friend that would take place in a café. The atmosphere is relaxing, friendly and easy. Try to use the same tone in writing your cover page, and choose the words that are easy for everyone to understand.

Here’s what you should do–remember that you’re writing to a potential company to apply for a job. So, state the position that interests you. Communicate your qualifications and support your claims with a C.V. You will have to show your enthusiasm and interest for the job and company, and explain how you can bring value to the company’s success.  Request to meet the hiring manager for an interview to discuss further.

For Example:

Don’t:
It is my great pleasure to write you this letter to present my highly qualified skills to the attention of your senior management team. I have great interest in the position of engineering manager which your company has recently posted in the XYZ Press, and I sincerely hope that I will be considered by your senior administrator for an interview.

Do:
Refer to your advert in the ABC Times for the position of a customer service official. I have 3 years working experience in this field, and I welcome any opportunity to meet you in person to explain how I can bring value to your organization.

Write as you speak and be yourself. Likewise, find out how an automatic tool can maximize your chances to get plenty of targeted interviews.

7 Steps to Creating an Incredible Cover Letter

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Cover copies are like ice creams. They come with different flavors and toppings. Some are served in plain vanilla while others are covered with chocolate chips, nuts, whipped cream, and fruits which will catch the employer by surprise.

If you want to impress the hiring manager ready to fill the position you want, learn creating a cover letter that brings instant recognition that you’re the right candidate to be further explored.

Here is a proven writing format that allows you to rise above competition.

Craft your letter as though you’re sitting together with the employer for a cup of tea. Describe and promote yourself politely and clearly. Motivate the reader to scan through your entire letter using appropriate words and examples.

1. Find out the name of the hiring manager.  Instead of using “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam,” greet him or her by the name.

2. Use an eye-catching headline and place it before the greeting line (Dear Sir).

Example,

“I’m ready to step into the position of Customer Service Manager. I’d welcome the opportunity to meet you in person.”

3. Promote your ability and work experience. Provide unique evidence such as “I improved overall productivity by 32% and reduced office staffs by 20%.” This motivates the hiring manager to find out more from your resume.

4. Ask for an interview and suggest convenient time.

5. Provide your contact information such as email address, and day / night phone numbers. Adjust your voice mail message if needed.

6. Thank the hiring manager for taking his or her time to read through your package. Mention that you’re aware of the big pool of candidates he or she has to choose from.

7. Sign off your letter, and then include a postscript (P.S.). Ask for an interview again in a nice tone. It is hard for the hiring manager to miss your P.S.

Example,

“Looking forward to meeting you in person for an interview.”

Creating a cover copy that yields results is not difficult. A well written letter will not only bring a quick reply for job interview, it will also land the job you want.

A Winning Bulleted Template for Cover Letter

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Looking for a winning template for cover letter? Creating a job application cover page can be very challenging. You don’t want to miss out a job opportunity, and therefore you want to include a lot of points in a single-page letter. But, there is one magic way to list your qualifications and help the readers to scan through contents in your letter very quickly—use bullet points to list your best skills and experiences.

Bear in mind a hiring manager spends less than a minute on each job search package unless something really catches his or her eyes.

Here is an example of a bulleted template:

During my two years as Sales and Marketing Manager at XXYYZZ Corporation in New York City, USA I was responsible for:

o Expanding new customer base in south-west region of the city
o Increasing sales revenue
o Launching of 6 new products
o Introducing new marketing techniques and strategies
o Training of new sales representatives
o Introducing new sales offices

Therefore I believe I’m the perfect fit for this position. I would like to bring my abilities to your company, and I welcome an opportunity to meet you in person for an interview.

Before creating your letter, write down the experiences that you wish to sell. Summary them into short, punchy statements and list them under bullet points. It will allow the employer to grab your background very quickly and help you rise above competition. So, make use of the bulleted template and land more job interviews.

Well-written Professional Cover Letter Creates Wonder

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

In the current tough economic situation, employer receives plenty of responses each time when a job opening is advertised. It’s impossible to go through every document in a thick pile of papers. The recruitment manager often spends less than a minute to scan through one cover page. So, what determine your job search package will be picked up when he or she is overloaded with documents?

Create a cover page that stands out from the crowd! You may be thinking that you should use an orange or pink perfumed paper to attract attention. Don’t do that! Just write a one-page letter that features the following attributes.

