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How to Use This book and cD-rOM 201 Killer Cover Letters is for any job seeker who finds it difficult to write the per fect cover letter--and that's almost all of us! This book tells you how to write every type of job search letter you'll ever need and puts at your fingertips a library of letters that will get noticed and get results. The special bonus CD-ROM contains ll 201 killer cover letters featured in the book. You don' t even have to rekey them-just change the specifics, and they re ready to send Before using the CD-ROM, peruse the book. If you're pressed for time, at least read Chapters 1 and 2, which provide information on jobhunting in a tough economy and job market, as well as the basic do's and don'ts for writing effective job search letters. Chapter 3 helps you identify and position your strengths. Take a few minutes to complete Worksheets 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 in this chapter. Doing so will furnish you with several powerful sentences that the body copy of your letters Then you can move on to the specific chapters that focus on the particular type of letter you're writing, in each chapter you'll find sample letters, as well as a choice of sample openings and closings. (Every letter is numbered; letter 5-12, for example, refers to Chapter 5, letter 12. ) Each letter is titled with the industry or spe- cific position of interest to the job seeker as well as issues addressed in the letter. For example, a heading such as"JOB LoSS"indicates that the letter contains a refer ence to downsizing, layoffs, a job being eliminated, merger, acquisition, challeng ing economy, or other such scenario that affects either the writer or reader. WORK FORCE RETURN"demonstrates that the letter is from someone returning to the job market after several years. SALARY"indicates a salary discussion that may pro- vide ideas for you to use. "CoNFIDENTIALITY"refers to a request for discretion in contacting the jobhunter at his or her present place of employment.and so on. For quick reference, turn to Index of Letters by Industry and Job Title and Index of Let ters That Address specific Issues at the end of the book In addition to all the cover letters in the book the cd-rom also includes Worksheets 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 from Chapter 3 for those who prefer to complete these on their computers. In using the model letters provided it's important to person alize them so that they don't sound too generic. Remember to pay attention to visual appearance, as well. All of the text provided here can be used in letter or e-mail form, but you'll need to do some simple reformatting, cutting, and pasting, Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use
How to Use This Book and CD-ROM 201 Killer Cover Letters is for any job seeker who finds it difficult to write the perfect cover letter—and that’s almost all of us! This book tells you how to write every type of job search letter you’ll ever need and puts at your fingertips a library of letters that will get noticed and get results. The special bonus CD-ROM contains all 201 killer cover letters featured in the book. You don’t even have to rekey them—just change the specifics, and they’re ready to send! Before using the CD-ROM, peruse the book. If you’re pressed for time, at least read Chapters 1 and 2, which provide information on jobhunting in a tough economy and job market, as well as the basic do’s and don'ts for writing effective job search letters. Chapter 3 helps you identify and position your strengths. Take a few minutes to complete Worksheets 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 in this chapter. Doing so will furnish you with several powerful sentences that you can use immediately in the body copy of your letters. Then you can move on to the specific chapters that focus on the particular type of letter you’re writing; in each chapter you’ll find sample letters, as well as a choice of sample openings and closings. (Every letter is numbered; letter 5-12, for example, refers to Chapter 5, letter 12.) Each letter is titled with the industry or specific position of interest to the job seeker as well as issues addressed in the letter. For example, a heading such as “JOB LOSS” indicates that the letter contains a reference to downsizing, layoffs, a job being eliminated, merger, acquisition, challenging economy, or other such scenario that affects either the writer or reader. “WORKFORCE RETURN” demonstrates that the letter is from someone returning to the job market after several years. “SALARY” indicates a salary discussion that may provide ideas for you to use. “CONFIDENTIALITY” refers to a request for discretion in contacting the jobhunter at his or her present place of employment...and so on. For quick reference, turn to Index of Letters by Industry and Job Title and Index of Letters That Address Specific Issues at the end of the book. In addition to all the cover letters in the book, the CD-ROM also includes Worksheets 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 from Chapter 3 for those who prefer to complete these on their computers. In using the model letters provided, it’s important to personalize them so that they don’t sound too generic. Remember to pay attention to visual appearance, as well. All of the text provided here can be used in letter or e-mail form, but you’ll need to do some simple reformatting, cutting, and pasting, xi 01 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page xi Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use
