Other Written Materials for a Job Search

The Basics of a Cover Letter by Steven Graber

-Effective cover letters attract an employer’s attention
-Format and content of a cover letter are just as important as with a resume

FORMAT
-A potential employer has already assessed you just by the overall appearance of your cover letter
-You must present your credentials in an effective way

The Parts of a Letter
-Print on high quality paper
-Use business style of personal style
-The elements of the letter (return address, salutation, body, etc.) begin at the left margin in the business style and they begin at the centerline in the personal style
-Return address should appear at the top margin without your name
-Don’t use abbreviations
-Make sure contact information is on both the cover letter and resume in case they get separated
-Don’t abbreviate the date
-In the address use the addressee’s full name and give the person’s full title, company’s name, and the company’s address
-Salutation should be two lines beneath the company’s address
-Should be “Dear Mr.” or “Dear Ms.” Followed by the individual’s last name and a colon
-Never use a first name in the salutation
-Three or four paragraphs on one page, any longer and it may not be read
-Enclosure lines are primarily used in a formal or official correspondence, it’s not necessary to include in a cover letter
-Use standard 81/2 by 11 inch paper
-Use quality paper and use the same paper for your resume and cover letter
-Do not use stationary paper with pictures on it
-Mail cover letter and resume in a standard business-sized envelope

CONTENT

Personalize Each Letter
-If you are not responding to a specific contact name send it to the most appropriate person, the more influential the better
-Try to contact the head of the department
-Use your contact’s name and title on both the cover letter and envelope

Mapping It Out

-Cover letter should not be longer than 3 or 4 paragraphs
-Don’t repeat what’s in the resume
-Give an overview of your capabilities
-Show interest in the company
First Paragraph
-State the position you are applying for
-Name your source if responding to an ad or listing

Second Paragraph
-What can you contribute to the company?
-Don’t talk about what you can’t do and keep it brief

Third Paragraph
-Show how you exceed the requirements
-List any accomplishments, awards, or when you went above the call of duty

Fourth Paragraph
-Close by saying you look forward to hearing from them and thank them for their consideration
-Don’t ask for an interview

Complimentary Close
-Two lines beneath the body of the letter
-“Sincerely” and three lines underneath put your full name as it appears on the resume
-Sign the letter

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COVER LETTERS

What Writing Style is Appropriate?

-Keep your style clear, objective, and persuasive instead of narrative

Tone: Reserved Confidence is Always in Style

-Display confidence in your abilities
-Sell your qualifications like you would in an interview
-Sound enthusiastic but don’t overdue it

Emphasize Concrete Examples

-Your cover letter should emphasize your most significant accomplishments
-Avoid using “etc.”

Use Powerful Language

-Your language should be easy to understand
-Get your message across using the fewest words possible
-Use simple, common language and avoid abbreviations


Avoid Catchphrases

-List actual projects and goals instead of general phrases
-Concrete experiences are more valuable than these vague phrases

Mention Personal Preferences?

-Refrain from offering salary information unless the advertisement you are responding to requires it
-If you must give salary requirements use a range instead of a number
-Indicate a willingness to relocate if applying out of state

Proof with Care

-Proofread your letter as carefully as possible
-Read your letter aloud to someone and have them read it to you
-Mistakes on your resume or cover letter could remove you from consideration

COVER LETTER BLUNDERS TO AVOID

Unrelated Career Goals

-Tailor your cover letter to the position you’re applying for
-Express a genuine interest in the position

Comparisons and Clichés

-These expressions detract from the purpose of your letter
Examples:
“I am as smart as a whip”
“Team work is my middle name”

Wasted Space

-Cover letters are generally four paragraphs long
-Include only those skills and experiences applicable to the field you are applying to
-Any other information will weaken your case

Form Letters

-Mass mailings where you send a form letter to a large number of employees is not recommended
-Every cover letter should demonstrate your commitment to a specific industry and familiarity with each employer


Inappropriate Stationery

-White and ivory colored paper are acceptable
-Don’t rely on graphics to improve your cover letter

“Amusing” Anecdotes

-When writing, remain polite and professional
-You wouldn’t joke with him or her until you determined it was appropriate

Erroneous Company Information

-Verify the accuracy of any company information you mention in your cover letter
-Broad statements like “I know something about your company,” or “I am familiar with your products,” indicates that you haven’t done your homework

Desperation

-Sound determined, not desperate
-Do not use statements like these: “Please call today! I’ll be waiting by the phone”
“I am very badly in need of money”

Personal Photos

-It is inappropriate to send a photograph of yourself unless you are pursuing a job in modeling, acting, or performing acts

Confessed Shortcomings

-Do not call attention to your weaknesses in your cover letter
-This will make the letter emphasize your flaws instead of your strengths

Misrepresentation

-Never misrepresent yourself, stick to the facts
-Don’t exaggerate when selling your skills but don’t hold back either

Demanding Statements

-Your letter should demonstrate what you can do for an employer
-Do not include personal preferences or demands in your letter

Missing Resume

-Don’t forget to enclose all the materials you refer to in your cover letter
-Employers will just move on to the next application
Personal Information

-Do not include your age, health, physical characteristics, marital status, race, religion, or any other personal information
-List your interests and hobbies only if they are relevant to the type of job your applying for
-When in doubt leave it out

Choice of Pronouns

-Writing in first person is preferable
-Employers find the third person approach disconcerting

Tone Trouble

-Tone problems can be subtle and hard to detect
-Have someone else review your letter
-If the wording is questionable rewrite the letter
-Try to sound genuine

