Don't Use the Word "Various" in Your Cover Letter

It's one of my pet peeves about cover letter writing: the word "various." Here's why I think that word makes a letter weaker, not stronger. And how you can replace it with something much better. Continue reading...

Using a Cover Letter Template for Best Results

Using a good cover letter template can really improve the chances of your resume being read by Mr. Employer. Here are my three tips for picking and using a cover letter template so you get the most from this important step in your job search process. Continue reading...

Need a Good Cover Letter Template?

I think a cover letter template is a job seeker's best friend. Breaks writer's block and keeps you on track. And a good letter template doesn't make your cover letters sound like form letters. Here's are free cover letter templates, sample letters created from letter templates, and info on how to download my Word cover letter templates. Continue reading...

Video Cover Letter Made With 300 Carrots

Torrey Taralli is a social media marketing ninja who created this fun cover letter video, which he posted on YouTube. I thought it was pretty cool and that Job Loungers might enjoy it.

Here's the note Torrey wrote to me:

Hello Susan,
I wanted to share a video cover letter I put together this week. I'm applying for a Community Manager job at Carrot Creative, a full-service social media agency. The job post basically asked that applicants not send boring cover letters. They want something interesting that will get their attention and show the applicant's personality.

I put together this stop-motion video using carrots. After about 12 hours of work, over 300 carrots, and 2 orange hands, I came up with this. It's already received over 70 hits on YouTube in the first 24 hours.

With this job market you have to do extra work to stand out from the rest of the applicants. It would be really helpful if you tweeted this or blogged about it because the more attention this video receives the better it will cement the idea that I'm someone who can take an idea from concept to creation and finally to the public.

Thank you!
Torrey Taralli



Thanks, Torrey, for sharing this with us here in the Job Lounge. And good luck with your job application at Carrot Creative!

The Coolest, Best Color Scheme for Your Resume

Oh, please don't say "grey on white" or "blue on white" is a good choice for your resume because it looks cool. I know everyone's writing documents with blue and grey text, but it just isn't the best color scheme for readers like me who have less-than-perfect eyesight. Continue reading...

2 Resume Mistakes. Are You Guilty of Using These Words?

Here's something that really turns me off: job seekers who try to make a bigger-than-life impression by using unnatural language in a cover letter or resume. Continue reading...

When Cover Notes Work Better than Cover Letters

"Good things, when short, are twice as good." - Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

Swamped with emails and phone calls, deadlines and program changes, staff issues and meetings, most managers these days are challenged more than ever to be efficient with their time. To them, reading a long cover letter that makes a detailed case for hiring a candidate may be as frustrating as a meeting that goes on without getting much accomplished, or a phone call with a client who just keeps talking. So when you send a carefully-crafted, succinct cover note, it can be like a breath of fresh air.

Why a Cover Note can be more Effective than a Cover Letter

• Slingshot response - If managers read long cover letters at all, they are likely to breeze through them to see if the name of the candidate or referrer is familiar, or to look for red flags like spelling errors or tone. They know that they get the information that is most useful to them from the resume itself. Later, if there is need for further consideration, they could refer to the cover letter but most likely would just ask the candidate questions in an interview. Therefore, wordiness can render a cover letter ineffective. A quick cover note, on the other hand, acts like a slingshot - a simple, effective tool that motivates the reader to go straight to the resume.
• Talking their language - Showing a manager that you know what it's like to be in their shoes demonstrates experience and inspires confidence. Because a cover note is short and to the point, an instant rapport is established by getting down to business. And you demonstrate that you are putting the employer first.
• Communicating respect - Acknowledging potential employers with respect is a great way to get them to read cover letters, but how respect is communicated is changing. In the past, if a letter wasn't sent on fancy paper with one-inch margins and formal language, it appeared as a lack of respect. But for more and more managers who are stretched thin, the traditional page-long cover letter that makes a case for hiring the candidate verges on overkill. If you provide a brief cover note on plain paper, you demonstrate respect for their time, and an overall mindset of time management and efficiency.
• Working within the rules - Because many managers already receive short cover notes with resumes sent by email or snail mail, sending a lengthy letter can appear as old school or antiquated. By using a cover note, you can show that you've taken the time to educate yourself on how the latest system works, and are willing to work within it.
• Economy of words - Concise writing shows that you have well-developed writing skills, and are able to condense your thoughts for expedient communication.
• Art of persuasion - A cover note puts marketing strategy to work. It is designed to persuade recipients to take immediate action to learn more about you. The message focuses on benefits you offer to the employer, reveals how you stand out as better than the rest, and prompts the reader to continue to the next step. The science of this can be lost in a lengthy cover letter.
• Less room for error - The shorter the letter, the fewer opportunities for typos or awkward grammar.

