Amazing Cover Letters: Covering and Application Letters

Cover Letter Tips: Sell Yourself Effectively

What is the purpose of a cover letter? It's to capture the human resources guy's attention so that he/she will call you and schedule an interview or appointment. That means you really have to make a compelling sales letter instead of a boring cover letter. A sales letter to sell yourself effectively.

Here are some tips to transform a boring old-fashioned cover letter to a fresh sales letter.

When you write a cover letter be sure to point out all your skills and experiences, biggest career successes. A cover letter is the best place to show your personality. You know that already. But you have to do it in a way that your skills and experiences match the requirements of the job you are after. In order to do that you have to research the company you want to work for. There's nothing more compelling to a hiring manager than to show him/her that you've made a research for the company and you know what you're looking for. You are not just looking for a job, but you are after that particular job and company.

Another important factor that most job-seekers miss out when writing cover letters is typos and punctuation errors. Relax and take your time while you're preparing your cover letter. Proofread your letter twice before getting it out. This is critical. Try not to use the same words all over your letter. This would distract the human resources manager.

Remember you are not playing scrabble here. Use simple words and be concise. The hiring manager will not approve your cover letter just because you are wordy. Stick to the point. Outline your skills, abilities and interests on the job, in a bulleted list using simple words and phrases. Do not use acronyms. Not all people are familiar with acronyms. A hiring manager reading a cover letter full of acronyms or abbreviations will get confused.

Do not try to be humorous or cute. This is a really bad technique that many people use. Be serious. You will not impress a hiring manager by showcasing your wit, but by highlighting your skills, education and experience.

This will sound a bit stupid but do not write cover letters for jobs which you haven't got the skills or qualifications. Instead filter job openings/offers. You don't have to send hundreds of cover letters to companies which you are not ready to work for. Make groups of job offerings, categorize them. Prepare your cover letters and send them to a few selected departments or companies. Make sure you follow-up. A few days later call the companies to schedule an appointment. If you have no results go for another group of job openings/offer.

Use a professional e-mail address. A lot of hiring managers get tons of cover letters for a particular job. They certainly use some filters to keep the best candidates and then read the letters and make a choice. A lot of them pay attention to details like the first part of an email address. For example if you where a hiring manager and had two candidates with the following email addresses:

candidate 1: john@hottmail.com
candidate 2: gangmaster@hottmail.com

which email address you think has more chances to be rejected? Definitely the second one! So try to protect your image by paying attention to small details like your email address. Remember that when you write a cover letter you show your personality.

Source: http://www.digitalstarproducts.com/star/-detail-37.html

By Mary Markella

Cover Letter Tips: A Winning Formula

It's true that nobody really likes writing cover letters or resumes. What's even more interesting is that cover letters are not even enjoyed by their recipients. The problem derives from the cover letter templates. If you want to get the message quickly to as many recipients as possible then you have to create a cover letter template. It's impossible to structure a new sentence or paragraph for every cover letter.

This causes all cover letters from all job seekers to look the more or less the same and the phrases in the letters to sound repetitive. This repetition simply destroys the entire letter. Imagine 100 job seekers using the same cover letter template and send their letters to the same recipient. After reading some letters the recipient is frustrated and there's no point at reading any more..

Here are some tips to make your cover letters stand out from the crowd and look inspiring and fresh:

Make A Good Start
It's true that the beginning of a cover letter is the hardest part. Most writers get stuck and cannot come up with an inspiring first sentence or paragraph. So, write down a list of good "first phrases" and use them accordingly. Here are some examples:
- I am writing to you to introduce myself and to apply for the current opening in your company for a skillful ...
- Does your department look for a talented ...
- I've heard a lot of people talking about a potential opening in your company for a ...
- Please accept this letter and my attached resume as an interest in the position of...
- I am a ... with ... years of experience in ... and I hope to utilize my skills at your department...
- I have just completed my ... studies at ... university and I am looking for a position that will capitalize my experience as a ...
- During the last ... years I have held complex positions within the ... industry. My areas of expertise are ...
- There's nothing that would please me more than to join your team of talented ...

These are some examples of interesting and eye-catching first sentences that could help you.

Add Your Contact Details At The Top
On the top of every page write your name, address, phone number and email address. You can create a simple letterhead with this information on your computer. You can use smaller fonts. It will save you a lot of time from writing the same information for every recipient.

Decide What You Want
Before writing a cover letter be realistic and decide why you want to be part of a specific company. What is so different about that company that makes you want to work for them? What specific parts of your work do you like the most? Do not just write a cover letter just because you need a job. Everybody needs a job. So sit down and write the things you like the most about the specific company. Then carefully add this list of things to your cover letter template. It's also a good practice to use bulleted lists of abilities and skill areas. You could make a grid that matches your skills with the company's needs.

Professionalize Your Cover Letter
Do not use sentences like "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Human Resources Manager", it really looks nonprofessional and boring for the reader. Instead try to find the actual name of the recipient.

Closing Is Important
Make a smart close. Do not use begging sentences like "I really hope to talk to you soon". Be brief and straightforward. Show your intentions. Here are some examples:
- I would be interested in an opportunity to interview for this position and will look forward to scheduling a meeting with you.
- Thank you for your consideration. I will call you next week to talk further or schedule an appointment.

These examples are a bit direct and if this is not you then you can use the good old "..I look forward to hearing from you..".

Source: http://www.digitalstarproducts.com/star/-detail-37.html

By Mary Markella