Cover Letter Don t Sweat It

W riting a cover letter to       works there? Are you familiar      accompany a resume, for       with the product or the service?   some, can conjure up bad      Make the connection.               memories from high school or                                             college composition class. With       •What you can do for them? Why     sweaty palms, they reach for the      should they hire you? What do you  Thesaurus and Dictionary. That        bring to the company? Expand on a  feeling of uncertainty begins to      few key points regarding your      cloud their thoughts and words as     skills and experience from your    they ponder, “What do I want to       resume                             say? Why should they hire me?                                            What makes me a worthwhile            •Make the contact for an           candidate?”                           interview. Lead the employer to                                          action. Be proactive and say you   My advice to clients who are job      will be contacting them regarding  searching is to keep it brief and     the position. Make sure you give   to the point. The individual or       your phone number and email. Be    team, who is screening the            available for the calls or         applicants and possibly               emails.                            interviewing as well, have lots                                          of reading to wade through.           Other Tips:                        Brevity, clarity, and appeal for                                         action will help you get noticed.     •Outline the cover letter with                                           notes of what you want to say.     In three to four paragraphs, tell     Jot down words and phrases. The    the potential employer:               cover letter is a reflection of                                          you. So, “know thyself” means      •What you want? How did you hear      take time to reflect and organize  of the position and why are you       what you want to say before you    applying? Do you know someone who     construct the letter.                                                    else to proof it as well.          •Do your research on the employer                                        using the Internet, annual            •Read the cover letter aloud.      reports, newspaper, etc.              Does it flow? How does it sound                                          to you?                            •The salutation should include a                                         name, Dear Mr. Brown or Dear Ms.      •Show energy and enthusiasm in     Clark. This is no time for “Dear      the letter. Would you hire         Sir, Dear Madam” and never, never     yourself?                          “To Whom It May Concern.”                                                                                      The good news…once you create a    •Proofread the cover letter. Use      professional cover letter, it      the professional format with          will serve as a template that can  proper spacing and margins.           be used for other applications.    Appearance matters. Ask someone        About the Author: Barbara Wulf MS, GCDF, CPCC Barbara Wulf is a certified career/life coach and speaker who helps individuals redesign their career paths by supporting and inspiring them to stretch, seek, and achieve life/work success. Barbara holds a master's degree in counseling, is a global career development facilitator, is certified by The Coaches Training Institute and is an adjunct faculty member at Concordia University, St. Paul, MN. Barbara offers career assessments along with resume/cover letter writing and interviewing strategies for impact. Sign up for her monthly e-zine, OWN IT, WORK IT, LIVE IT at http://www.beckoncall-coach.com. Published At: www.Isnare.com