《201 Killer Cover Letters》Mcgraw.Hill.Sandra.Podesta.And.Andrea.Paxton.201.Killer.Cover.Letters

letters, which are equally promotional. Here are just a few of the more powerful options available to you a Adjust your margins so that the reader never has to read more than five inches from left to right across a page Never justify your right margin. (Always justify your left. Don' t use long paragraphs; they are overwhelming to the eye. (Th will help you write more succinctly, too. a Indent sections with key ideas by using bullets, dashes, or asterisks to set them off (like these indented tips) a For important ideas, use bold, underlining, and UPPERCASE LET TERS a For short sentences, try centering Use numerals(20)rather than spelling out numbers(twenty) when describing your accomplishments, to attract more attention. (Excep tion: Always spell out numbers that begin a sentence. Italics are hard to read; use them sparingly, if at all a If your letter must run to two pages in length, end the first page in the middle of a sentence to encourage the reader to read on to the second If these techniques seem too pushy to you, remember that advertisers have been using them for decades because they work 7. THIE POSTMAN ALWAYS RIGS TWIICE AND THREE, FOUR, OR MORE TIMES Do write frequently Your competition hates to write as much as you do. Chances are that most of the people vying for your next job will find numerous excuses to avoid writing job- hunting letters. Dont make the same mistake. You should write these letters often. Always write a thank you letter for a referral, and a follow-up letter after a meeting or interview. If your candidacy seems to have stalled, write again to make some thing hap dont allow yourself to be forgotten. You might send your prospec tive employer an additional reference, or a recent newspaper article supporting an sue discussed during your interview. As far as you should be concerned, until you get a definite rejection, you're still in the running. In many cases, this perseverance and follow-through are essential requirements for the job you want 8. TELL THE TRUTH OR PAY THE CONSEQUENCES Don't be dishonest Do not exaggerate, mislead, or lie in your letters. Even if you get hired, dishonesty is grounds for immediate dismissal. Don t risk it

letters, which are equally promotional. Here are just a few of the more powerful options available to you. ■ Adjust your margins so that the reader never has to read more than five inches from left to right across a page. ■ Never justify your right margin. (Always justify your left.) ■ Don’t use long paragraphs; they are overwhelming to the eye. (This will help you write more succinctly, too.) ■ Indent sections with key ideas by using bullets, dashes, or asterisks to set them off (like these indented tips). ■ For important ideas, use bold, underlining, and UPPERCASE LET￾TERS. ■ For short sentences, try centering. ■ Use numerals (20) rather than spelling out numbers (twenty) when describing your accomplishments, to attract more attention. (Excep￾tion: Always spell out numbers that begin a sentence.) ■ Italics are hard to read; use them sparingly, if at all. ■ If your letter must run to two pages in length, end the first page in the middle of a sentence to encourage the reader to read on to the second page. If these techniques seem too pushy to you, remember that advertisers have been using them for decades because they work! 7. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE... AND THREE, FOUR, OR MORE TIMES Do write frequently. Your competition hates to write as much as you do. Chances are that most of the people vying for your next job will find numerous excuses to avoid writing job￾hunting letters. Don’t make the same mistake. You should write these letters often. Always write a thank you letter for a referral, and a follow-up letter after a meeting or interview. If your candidacy seems to have stalled, write again to make some￾thing happen—don’t allow yourself to be forgotten. You might send your prospec￾tive employer an additional reference, or a recent newspaper article supporting an issue discussed during your interview. As far as you should be concerned, until you get a definite rejection, you’re still in the running. In many cases, this perseverance and follow-through are essential requirements for the job you want. 8. TELL THE TRUTH OR PAY THE CONSEQUENCES Don’t be dishonest. Do not exaggerate, mislead, or lie in your letters. Even if you get hired, dishonesty is grounds for immediate dismissal. Don’t risk it. 18 03 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 18