Gimmicks

-No matter how creative you get, the majority of employers will be more impressed with a simple, well crafted letter
-Hiring decisions are based on qualifications, not gimmicks

Typographical Errors

-A hiring manager will reject any letter that contains errors
Some common technical mistakes:
-Misspelling the hiring contact’s name or title
-Forgetting to change the name of the organization you’re applying to
-Indicating application for one position and mentioning a different position in the body of the letter

Messy Corrections

-If you forget to include something in your letter, retype it
-Including a supplementary note will be viewed as unprofessional
-Avoid using correction fluid or penning in any corrections

Omitted Signature

-Don’t forget to sign your name neatly in blue or black ink
-Don’t use script font or a draw program on your word processor, actually sign it

COVER LETTERS FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS

-The key to improving your cover letter in special situations is to emphasize your strengths
-If you’re an older candidate, emphasize the depth of your experience

RESPONSE TO A “BLIND” ADVERTISEMENT

-“Blind” advertisements do not list employer information and direct responses to a post office box rather than a company’s address
-This letter should sharply define your knowledge of the industry
-Target everything in your response but avoid longwinded passages

COLD LETTERS

-With a “cold” cover letter you can directly contact potential employers without a referral or previous correspondence
-Job-seekers most commonly use this type of letter to advertise their availability to hiring managers or personnel departments

BROADCAST LETTERS

-Well-qualified candidates can advertise their availability to top-level professionals in a particular field
-Its tone should reflect the candidate’s experience, knowledge, and confidence in his or her capabilities
-Broadcast letters are not recommended for those candidates conducting widespread job searches

LETTER TO AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY

-Many candidates rely on the help of employment agencies when searching for a job
-Letters sent to an agency should focus on who you are, type of position, what specific industry, and your strongest skills related to that field.

LETTER TO AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM

-A well-crafted cover letter can alert an otherwise unknowing recruiter to your availability
-Highlight your most impressive accomplishments and attributes and briefly summarize all relevant experience

NETWORKING LETTERS

-Refers to a third-party industry contact to garner the reader’s attention and induce him or her to assist you in your job search
-Word your letter in a businesslike manner
-If your letter is politely persuasive, people will be interested in talking to you

THANK YOU LETTERS

-It is acceptable to handwrite your thank you letter on a generic blank note card
-Make sure it is neat and legible
-Keep the letters short, proofread, and send them promptly

Your Resume on the Internet by Margaret Riley Dikel and Frances E. Roehm

-Compared to networking, researching and targeting employers, or reviewing job leads, distributing a resume is not very effective
-A great resume can help you win the position you want and a bad one will knock you out of consideration

THE MYTH ABOUT THE INTERNET RESUME

-You need only one resume but have it in several formats

A designed or hard-copy version
A scannable version
A plain-text version
An e-mail version
-You may want to consider an HTML version of your resume that can be posted on a website
-The main problem with these resumes is that they include too much information
-Keep it entirely professional

RULES FOR RESPONDING ONLINE

-The fastest way to respond to internet job listings is by e-mailing your cover letter and resume
-Format your resume correctly for e-mail
-Send your resume in the body of the e-mail message and not as an attachment so the reader doesn’t have to find it and open it
-Always include a cover letter and make sure it is specific the person organization you are contacting and make it interesting
-Use the advertised job title or job code in the subject line of your e-mail message
-Read the application instructions included in the job announcement and follow them exactly.

E-RESUMES ARE NOT JUST FOR E-MAIL

-Good for all the places online where you can post your resume
-Expert Susan Ireland doesn’t recommend using these forms for the following reasons:
It’s very easy to have typos if you type directly into the site’s form
The form may force you to use a resume format you don’t like
You cannot easily save your resume for other uses because the resume bank is on a website
-The best way to post your resume online is to copy and paste it from a prepared copy you have already formatted

PREPARING A PERFECT PLAIN-TEXT RESUME

-Anyone creating a resume should take the extra time to generate a plain-text version for posting online

WHERE, OH, WHERE SHOULD THAT RESUME GO?

-You don’t want to post your resume on every possible site because recruiters notice this and will start to ignore you and refuse any consideration
-Post it on only one or two of the large online databases, preferably ones attached to popular job sites
-Post it on one or two targeted resume databases specific to your industry, occupational group, or geographic location.

Protect Yourself Online

-Carefully evaluate the job sites you use because you may risk a total loss of privacy

1. Does the site have a comprehensive privacy policy?
2. Do you have to register a profile or resume before you can search through the jobs?
3. Are most of the jobs posted by employers or by agencies acting on behalf of employers?
4. Can you set up one or more “e-mail agents” that will send matching jobs to you when you are not at the site?
5. Who has access to the database of resumes?
6. Can you limit access to your personal contact information?
7. Can you store more than one version of your resume so that you can customize it for different types of opportunities?
8. Will you be able to edit your resume once you have posted it?
9. Will you be able to delete your resume after you have found a job?

Before You Post, Something to Think About

Do you want your resume public? No matter where you post it, consider your resume to be public
Are you prepared for the consequences should an electronic resume come back to haunt you? Some people find there resumes posted in places they never put them.

RESUME BLASTERS: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE OR A NEW FORM OF SPAM

-Wide distribution or your resume by resume “broadcasters” gives you no control of where your resume could end up
-A lot of people that end up on the list for these services never requested they be on it
-Resumes get sent out without any regard as to whether or not the employer requested it