| Top 4 Cover Letter Tips for Making a Job Hunt Easier |
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Top 4 Cover Letter Tips for Making a Job Hunt Easier By Erik Michaels The job hunting process is not considered by many to be an "easy" thing. As a matter of fact, the majority of those who have to go through it hate it. There's not much I can do to make looking for a job any more enjoyable, but I can make it relatively easier by giving you a few tips to help you while you seek employment. One of your strongest tools when you're looking for a job is your cover letter. Chances are you already know that, but don't know exactly how to use it or what it should have. That's where I come in! Following is a simple list of the top 4 most important tips for how to write a cover letter. 1) Do your research! Find out all you can about the company to which you plan to apply, even if there are quite a few of them. Go into the cover letter writing process with a lot of information about who you're talking to and why they'd want you, and customize each draft of your cover letter to match the needs of the company it's going to. NOTE: Each business you send a copy of your cover letter should have its own unique version of your cover letter. Sending out 50 carbon copies to various businesses all over town isn't going to impress anyone, because they're too generic. Be specific and focused, quality beats quantity every time in this field. 2) Proofread your cover letter thoroughly before sending it off, and having someone else do it too would be even better. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors are huge mistakes that make your letter look unprofessional and not to be taken seriously. After you proofread your letter, do it again. Then, do it again. Have a friend do it (a fresh set of eyes could catch things you missed), and then do it again yourself. Have I stressed the importance enough? 3) Keep the cover letter to the appropriate content and size limits. Most of them are no more than a page (4 paragraphs), and needless biographical information is a common mistake that takes up way too much of that precious space. Keep your cover letter trim and simple, nothing more than a conveyance of interest in their business and a description of your qualifications. 4) Pro activity wins the game. Take the initiative to get seen and heard! Make sure your cover letter and resume doesn't rot in a bottomless Human Resources basket...get it on the corner of a CEO's desk! Don't sit by the phone waiting for a call to set up an interview...tell them in your cover letter when you plan to make a call scheduling one and follow through! This job won't be just handed to you, you have to get noticed and make sure that when the business gives somebody a job, it's your hands that are there waiting to accept it. True, a cover letter is only a part of your job hunting toolkit...but it's a high-powered electric screwdriver that makes any job easier and definitely belongs in the shop. These tips I've given you are a guide to making that tool work more efficiently, and if you use it to its optimum capacity you'll find that getting a job can be a lot easier -if not more fun- than you first thought. Looking for an idea of where to start? Get into the right frame of mind with free cover letter examples. Free tips and resources at http://www.squidoo.com/coverletterexamples Article Source : http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erik_Michaels |
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