  1. In 3 paragraphs on a white paper, include an introduction, state your abilities and qualifications, and ask for an interview.
  2. Address your letter to a real person.
  3. Use 3 to 4 short, well-written sentences in every paragraph.
  4. Explain your points in numbering lists if needed. Leave plenty of space between paragraphs and use generous margins to help readers scan your letter quickly.
  5. Absolutely no grammatical, typo and spelling mistakes.
  6. Provide accurate contact name and details.
  7. Sign the letter.
  8. Use bold texts to highlight important points when appropriate.
  9. Include a headline before the greeting line.

Write a professional cover letter that lists the job you want, states your qualifications and requests for an interview. By including all these important attributes in your letter, it will be clear to the hiring manager that you may be the person he or she is looking for.

The Secrets of Great Cover Letter that Wins Interviews

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

A concrete and great cover letter features many good characteristics. The message in the letter is pointed, clear, focused, and friendly. But all these attributes are meaningless unless they motivate the hiring manager to call you for an interview.

There may be hundreds of candidates apply for the same job. Here’s how you can make yourself stand out from the crowd with an effective letter.

1. Insert a bold and eye-catching headline just before the greeting line. Example,

“Ready to step in to the position of xxxx immediately. I welcome the opportunity to speak with you further in an interview.”

2. State your experience. Example,

“I worked for Howe Company for 4 years as a Lean Master and have successfully trained up 3 black-belt lean practitioners and improved productivity of the manufacturing line by 30%.”

3. Use P.S, or postscript, after signing off your letter to attract maximum attention and to call for action. Example,

“On Sept 4, I’ll call you to follow up to be sure that you received my letter. I look forward to meeting you in person for an interview.”

4. Get right to the point and show the hiring manager that you’re fully qualified for the position with your abilities and past experiences. Example,

“I look forward for the opportunity to demonstrate what I can do, as a Marketing Manager, to expand client base, increase customer satisfaction, and improve the company’s bottom line.”

5. Thank the hiring manager for his or her time. Example,

“Thank you for spending time to review my package.”

6. Ask for interview twice but not once in the letter. Request one time at the beginning of your letter and the 2nd time towards the end. You can use the P.S. tool. Example,

“P.S. May I come in for an interview at your convenient to discuss about the position? Please call me at 000-000-0000.”

Don’t tell others about these winning tricks ya! :) ……..

Hope these tips will give you ideas on how to create a great page that catches the eye of a hiring manager and motivates him or her to schedule you for an interview.

Does Your Cover Document Ask For Interview?

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Most job seekers spend a lot of time and effort to prepare their cover letters. They try very hard to justify themselves for being the most perfect match for the job opening with their abilities and past career achievements. But, they still miss the opportunity to land a job interview for one very simple reason–they do not ask for interview in their cover pages.

In fact, their job search results can be completely different if they insert one of these statements in the letter.

“I welcome the opportunity to meet you in person for a discussion.”
“I’d like to interview for this position at your convenient time.”
“I believe I’m the perfect fit for this position. May I come in to see you next week?”

Your cover letter will fail to do its job without having to ask for it. You’ll find more job interviews land on you if you start to request. So don’t forget to request for one in every letter that you write. And, you should ask two times – once at the beginning of the letter and 2nd time towards the end.

Asking is an effective way to call for action. Don’t be afraid to ask the hiring manager to call you for an interview to discuss about the job. Just ask in a friendly manner. Hope that you’ll make use of this tip, and be shocked by the results.

Powerful P.S Trick On Job Cover Letter

Monday, September 27th, 2010

What would you do when you suddenly realize you’ve left out an important point after signing off your letter? Or you wanted to reiterate something significant to your reader? That’s easy to fix. Just add your point using a postscript, or a P.S., at the end of your cover letter.

Postscript is an effective and powerful tool if used appropriately in job search documents. Adding the two alphabets intentionally can help to grab the eyeballs of the hiring manger, and the messages that you placed in the P.S. have greater impact compared to any paragraphs that precede them.

Unfortunately almost all job-seekers are not aware of such useful trick. Act now and add a postscript deliberately. It’s impossible for the reader to miss it, and it gives you another chance to motivate the hiring manager for action–to land you a job interview.

What to write in your P.S message? Restate something important you’ve already said in a different way. Add some pizzazz to all your future cover pages using postscript to attract attention and call for action.