9. CHECK. RECHECK. AND TRIPLE-CHIECK Do triple-check your letters for proper presentation If you're new to the jobhunting process, you will find the following reminders helpful Do take the time to ensure that you' ve correctly identified the name of th company or organization. While we may refer to Time magazine, for example, as Time, it is actually one of the publications of AOL Time Warner, Inc. The manu facturer of the famous Reebok footwear is actually Reebok International LTD What we call Prudential is correctly titled Prudential Financial, Inc. Disney is re- ally The Walt Disney Company. Virtually every company in the United States is listed in Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations, which is published yearly and isavailableonlineatwww.standardandpoors.com.Mostpubliclibrarieshave such directories in their reference sections that list company names in full, and more for those who wish to do additional research. Hoouer's Handbook of american Business, for example, provides overviews of most American companies, the prod ucts and services they offer, primary competitors and recent sales figures, the names and titles of key executives, addresses, and telephone and fax numbers for thefirmsmainheadquartersyOucanaccessthissiteonlineatwww.hoovers.com Do direct your letter to the reader. Remember Terry Muldour from the sam- ple employment ad earlier in this chapter? It was impossible to discern from the ly make an ad vague to test the resourcefulness of the jobhunter, a ploy TerryMiB ad whether Terry Muldour was male or female. In fact, some recruiters purpos dour may have used. If you are faced with this ambiguity, don't rely on the stan dardTo Whom It May Concern"salutation because it's standard. Try to contact the company in question or visit its Web site to obtain the information you need If that fails, use the entire name(as did the writer of Letter 2-2)or the persons title (as did the writer of Letter 2-4) Do check your spelling before mailing your letter. Poor spelling creates a sloppy, negative impression quickly Proofreading backwards from the end of the letter to the beginning will help you catch errors that you might overlook when reading forwards. If you dont trust your own spelling abilities, ask a friend to proofread your letter. At the very least, use your computer's spell check program Do be sure to use the same paper type and color for your resume, letter, and envelope. Your resume and letters should bear the same heading--one that in- cludes your name, address, e-mail address and the telephone numbers at which you can be reached. Be sure to identity whether the telephone numbers you pro- vide are for work, at home, or mobile.(For printing purposes, the sample letters contained in this book do not have such headings on them-but yours should Do check to be certain that you have matched the letter you send Ms Smith with the envelope addressed to the same Ms Smith. Always type names, titles, and addresses on each envelope; never address them by hand. It's astonishing how many times jobhunters make these silly, but crucial errors

9. CHECK, RECHECK, AND TRIPLE-CHECK Do triple-check your letters for proper presentation. If you’re new to the jobhunting process, you will find the following reminders helpful. Do take the time to ensure that you’ve correctly identified the name of the company or organization. While we may refer to Time magazine, for example, as Time, it is actually one of the publications of AOL Time Warner, Inc. The manu￾facturer of the famous Reebok footwear is actually Reebok International LTD. What we call Prudential is correctly titled Prudential Financial, Inc. Disney is re￾ally The Walt Disney Company. Virtually every company in the United States is listed in Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations, which is published yearly and is available online at www.standardandpoors.com. Most public libraries have such directories in their reference sections that list company names in full, and more for those who wish to do additional research. Hoover’s Handbook of American Business, for example, provides overviews of most American companies, the prod￾ucts and services they offer, primary competitors and recent sales figures, the names and titles of key executives, addresses, and telephone and fax numbers for the firm’s main headquarters. You can access this site online at www.hoovers.com. Do direct your letter to the reader. Remember Terry Muldour from the sam￾ple employment ad earlier in this chapter? It was impossible to discern from the ad whether Terry Muldour was male or female. In fact, some recruiters purpose￾ly make an ad vague to test the resourcefulness of the jobhunter, a ploy Terry Mul￾dour may have used. If you are faced with this ambiguity, don’t rely on the stan￾dard “To Whom It May Concern” salutation because it’s standard. Try to contact the company in question or visit its Web site to obtain the information you need. If that fails, use the entire name (as did the writer of Letter 2-2) or the person’s title (as did the writer of Letter 2-4). Do check your spelling before mailing your letter. Poor spelling creates a sloppy, negative impression quickly. Proofreading backwards from the end of the letter to the beginning will help you catch errors that you might overlook when reading forwards. If you don’t trust your own spelling abilities, ask a friend to proofread your letter. At the very least, use your computer’s spell check program. Do be sure to use the same paper type and color for your resume, letter, and envelope. Your resume and letters should bear the same heading—one that in￾cludes your name, address, e-mail address and the telephone numbers at which you can be reached. Be sure to identity whether the telephone numbers you pro￾vide are for work, at home, or mobile. (For printing purposes, the sample letters contained in this book do not have such headings on them—but yours should.) Do check to be certain that you have matched the letter you send Ms. Smith with the envelope addressed to the same Ms. Smith. Always type names, titles, and addresses on each envelope; never address them by hand. It’s astonishing how many times jobhunters make these silly, but crucial errors! 19 03 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 19