in order to be certain that its appearance is appropriate for the medium you Many of the company names and addresses, as well as the addressees names, have been changed. The individual and company names and addresses in the sample letters are fictitious, and any similarity to actual names and addresses is unintentional. The e-mail letters included here may differ in format from yours, but you should be able to adapt them to your own needs with a few simple key strokes System Requirements a Windows 3. 1 or higher ■CD- rom drive ■8 MB RAM Installation instructions Step 1: Insert the CD-ROM into your computer's CD-ROM drive Step 2: Double-click on the 201 Killer Cover Letters CD-ROM icon on Step 3: Double-click on the folder entitled KiLLER to see a series of fold ers, each one containing the cover letters for a particular chapter Then, double-click on the appropriate folder to navigate to the cover letter with which you'd like to work. For example, if you'd like to work with a cover letter in Chapter Two, just double-click on the folder for Chapter Two, locate the cover letter you want (for example, 2-2 is cover letter 2-2)and double-click on the document to open it. The cover letters are saved in a simple text ormat you can copy and paste into the word processing pro- gram of your choice You can also open the cover letters within your word processing program Simply launch your word processing application, choose File, and then Open from the menu(or simply click the"open file"icon on your tool bar), and when prompted to choose a file to open, choose the 201 Killer Cover Letters CD-ROM, and then the chapter folder, and then finally the desired cover letter
in order to be certain that its appearance is appropriate for the medium you choose. Many of the company names and addresses, as well as the addressees’ names, have been changed. The individual and company names and addresses in the sample letters are fictitious, and any similarity to actual names and addresses is unintentional. The e-mail letters included here may differ in format from yours, but you should be able to adapt them to your own needs with a few simple keystrokes. System Requirements ■ Windows 3.1 or higher ■ CD-ROM drive ■ 8MB RAM Installation Instructions Step 1: Insert the CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. Step 2: Double-click on the 201 Killer Cover Letters CD-ROM icon on your Windows desktop. Step 3: Double-click on the folder entitled KILLER to see a series of folders, each one containing the cover letters for a particular chapter. Then, double-click on the appropriate folder to navigate to the cover letter with which you’d like to work. For example, if you’d like to work with a cover letter in Chapter Two, just double-click on the folder for Chapter Two, locate the cover letter you want (for example, “2-2” is cover letter 2-2) and double-click on the document to open it. The cover letters are saved in a simple text format you can copy and paste into the word processing program of your choice. or You can also open the cover letters within your word processing program. Simply launch your word processing application, choose File, and then Open from the menu (or simply click the “open file” icon on your tool bar), and when prompted to choose a file to open, choose the 201 Killer Cover Letters CD-ROM, and then the chapter folder, and then finally the desired cover letter. xii 01 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page xii
Chapter I Jobhunting in Todays New World Since the first edition of our book was published, the world has witnessed signif- icant changes, many of which have had a dramatic effect on the job market. Some were predictable: advances in technology, the economic downturn, mergers, ac- quisition, and bankruptcies. Others were unimaginable: terrorist attacks, embez zlement, and the falsification of corporate records As we write, the U.S. unemployment rate is high. Companies have become conservative in recruiting and hiring in general as well as within specific sectors and industries. In the airline industry, for example, job growth is weak. In law en forcement, it's stronger. Some financial firms are desperately looking for seasoned professionals while others are downsizing. Fields such as pharmaceuticals, nurs- ing, and assisted living, that market to aging populations, are either enjoying growth or planning for it as 76 million Baby Boomers approach retirement age. On the other hand the group that demographers call the Baby Echo"(Boomers'chil- dren) is off to college in droves. Once these graduates enter the workforce, it may well trigger growth in industries more dependent on the spending habits of those in their twenties Nevertheless, opportunity does exist in the workplace-just not where it has traditionally been! New jobs are being created as start-ups launch and relaunch, as required skills shift from industry to industry and within sectors, and as grow ing numbers of workers retire The good news is that what you must do to conduct an effective job search has not changed. What has changed is how you must do it and how much of it you must do Here are several essential guidelines for managing the successful job search in todays challenging, new world Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use
Chapter 1 Jobhunting in Today’s New World Since the first edition of our book was published, the world has witnessed significant changes, many of which have had a dramatic effect on the job market. Some were predictable: advances in technology, the economic downturn, mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies. Others were unimaginable: terrorist attacks, embezzlement, and the falsification of corporate records. As we write, the U.S. unemployment rate is high. Companies have become conservative in recruiting and hiring in general as well as within specific sectors and industries. In the airline industry, for example, job growth is weak. In law enforcement, it’s stronger. Some financial firms are desperately looking for seasoned professionals while others are downsizing. Fields such as pharmaceuticals, nursing, and assisted living, that market to aging populations, are either