Why Writing a Cover Letter is Crucial To Your Career Success
So, you've graduated with a great degree and you are now confident you have all the skills to jump headfirst into the work force, but you then realize you need to write a cover letter a resume.
Oh no!
OR, you are a seasoned professional that has been at your job for quite some time, and you dusted off your cover letters from your 1990s floppy disk that you may have archived somewhere.
Either way, you have read how important a good cover letter and resumes are, so you need to hone your skills, and you realize that there are way too many options to write a great cover letter. You do an online search and see tons of different templates for different positions and you decide that you can download one of these templates and do a little customization...
BAD IDEA!
In the technology age that we live in, companies now utilize software to scan resumes for certain keywords, virtually eliminating many of the attendees right from the get-go.
Why You NEED a Great Cover Letter
Writing a great cover letter is the first step to getting you in for an interview. And most people make a lot of mistakes that are literally costing them thousands of dollars in lost income.
A cover letter is a mini sales page, that is selling the hiring agent on why they should phone you up for an initial phone interview, or invite you in for the face-to-face job interview. The goal is to "briefly" display your skills and qualifications, but more importantly to "ask for the interview."
Keep reading for some ideas on how to avoid a few costly mistakes.
Then, make sure you download our guide on the Top 10 Tips on cover letter creation at ExampleCoverLetters.org.
Oh no!
OR, you are a seasoned professional that has been at your job for quite some time, and you dusted off your cover letters from your 1990s floppy disk that you may have archived somewhere.
Either way, you have read how important a good cover letter and resumes are, so you need to hone your skills, and you realize that there are way too many options to write a great cover letter. You do an online search and see tons of different templates for different positions and you decide that you can download one of these templates and do a little customization...
BAD IDEA!
In the technology age that we live in, companies now utilize software to scan resumes for certain keywords, virtually eliminating many of the attendees right from the get-go.
Why You NEED a Great Cover Letter
Writing a great cover letter is the first step to getting you in for an interview. And most people make a lot of mistakes that are literally costing them thousands of dollars in lost income.
A cover letter is a mini sales page, that is selling the hiring agent on why they should phone you up for an initial phone interview, or invite you in for the face-to-face job interview. The goal is to "briefly" display your skills and qualifications, but more importantly to "ask for the interview."
Keep reading for some ideas on how to avoid a few costly mistakes.
Then, make sure you download our guide on the Top 10 Tips on cover letter creation at ExampleCoverLetters.org.
"When you leave college, there are thousands of people out there with the same degree you have; when you get a job, there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life.
-Anna Quindlen
Do you have a Cover Letter that is the same as all the other graduates and professionals?
-Anna Quindlen
Do you have a Cover Letter that is the same as all the other graduates and professionals?
Cover Letter Writing Guidelines for Recent Graduates
If you are a recent college graduate, you are going to need a cover letter and a resume to be written.
Most students nowadays have already been working on a resume. In fact, most schools have career centers that will help with the resume and cover letter writing process.
However, similar to most secondary educations, the guidelines that are used for writing a resume and writing cover letters tends to be outdated.
In the ever changing and competitive workplace, where the employer pool is literally 'flooded,' you will want to make sure that you have a cover letter that stands out from your fellow competitors.
Most people, especially those who have never written a cover letter, will resort to the usual methods of putting their content together.
These include:
So, let's look at each of these cover letter mistakes and look at how to remedy them.
Don't Use Templates
First, you should never resort to using a canned cover letter template that is found online. Think about it, there are millions of people writing a resume and putting together a hiring package at any given time - especially with the high unemployment rate currently!
You will want to be original. Note too, that most larger companies use scanning software that will look for certain keywords and look for originality. So if you are using a template found on Microsoft for example, there is a good chance that others are doing the same.
Utilize Different Cover Letters for Different Positions
Secondly, each job you apply for should have its own specific, detailed cover letter. Take the content found in the job post and utilize some of the same power words woven creatively into the letter.
K.I.S.S. - Keep it Short, Stupid!
Brevity is your friend. However, you should also be detailed and straight to the point. Don't talk your ear off and bore the hiring manager. Most people read very quickly, so you want to be able to captivate and motivate the reader to get the message you are trying to convey.
Close the Sale
Remember, a cover letter and resume are mini sales letters that are supposed to sell them on giving you an interview. You should ask for the interview at some point in the cover letter.
These are just a few tips you can use to implement immediately in your cover letter that will get you started.
> For more tips and tricks on writing an AMAZING Cover letter, download your Free Book "Top 10 Tips on Cover Letter Writing."
Best in Your Career Success!
Most students nowadays have already been working on a resume. In fact, most schools have career centers that will help with the resume and cover letter writing process.
However, similar to most secondary educations, the guidelines that are used for writing a resume and writing cover letters tends to be outdated.
In the ever changing and competitive workplace, where the employer pool is literally 'flooded,' you will want to make sure that you have a cover letter that stands out from your fellow competitors.
Most people, especially those who have never written a cover letter, will resort to the usual methods of putting their content together.
These include:
- Utilizing pre-formatted templates found online or in Microsoft Office.
- Using the SAME cover letter to apply to all of their jobs
- Placing too much content on their cover letters, including but not limited to having too many paragraphs
- Not asking for the interview!
So, let's look at each of these cover letter mistakes and look at how to remedy them.
Don't Use Templates
First, you should never resort to using a canned cover letter template that is found online. Think about it, there are millions of people writing a resume and putting together a hiring package at any given time - especially with the high unemployment rate currently!
You will want to be original. Note too, that most larger companies use scanning software that will look for certain keywords and look for originality. So if you are using a template found on Microsoft for example, there is a good chance that others are doing the same.
Utilize Different Cover Letters for Different Positions
Secondly, each job you apply for should have its own specific, detailed cover letter. Take the content found in the job post and utilize some of the same power words woven creatively into the letter.
K.I.S.S. - Keep it Short, Stupid!
Brevity is your friend. However, you should also be detailed and straight to the point. Don't talk your ear off and bore the hiring manager. Most people read very quickly, so you want to be able to captivate and motivate the reader to get the message you are trying to convey.
Close the Sale
Remember, a cover letter and resume are mini sales letters that are supposed to sell them on giving you an interview. You should ask for the interview at some point in the cover letter.
These are just a few tips you can use to implement immediately in your cover letter that will get you started.
> For more tips and tricks on writing an AMAZING Cover letter, download your Free Book "Top 10 Tips on Cover Letter Writing."
Best in Your Career Success!