Do sign your letter. Recruiters report receiving a surprising number of un- signed letters. They do not report interviewing these forgetful people As bizarre as these examples may seem, they happen, and they can happen to you. To be sure they dont, triple-check your actions when it comes to jobhunt ing. The job search is not the time for accidental mishaps that can jeopardize your success.Chapter 10 contains a checklist to help you avoid such mishaps and to en- sure that your letter is strong, direct, and properly presented 10.FIT ANT WOREIGFIITH Don't keep using a letter that's not working Youve composed a resume cover letter, sent it in response to 10 newspaper ad vertisements, and haven t heard a thing; not a single person has called; not one in- terview has been scheduled. Is it you? Is it your resume? It could be either Or could be that you' re perfectly qualified, but your cover letter isn, t making the im- pact you want. Worse, it might be hurting you Dont despair. Writing about yourself is never easy, and(until you' ve read this book) you' ve never been taught how to write self-promotional letters. Job hunting letters may be some of the most difficult letters you'll ever create So if the letter you're using isnt working, try another approach. You can try a more unusual opening by adopting a bolder tone of voice or a more conserva more detail. The key is to try something different. Rewrite portions of youer tive one. You can also summarize your strengths more succinctly, or provide a bit and then send this new letter in response to new ads If you dont get the you want, try changing something else. It may take a while, but don t allow self to get discouraged By doing such things, you're employing the same tested marketing tech- niques that advertisers have used for ages. How many approaches and slogans has Burger King used? Or Ford? Or AT&T? These companies and their advertis- ing agencies continually alter their strategic positioning to keep their profits up, their objectives met, and their goals achieved. Why shouldnt you? 20

Do sign your letter. Recruiters report receiving a surprising number of un￾signed letters. They do not report interviewing these forgetful people. As bizarre as these examples may seem, they happen, and they can happen to you. To be sure they don’t, triple-check your actions when it comes to jobhunt￾ing. The job search is not the time for accidental mishaps that can jeopardize your success. Chapter 10 contains a checklist to help you avoid such mishaps and to en￾sure that your letter is strong, direct, and properly presented. 10. IF IT AIN’T WORKING...FIX IT! Don’t keep using a letter that’s not working. You’ve composed a resume cover letter, sent it in response to 10 newspaper ad￾vertisements, and haven’t heard a thing; not a single person has called; not one in￾terview has been scheduled. Is it you? Is it your resume? It could be either. Or it could be that you’re perfectly qualified, but your cover letter isn’t making the im￾pact you want. Worse, it might be hurting you. Don’t despair. Writing about yourself is never easy, and (until you’ve read this book) you’ve never been taught how to write self-promotional letters. Job￾hunting letters may be some of the most difficult letters you’ll ever create. So if the letter you’re using isn’t working, try another approach. You can try a more unusual opening by adopting a bolder tone of voice or a more conserva￾tive one. You can also summarize your strengths more succinctly, or provide a bit more detail. The key is to try something different. Rewrite portions of your letter, and then send this new letter in response to new ads. If you don’t get the results you want, try changing something else. It may take a while, but don’t allow your￾self to get discouraged. By doing such things, you’re employing the same tested marketing tech￾niques that advertisers have used for ages. How many approaches and slogans has Burger King used? Or Ford? Or AT&T? These companies and their advertis￾ing agencies continually alter their strategic positioning to keep their profits up, their objectives met, and their goals achieved. Why shouldn’t you? 20 03 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 20

Chapter 3 How to Identify and Sell Your Strengths Whatever industry you represent, field you're in, or expertise you possess, when you're looking for a job, you're in sales and marketing m You re selling a product: you You identify the target market: potential employers You price the product: a realistic salary range You position the product: draft a resume and cover letter a You test your positioning with the target market: answering several ads If your efforts result in interviews, you've probably done some decent marketing. If not, you'll need to reassess your product, market, pricing, or positioning, and try again. This is precisely the process that marketing executives follow to sell laundry detergent, pickup trucks, gourmet cat food, club memberships, and retractable swimming pool covers Thus, the majority of the letters you'l write in the course of finding your next ob will contain self-promotion. In your Ad Response and Resume Cover Letters you will trumpet your talents. After an interview, a Follow-Up Letter will once again reaffirm your excellent qualifications. If the hiring process seems to be idling, you'll rev that engine with a reminder of your unique talents. And un doubtedly, if you attempt to nego otiate salary in writing, your special skills will be of vital importance. Since self-promotion is an area in which recruiters have found most people either underwhelming or overwhelming, it pays to learn how to boast. It is possi- ble to be modest, yet effective. The trick is to avoid speaking solely of your own merits in every line. Instead, link your talents to the concerns of the recruiter, em ployer, or firm. Think of your qualifications not as merely a feature of your can- didacy, but as a benefit to your next boss. The worksheets that follow will help you accomplish this 21 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use