What to Include in a Cover Note

• Short subject line - When submitting a resume by email or online form, keep subject lines short. When possible, include a job reference number, job title, or the name of the person who authorized a referral. For example, "Inquiry regarding Job #6752-1 on JobSearch.com" or "Marketing Coordinator referred by Mitchell Camden."
• Be specific - Respond to a specific position and address the recipient by name whenever possible. Unsolicited resumes are less likely to be read.
• Purpose - The intention of the cover note should be made clear in the first paragraph, indicating what prompted the communication and referring to your resume. As an example, "I am sincerely interested in the position of Client Relations Manager (Reference #S563) posted on HireMeNow.com, and have attached a resume for your review." or "I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Hutchens at last week's HR symposium, and she suggested I contact you regarding job opportunities within your IT department. I have attached a resume for your consideration."
• Match skills to responsibilities - In the second paragraph, begin with a statement showing how your skills are well-matched to the position using the same kind of language used in the job description. For example, if one of the daily responsibilities of the job is "Conducts research on news items related to biopharmaceuticals and Acme, Inc. using the Internet and print resources, and documents news items in the public relations repository," you might write "Please note that I have two years experience conducting and documenting Internet research for an online publication, and was responsible for managing the news article archives."
• Benefits and differentiators - The second paragraph should also include a short statement identifying the best benefits you bring to the table and the attributes that set you apart from other qualified candidates. As an example, "After five years as a journalist in Baltimore, I have an extensive list of contacts that will prove beneficial to your public relations department, and because I wrote regularly for the society column of the newspaper, I am uniquely qualified to reach your target audience."
• All necessary details - In the optional third paragraph of the cover note, make sure all of the necessary details regarding special considerations are provided so there are no surprises later, like "I will be relocating to a neighborhood near your Cambridge facility on April 17" or "I am otherwise committed weekday mornings before noon, but available to work afternoon and evening shifts." If the employer asks for salary requirements to be included, this is the place to provide a general statement such as "I am seeking a salary in the area of $25,000 per year."
• Call to action - Inviting the recipient to follow up with you about your resume is as important as asking for the position in an interview. In a last paragraph, express interest in the opportunity and anticipation of further contact. For example, "I am sincerely interested in being part of your team, and hope you will consider me for the Claims Analyst position. I look forward to hearing from you." This not only clearly places the ball in their court, but prompts them to look further into your qualifications (i.e. reading your resume).
• Acknowledgement - Thanking the reader for their time not only demonstrates respect, but reinforces that their concerns are your first priority.

When to Use a Cover Note

Use your knowledge of the company, the industry, and the position to determine whether a cover letter or cover note is most suitable. The wording of a job description or company website can reveal how forward thinking an employer is - therefore how open they may be to a new way of doing things. Conservative, traditional companies should be approached with conservative, traditional cover letters. Industries who are most likely to respond well to cover notes are notably progressive ones like IT, journalism, marketing, and healthcare. Recruiting agencies also tend to prefer them.

Most importantly, use the cover note or cover letter that suits your personality best. This will help a potential employer determine whether you will be a good match for the team.

Guest post by Ellen Berry who writes about a variety of education and career topics for BrainTrack.com.

Is This Cover Letter a Gimmick or Smart Marketing?

When it comes to job search cover letters, there's a fine line between smart marketing and sales gimmicks. The "Guerrilla Cover Letter" writers in this video claim their letter got an interview very quickly, but do you think it's too gimmicky?




Here are the points in this video that I agree and disagree with: Continue reading...

The 12-Word Cover Letter That Grabs a Recruiter's Attention

Do recruiters read every word of your cover email or hardcopy letter? Not unless you rope them in with a few must-read words at the beginning. Continue reading...

An Easy Way to Give Your Cover Letter Zing!

As the saying goes: There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened. Most employers want an employee who makes things happen. Your cover letter/email is a great place to say you do just that! Continue reading...

6 Ways to Optimize Your Email Cover Letter

Email is the new cover letter... at least for most people's job search.

In today's job market, where a job seeker's resume is often sent as an attachment to an email, the email message serves as the cover letter. It plays the critical role of making a first impression and convincing the recruiter or manager to download and open the attached resume. Continue reading...

Quotes on Resume

What do you think of putting quotes from former supervisors on your resume? Short quotes on a resume can be very effective because they give the job seeker an opportunity to say good things about himself from another's perspective. This is especially helpful for the job seeker who has trouble... Continue reading

Mulitple Resumes for One Company

Question
I'm a graduating student in civil engineering and I need help with submitting resumes online. At the company where I'm applying, prospective employees have to create a profile and upload a resume to the company website. For this company, I found multiple postings that I want to apply for.