enjoying growth or planning for it as 76 million Baby Boomers approach retirement age. On the other hand, the group that demographers call the “Baby Echo” (Boomers’ children) is off to college in droves. Once these graduates enter the workforce, it may well trigger growth in industries more dependent on the spending habits of those in their twenties. Nevertheless, opportunity does exist in the workplace—just not where it has traditionally been! New jobs are being created as start-ups launch and relaunch, as required skills shift from industry to industry and within sectors, and as growing numbers of workers retire. The good news is that what you must do to conduct an effective job search has not changed. What has changed is how you must do it and how much of it you must do. Here are several essential guidelines for managing the successful job search in today’s challenging, new world. 1 02 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 1 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Since we published the first edition of this book, the company for which I worked made a major acquisition. As a result, my position was eliminated To my surprise and chagrin, I found myself in the job market once again Although there is never a good time to be out of work, I was one of many many others who discovered that the timing couldn t have been worse. I was forced to begin my job search in September of 2001 as a deeply stunned America struggled to regain its footing and courage in a shocking new world Nevertheless, I started a new job in June of 2002. What happened in between went literally"by the book. "And by that, I mean this book! I used every type of letter, every tactic and tip that we recommended to you in the first edition of 201 Killer Cover Letters! Not only are the letters and advice still applicable, advances in technology have made the job search easier. even in todays challenging economy. Thats why, in this new edition, you'll find guidelines for jobhunting in today s new world along with samples of letters formatted for e-mail and designed to help you secure jobs that didnt exist 10 years ago Above all, my own job search convinced me that before you launch yours, you must take the time to develop a plan for achieving success. This, I found, must spring from an attitude of success. Where to start? Take a look at the guidelines I developed, employed, and profited from-we' ve included them in this new edition-they're sure to save you time and trouble -Andrea paxton DEVELOP A IOMONTH PLAN In todays challenging job market, many jobhunters are finding that the search takes somewhat more time than it did in the past. Regardless of what expectations you may have or may hear, assume a time frame of at least 10 months for your search. Then, set consistent and realistic daily objectives--ones you can sustain throughout that period. Chances are, you'll find that your job search is less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Don' t expect to reach the finish line in a day. In- stead, expect to reach for and achieve daily goals-such as networking with 5 con- tacts per day or 10 new contacts per week. Without this attitude, you'll view every day as a laborious burden that does not produce results. You'll risk losing focus, motivation, and direction. You' ll neither write nor interview well, and your search may take even longer
DEVELOP A 10-MONTH PLAN In today’s challenging job market, many jobhunters are finding that the search takes somewhat more time than it did in the past. Regardless of what expectations you may have or may hear, assume a time frame of at least 10 months for your search. Then, set consistent and realistic daily objectives—ones you can sustain throughout that period. Chances are, you’ll find that your job search is less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Don’t expect to reach the finish line in a day. Instead, expect to reach for and achieve daily goals—such as networking with 5 contacts per day or 10 new contacts per week. Without this attitude, you’ll view every day as a laborious burden that does not produce results. You’ll risk losing focus, motivation, and direction. You’ll neither write nor interview well, and your search may take even longer. 2 A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Since we published the first edition of this book, the company for which I worked made a major acquisition. As a result, my position was eliminated. To my surprise and chagrin, I found myself in the job market once again. Although there is never a good time to be out of work, I was one of many, many others who discovered that the timing couldn’t have been worse. I was forced to begin my job search in September of 2001 as a deeply stunned America struggled to regain its footing and courage in a shocking new world. Nevertheless, I started a new job in June of 2002. What happened in between went literally “by the book.” And by that, I mean this book! I used every type of letter, every tactic and tip that we recommended to you in the first edition of 201 Killer Cover Letters! Not only are the letters and advice still applicable, advances in technology have made the job search easier...even in today’s challenging economy. That’s why, in this new edition, you’ll find guidelines for jobhunting in today’s new world along with samples of letters formatted for e-mail and designed to help you secure jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago! Above all, my own job search convinced me that before you launch yours, you must take the time to develop a plan for achieving success. This, I found, must spring from an attitude of success. Where to start? Take a look at the guidelines I developed, employed, and profited from—we’ve included them in this new edition—they’re sure to save you time and trouble. —Andrea Paxton 02 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 2