Chapter 3 How to Identify and Sell Your Strengths Whatever industry you represent, field you’re in, or expertise you possess, when you’re looking for a job, you’re in sales and marketing. ■ You’re selling a product: you. ■ You identify the target market: potential employers. ■ You price the product: a realistic salary range. ■ You position the product: draft a resume and cover letter. ■ You test your positioning with the target market: answering several ads. If your efforts result in interviews, you’ve probably done some decent marketing. If not, you’ll need to reassess your product, market, pricing, or positioning, and try again. This is precisely the process that marketing executives follow to sell laundry detergent, pickup trucks, gourmet cat food, club memberships, and retractable swimming pool covers. Thus, the majority of the letters you’ll write in the course of finding your next job will contain self-promotion. In your Ad Response and Resume Cover Letters you will trumpet your talents. After an interview, a Follow-Up Letter will once again reaffirm your excellent qualifications. If the hiring process seems to be idling, you’ll rev that engine with a reminder of your unique talents. And un￾doubtedly, if you attempt to negotiate salary in writing, your special skills will be of vital importance. Since self-promotion is an area in which recruiters have found most people either underwhelming or overwhelming, it pays to learn how to boast. It is possi￾ble to be modest, yet effective. The trick is to avoid speaking solely of your own merits in every line. Instead, link your talents to the concerns of the recruiter, em￾ployer, or firm. Think of your qualifications not as merely a feature of your can￾didacy, but as a benefit to your next boss. The worksheets that follow will help you accomplish this. 21 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 21 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use

RECRUITER′STIP Take the time to complete Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2 right now. The ideas you jot GOD PREFERRED down here will prove extremely useful OTHERS MAY APPLY when creating your own letters later on- Dont be afraid to answer ads if whether you follow the guidelines offered in you possess most of the qualifi the chapters to come, or simply adapt the sample letters contained throughout the cations required. Recruiters book. Completing these worksheets will often describe the"ideal"can- also help you crystallize your thoughts in didate in employment ads to see whether anyone can attain preparation for an interview. this perfection Your skills-and your WORKSHIEETT 3-1 perience in applying ther IA。 BECAUSE I may be the best combination In the left-hand column of the worksheet, companies recruiters can find. Let them decide list your skills, strengths, unusual abilities, unique traits, areas of expertise or special ization, and relevant personality traits. Try and limit your entries to one or two words each In the right-hand column, jot down your support points Rather than repeat ing the facts on your resume, expand on them while relating something new, dif ferent, or additional Consolidate your facts by adding together years in the field, jobs within an industry, or similar positions you've held at different firms. Sum marize your career, education, experience, or personality. Follow the examples set by the three sample entries Go directly to Worksheet 3-1. Or, complete this and the following two worksheets on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You'll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book 22

Take the time to complete Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2 right now. The ideas you jot down here will prove extremely useful when creating your own letters later on— whether you follow the guidelines offered in the chapters to come, or simply adapt the sample letters contained throughout the book. Completing these worksheets will also help you crystallize your thoughts in preparation for an interview. WORKSHEET 3-1: I AM...BECAUSE I In the left-hand column of the worksheet, list your skills, strengths, unusual abilities, unique traits, areas of expertise or special￾ization, and relevant personality traits. Try and limit your entries to one or two words each. In the right-hand column, jot down your support points. Rather than repeat￾ing the facts on your resume, expand on them while relating something new, dif￾ferent, or additional. Consolidate your facts by adding together years in the field, jobs within an industry, or similar positions you’ve held at different firms. Sum￾marize your career, education, experience, or personality. Follow the examples set by the three sample entries. 22 GOD PREFERRED... OTHERS MAY APPLY Don’t be afraid to answer ads if you possess most of the qualifi￾cations required. Recruiters often describe the “ideal” can￾didate in employment ads to see whether anyone can attain this perfection. Your skills—and your ex￾perience in applying them— may be the best combination companies and recruiters can find. Let them decide. RECRUITER’S TIP Go directly to Worksheet 3-1. Or, complete this and the following two worksheets on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You’ll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book. 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 22