1. Do I need to list a goal/objective in my resume since the positions I'm applying to have different titles/duties.

2. Do I need to upload multiple resumes?

3. I'm not sure if I need to upload a cover letter, only a resume is required.

4. The postings I want to apply to are at offices all over the U.S. Would I need to research HR contacts at those offices and upload multiple cover letters as well?

Answer
Because all company recruiting webpages are not the same, the answers to your questions depend on the particular site you're looking at. So let me give you some general guidelines that you can adapt to your current (and future) online applications.

1. It's always best to have a job objective statement or professional title (such as Civil Engineer) at the top of your resume. Once your resume is in the company's database, it can be downloaded and printed out by a number of recruiters and employers. An objective statement will give your resume focus, no matter whose computer screen it's on.

2. If the system allows you to upload multiple resumes, then do so if you have more than one job objective. That way, you can change the job objective statement, and customize the content of your resume, if necessary, for each job post.

3. Always upload or copy-and-paste a cover note when given the chance. It's an opportunity to add a personal touch and include more keywords to your online application. Your note should be short and have a professional, yet friendly tone that invites a telephone or in-person conversation.

4. If you're applying for several positions across the country, you could post one cover note that's addressed "Dear Recruiter." In that way, it will cover all your bases.

Good luck with your online job search!

Latin PhD to High-Tech Career

We hear stories of people who found success by following their passions. But what if your passion is in a non-commercial field such as... Latin? In the following interview, Jed explains how he pursued his passion for Latin and landed his current job in high-tech.

Susan: I understand that you got your degree in Latin. Did you chose that major with a career in mind that was related to Latin?

Jed: BA in classics (Greek/Latin), and then MA and PhD in Latin. So yes, it's a bit of a swerve. When I started college, I took some computer science courses that I greatly enjoyed, and I also took Homer. When it came to choosing between debugging code for 12 hours a day under fluorescent lights vs. reading Homer with my feet up on the fender, so to speak, I decided on the latter. What followed was 12 years of focus on Greek and Latin, with a passion for linguistics (particularly metrics and pragmatics), and a love of being in the classroom. When I went to graduate school, I didn't have the sense that I was going for a career in research/teaching ancient languages; but I did have that sense after I got my Master's.

Susan: After you graduated, did you try to get a job in a field that was related to your degree?

Jed: Since I went straight to grad school after college, I didn't really interact with the job market outside of my university until I was working on my dissertation. I taught quite a bit as a grad student, and there's a certain amount of competition there, but it's not the same.

Susan: When you applied for the technical job you now hold, how did you list your degree on your resume? Did you try to make your degree relevant to your job objective, or did you lean solely on non-academic experience to support your application?

Jed: I applied and was accepted to be a Technical Assistant at a company that provides visual effects for the entertainment industry (we'll call it ABC), while finishing my dissertation. During the first three months on the job here, I spent my nights editing and tweaking. So I managed to file for my dissertation while ramping up at a job in a completely different career. When I applied at ABC, I was frank about my experience (near zero) and my educational background (almost completely inappropriate). My only hope was, as you said, pointing to my non-academic experience, to which I had devoted a fair bit of my time -- writing collaborative textbook software, educational software for the blind, my own research tools for searching the corpus of Greek and Latin texts on digital media, etc.

Susan: What advice do you have for job seekers with degrees that are unrelated to their job search?

Jed: I think in retrospect one thing I did right was to be frank and open about why I changed my mind about the career I wanted to follow. Now, when I interview job applicants for openings at ABC, I look for the story that comes out of the resume (and better, the cover letter, if they've written one), explaining the course of the applicant's interests and how he or she approaches new problems.

If people have been sincere about their passions, and done things that they like, I'm interested and I want to know more. What I don't want is for us to bring people in who just do things because they think they will look good on their resumes. That makes me feel like our company might just be a resume builder as well!

I want someone who is smart, intellectually flexible, able to learn new things on his or her feet quickly, good at working with people, articulate, and passionate. People with non-computer science backgrounds are shy about applying here, and strong computer science is certainly important; but by the same token, there are people with a formidable checklist of computer science credentials that I think are completely unhirable because they lack the broader qualities that we need in the talent we want to work with.

