Top Tips For Writing Perfect Cover Letters
Posted by Michael Murray | Filed under Business
You may find yourself in the position of needing cover letters. It may be that you’re looking for a business loan or a grant or a scholarship or just trying to get your novel published (but if you’re that great of a writer, why are you asking US for advice?), regardless of why you need one, now it seems that you need one, so what do you do? How do you learn how to write a great cover letter? Well, you can either learn how to write a great one, you can scribble one out thoughtlessly, or you can hire a pro. Here are a few of your options…
Read Successful Cover Letters
Read some successful cover letters thoroughly. The best way to get good at anything is to look at how the pros do it and copy them, if not word for word, move for move, then at least in spirit. Now, when you look at these letters, you’ll notice a few things. First of all, they’re coherent and well written with a definite beginning, middle and end. Secondly, they don’t have any major typos or grammatical errors. They’re friendly, but formal, so they’re not rude or pushy or dismissive, but they are written with a business like attitude. The “Hard Sell” is for advertising, not for a cover letter. So be professional, polite, and write well.
Don’t Obsessively Rewrite
Here’s how you work out a letter: Write one draft really fast, in one sitting, in one page, and don’t worry about quality. Just get the idea out there on paper so you have something to work with. Now, the second draft, take your time, a day or two, to really polish it up and make it great. The third one, just do a once over, make sure that you have it just right, give it a few tweaks, check for typos, etcetera. Now, print it out and don’t touch it. That’s your final draft. If you obsessively rewrite and rewrite, you wind up with a garbled mess that nobody understands. So call it a day when you have a good draft, and leave it alone!
Be Truthful
You won’t get away with making stuff up. You need to be completely honest. Oh sure, you can paint yourself in just the right light. Like maybe you didn’t have bad grades in school so much as you “showed promise” and “really put forth the effort”… Or, perhaps “formal schooling just couldn’t hold a candle to self education”. But, if you were a straight D student, you weren’t a straight A student, and that’s just fact. So be honest, and don’t put anything in there that they can call you on, or you risk calling the validity of the whole letter into question.
Hire a Professional
If you just can’t put together a great cover letter, there are professionals who can. More than a few people have gotten into the college of their choice thanks entirely to talented ghost writers. Find a skilled writer, work out a good rate and make sure they have all the info they need to write a great letter, and you’ll be set. Make sure to work with them closely to guide them through the process. You want them to get it right on the first try and that’s only proper with your guidance. You don’t want to pay for rewrites because you didn’t give them the attention they needed to knock it out of the park.
Learn more about the advantages and benefits of using great resume cover letters today! When you see the wide selection of sample cover letters available, you will be able to get a jump on the competition when you apply for a job!
Tags: Business, business - career, business - general, career change, career search / job search, careers, careers - employment, employment, employment - careers, jobs, jobs interviews
Top 6 Tips for Creating an Eye Catching Resume
Posted by Michael Murray | Filed under Business
In today’s world of high unemployment rates in a slow economy, it is absolutely essential to learn how to create an eye catching resume. When it comes to the jobs that are available, the competition is stiff. By knowing how to successfully create a resume that will appeal to potential employers, you are taking the step required to stand out above the competition. Throughout this career guide, you will learn some tips that will assist you in creating a highly productive and attractive resume.
1. It is common for individuals seeking employment to want to highlight all the skills and degrees of expertise when creating a resume. While it may be true that you have a lot to offer, putting too much on a resume may cause more harm than good. When applying for a position at a certain company, it is essential to learn as much as you possibly can regarding that position. Research the role and responsibilities that you will have if you are issued that position. Once you have done this, consider the skills and degrees of expertise that you have that is appropriate to that position and only include those on your resume.
2. When creating your resume, use some type of format. You may choose to do a chronological resume, functional resume, or a combination resume. You should decide on one of these formats so that the information that you present is organized and easy to understand. Simply jotting down your jobs, skills, and experiences is not going to cut it. You must take the information and present it in a professional manner.
3. It is important to keep it short and simple when creating a resume. Given the state of the economy, millions upon millions of individuals are seeking employment. Employers do not have the time to read through resumes that are two and three pages in length. Yes, you want to highlight yourself, your accomplishments, and your level of expertise, but avoid over-indulging. Just a brief, one page resume is more than efficient.
4. References are absolutely essential when it comes to creating a sound, productive resume. You should have at least three professional references, but no more than five total. Before deciding to use someone as a reference, it is important to make certain that they approve. Once you acquire their permission, you should document their full name and a contact number. You may also want to ask if they will compose a letter for you that specifically documents their opinion of your work ethic and skills. This will help the company that is seeking to fill a position decide if you are an appropriate match for the position that they have open.
5. When creating a resume that is to be a success with a potential employer, it is absolutely imperative to include a cover letter. This is a sheet that briefly introduces you to the company that you are seeking employment with so that they have an understanding of that which they are about to read. Many companies will now actually reject resumes if they fail to include a cover letter. Take the time to create this, but do so in the simplest manner possible. Let your resume “do the talking”, not the cover sheet.
6. When creating your resume, it is essential to ensure that the information that you present is valid and completely accurate. It is not a good idea to be dishonest on your resume or any aspect of the details that you provide in your resume. Not only is it unethical, if the company that you have applied to discovers that you have falsified the information on your resume, you will be immediately rejected or dismissed.
As you can see, there are many ways to create a resume that will do you justice with a potential employer. Just remember to highlight skills and degrees of expertise that are suitable to the position in which you are applying and to decide on the type of resume that you will submit. From there, ensure you have professional references, are honest on your resume, and keep it about one page. It is also important to create a cover letter. If you follow the tips listed here, you will find yourself receiving numerous interviews and possibly even many job offers.
A resume needs a great cover letter for it to really be outstanding. Go to Michael Murray’s website to get a cover letter example.
Tags: Business, business - career, career change, careers, careers - employment, employment, employment - careers, jobs, jobs interviews, resumes
