Kamis, 14 Juli 2011

Writing A Red-Hot Cover Letter


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Something getting sent to a choice-maker should sell you, not just state facts. When conducting a job search, your cover letter and resume are in a pile for the choice-maker to evaluation, 1 by 1, along with a vast number of other documents submitted by other hopeful individuals. The odds that YOUR document is the incredibly very first ones on the pile are about a zillion to 1! This means the decision-maker has quite possibly read X number of cover letters (and resumes) ahead of reaching your set of documents. With that in mind, I never recommend you start the cover letter with the sentence used in so many other letters:

"Pursuant to your current advertisement in the New York Times for the position of Staff Accountant, I am enclosing my resume for your review."

B-O-R-I-N-G!! Plus, the decision-maker most likely just read this same (or quite similar) sentence about 5 dozen times. Keep in mind, you want to GRAB the decision-maker's attention and SELL your self to them.

Since the cover letter is created to market place you to potential employers, do not state the obvious. If the cover letter does not make a sense of excitement and entice the reader, it is a waste of your time for writing it and a waste of time for the reader reading it.

Keep track of how a lot of times you use the words "I" and/or "my". Following you write the letter, take a pen and circle all the I's and my's in the letter: even more than five? Time to re-write some of the sentences.

Here's an illustration of how to do that: instead of writing "I am seeking for an opportunity for advancement with a new employer. My background is in retail management and I really feel nicely-qualified for the Store Manager position with your firm" you can write, "A background in retail management and proven record of obtaining results as a Store Manager are important elements in qualifying me for consideration as component of your team."

Bear in mind the PURPOSE of the cover letter: to highlight your background in the ideal light, sell your abilities, and show the possible employer you are worthy of an interview. Explaining what you WANT all through the letter doesn't tell the reader the BENEFIT of what you can offer, which is imperative for you to be effective.

One of the methods I like to use in cover letters is to pull out the top 4 or five achievements and mention them in bullet form with the letter. It serves as a splendid focus point for readers' eyes and draws their attention instantly to your strengths. Here's a brief highlight in what would naturally be a longer cover letter:

...Recognized as a top-performer and dedicated professional, my record of achievements contain: · Generating a 58% increase in new enterprise throughout tenure as Regional Advertising Manager · Boosting client media coverage 50% and creating partnerships with previously unsecured media contacts

There are a number of methods to say points but, as you can see, some words have a stronger impact on readers than others. In cover letters, e-resumes, and conventional resumes, you can alter the reader's perception in a heartbeat by substituting several words or phrases for a great deal more standard (and outdated) verbiage. See the outline below:

NON-AGGRESSIVE VERBIAGE

Set up entire department from scratch
Worked closely with department heads
Helped produce $three million in sales
Helped new workers
In-depth information of capital markets and corporate finance
Assisted marketing and advertising department in strategies and bids
Decreased expenses by 10%

AGGRESSIVE VERBIAGE
Established department from inception through productive operation
Fostered relationships with department heads
Instrumental in generating $three million in sales
Aided new employees
Expertise in capital markets and corporate finance
Actively participated in formulating marketing methods
Slashed (or cut) expenses by 10%

In brief, aggressive writing makes you SIZZLE, although passive writing tells your "story." Remember your goal is to successfully market your self, not to author your employment biography.





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