Given below are two examples:

P.S. Thank you for reading my letter. I sincerely think that I’m the right person to fill this position. I’d welcome the opportunity to meet you in person for an interview at your convenience. Feel free to call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

P.S., I’ll follow up and call you on Sep 04 to be sure you received my letter. I look forward to meeting you in person for an interview on this position. Please call me at xxx-xxxx-xxxx.

P.S. The hiring manager will never miss the postscript. Be sure to add one to all your letters.

Follow-Up Cover Letter Gets Another Chance for Interview

Friday, September 24th, 2010

Do you want to double your odds of landing a job interview? If the answer is ‘yes,’ I have a simple formula for you to make it possible. Here’s the secret trick.

Contact the organization which you’re aiming for the position not once but twice. Send your initial application letter to the hiring manager, and 10 days later send another follow-up cover letter to the same person you’ve contacted before. You expose your name two times, and you make a good first impression twice to him or her.

Most job seekers are not aware of this important step. They send out their job search packages, and they wait and hope. When they’re not getting any response, some feel discouraged, and others simply give up. You don’t need to get on the same bandwagon!

This is what you can do when you follow up. Add a short opening paragraph to your 1st letter and send it to the same person in the organization. The new paragraph will remind the hiring manager that he or she has heard from you before, and you’re writing to him or her again informing that you’re still interested and available to fill the position.

Example of an opening paragraph:

Dear Mr. Peterson,

I contacted you about 10 days ago, and I’m following up here with a copy of my original letter in case you missed my first one. I’m very interested in the position of sales coordinator, and I would welcome the opportunity to meet you in person for an interview.

(continue with the previous letter contents after this point).

Before passing up this great opportunity, send a follow-up letter to get a 2nd review on your job search package. You’ll find it worth your effort very soon.

How to Write Resume Cover Letter that Aces?

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Unemployment rate has been escalating in this tough economic situation, and competition for jobs is intense. To get short-listed for your dream job, you need to rise above the competition using your job search package. Your cover copy will serve as a sales letter to promote your professionalism, and provides compelling reasons as to why you should be called for an interview. There is no room for error in your application package if you want the job.

All cover pages are unique. Some are professional and perfect in every aspect while others are at best. Which one is able to climb to the top three positions of the pile? Certainly someone with a professional and eye-catching letter, and have great values to offer to the potential company will be successful in getting phone calls.

Your personal sales copy should stand out from the rest. Here is an example to show the recruitment managers that you’re ready to take up the new responsibility and deliver excellent services with your abilities and enthusiasm.

Example:
“I feel enthusiastic to join your team of sales engineers.   I’m confident that I can offer my abilities and ideas to expand customer base, increase sales revenue, and most importantly live up to your company’s mission of “customers come first.” If you give me the chance, I would like to meet you in person to discuss the details and understand more about your expectation for the position.”

Instead of pondering how to write a highly effective personal promotion copy that aces, you can now create an eye-catching and professional cover page that is precise and concise in an instant using this unique tool.  Such a letter will help you stand out from the crowd, beat the job competition, and get the interviews you want. Good luck!

Resume Cover Letters need Headlines? Yes for More Results!

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

Every single day the recruitment managers around the country screen through thousands and thousands of resume cover letters and trash most of them into the dustbin.

Why is this happening? It is because most of the job-search packages are lack qualities, professionalism and pizzazz. They look like pages taken out from a business handbook. The hiring managers often spend just a few seconds to glance through a job search package and decide if the person will be called for interview. You can definitely make a different to your cover page by including an eye-catching headline that will compel the perspective employers to continue reading your copy from first to the last paragraph.

When preparing the letter, you should first ask yourself what is the most wanted information from the potential employers’ standpoint. Then make a heading base on that.

Here’s what you can do. Before the greeting line (Dear Mr. Brown) in your letter, place a striking headline in boldface at the center of the page. Limit it to 2 lines. Here are three examples of headings that can bring you job interviews:

  1. I’m eager for the opportunity to interview for the position of technical assistant. I’ve heard nothing but good things about XYZ Company, and I believe I’m an excellent match for this opening.
  2. I’m ready, and able to step into the position of HR assistant immediately. Please review my documents for why I’m a perfect match for this job.
  3. If you’d provide me an opportunity to show you why I’m fully qualified for the position of Finance Manager, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you further.

Cover pages with attractive and bold headlines will catch attention. Your job application will be taken more seriously than job-seekers who use the standard templates.

Watch and take note. Your job search package will land on top of the stack and produce more results that lead to job interviews.