Job Searching Tips

I’ve heard debate recently about cover letters – are they important, do you need to write one, etc.

Cover letters are kind of hard to write.  Maybe they are more of a pain, really, than they are hard to write. And anything that is a pain to job seekers is questioned… “waa, waa, do we really need to spend more than 3 minutes on this thing?  Waa…”

It seems that if we have to take more than a few clicks to do something in our job search, it’s a waste of our time.

Not true with cover letters.

Let me share an experience I had this morning.  It was with a LinkedIn introduction, not a cover letter, but the concept is similar.

I got a LinkedIn introduction request from someone who I didn’t recognize.  Turns out, I have

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During your job search, youll probably apply to hundreds of jobs, creating customized resumes and cover letters for each position. Most people spend a considerable amount of time perfecting their resume to best reflect their experience and show off their accomplishments, but throw their cover letter together quickly or worse—dont write a cover letter at all.

To make sure your cover letter gets noticed, make sure to avoid the following mistakes:

1. Not personalizing your greeting – If possible, address your cover letter to the person doing the hiring (Ex: “Dear Mr. Thompson” or “Dear Ms. Fleming”). How

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Writing your cover letter may seem like a mundane task—something you must do to ensure you submit all documents required when applying for a job.  But in reality, your cover letter is so much more than that!  This document gives you the opportunity to add life to the technical nature of the resume while showcasing some of your personality.

Your job when writing the cover letter is to make sure you grab the hiring manager’s attention from the beginning and, of course, this can’t be accomplished with a “blah” introduction.  A great way to lure your reader in is to use your cover letter introduction as a marketing tool by considering the following:

Pinpoint the Needs of the Company

When marketing a product, your job is to understand the needs of the consumer you’re targeting.  In this case,

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Finding a job is a process. First you need ample experience, then the right contacts, an online presence, and a tailored resume.

Lastly, you need a cover letter that represents you and your brand. Your cover letter could be your only chance at getting the attention of a potential employer.

After all, it may be the first thing they see, so it needs not only be an accurate portrayal of you, but also stand out from the sea of competition.

So, how can you fix a drab cover letter and get noticed by influencers?

Make it short and sweet. Cover letters don’t need to be five pages long. I

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