Also, if you're interested in working somewhere, and you don't think the published job description lines up perfectly with your skills or experience because they're asking for N years of something and you have N-2 or whatever, apply anyway. Do this for three reasons:

1. You want to work there, so apply!



2. I know from first-hand experience how hard it is for an employer to craft a job listing that will draw the perfect applicant. The listings are a clear but general picture, and they rarely describe the best applicant perfectly. That's because the best applicant brings to the table his or her own best qualities and these may ultimately outweigh any deficiencies. In particular, if an employer asks for "Quality X or Equivalent," this opens the door wide for you to define "equivalent."



3. Even if you're not quite right for the listed job, a recruiter might see a good fit somewhere else in the organization, perhaps for a job that hasn't even been listed yet.

I'm not saying apply for things you are clearly unqualified for - that's annoying, and nobody likes to have their time wasted - but do apply for things you want to do and think you could be good at, and look forward to the chance to make your case in an interview.

Thank you very much for your insight, Jed. I wish you much success in your career! -- Susan

Job Seekers Slingin' Slang

Trash Talkin' A Turnoff to Clients; Prospects and Clients Leary of Loose Language
by Craig Harrison, Principal, Expressions of Excellence, 510/547-0664 (reprinted here with Craig's permission)

Despite attention to four-color brochures, meticulous grooming and letter-perfect newsletters, consultants constantly undermine their hire-ability and employees hurt their promotability through sloppy language skills and inappropriate word choices in their communication. What point is shined shoes and polished purses if you're constantly shooting yourself in the foot with your own words?

Slang is sloppy…precision preferred

Professionalism counts in the work world. Proper English shows good taste, good schooling and an understanding of professional protocols. Avoid slang. You're not a short-order cook! Slang is a shortcut that suggests excessive informality and lack of appreciation for the workplace setting and expectations.I wish I had a nickel for every consultant who told me he or she was gonna do something! Gonna is gutter. Replace all uses of "gonna" with "going to" and others will perceive you to be a professional with plans. Gonna is what an elementary school student will do when the recess bell rings. Going to is what dedicated and focused professionals intend to do, a part of a strategic plan, an act with intention.

• Sadly, very unique isn't. Unique, by definition, means one of a kind, unparalleled, without peer. Adding very in front of unique is as meaningless as doing something 110%, 115% or 150%. And you thought grade inflation was bad! OK, we get the point.
  
  
• Prove you're a graduate by knowing the difference between alumni, alumnus and alumna and alumnae. The first and last are plural, the second and third refer to a male or female graduate of their alma mater. Alumnae refers to women graduates. Alumni refers to coed graduates.
  
  
• Figuratively vs. Literally. When you say you could eat a horse, you are speaking figuratively. Only the Donner party meant it literally. One consultant told his client "he literally killed to get a past job." Really? Who wants to hire a murderer?
  
  
• Degrees are important. So is understanding the degree to which you are in favor or opposed to something. Don’t get a third degree burn! When you tell people you are 360° opposed to something, they won't hire you since you obviously failed geometry. 180° denotes complete opposition. Once you've rotated 360° you've come full circle and are back where you started from. (Do not pass go, Blockhead. It's back to square one!)
  
  
• More Than vs. Over: Over is a preposition and generally refers to spatial relationships: "The plane flew over Sacramento." Use "more than": Silicon Valley has more than 10,000 programming jobs.
  
  
• Myriad vs. A myriad Of: Myriad means "many." Not "a myriad of" problems. That would like saying, "he has many of problems," which would be wrong. We would say, "he has many problems."
  
  
• Don't bother asking about renumeration. You're ineligible, because you won't be retained. The correct word is Remunerate, to give someone money or to be paid, which you will be, when you use the correct word.
  
  
• Irregardless. There is no such word. Regardless of what you've heard, the correct word is "regardless."
  
  
• Interred vs. interned. If you worked without pay, you interned. Ironically, it can also refer to serving behind bars, as in a prison. As bad as that is, when you say you interred, it suggests you were buried! You'll never get ahead if you're already six feet under. Unless you're born again, stick with interned.
  
  
• Presidents and Olympians are forever so. Everyone wants respect but nobody gives it anymore. When you speak of a United States president such as Bill Clinton, George Herbert Walker Bush or Jimmy Carter, they're still President Clinton, Bush, or Carterre respectively. (Note that President Jimmy Carter is now a Nobel laureate too!) When you refer to Olympians Mary Lou Retton, Billy Mills or Peggy Fleming, they're Olympians (not past or former Olympians). Just like recent medalists Apolo Anton Ohno, Sasha Cohen, Shani Davis or Chad Hedrick, Even ones who didn't medal, like Bode Miller will forever remain Olympians.

Pronouncements on Pronunciation

Just so you know, although shift happens, paradigm is and always has been pronounced pair-ah-DIME, not para-DIG 'EM.

Yet these days alternate pronunciations are plentiful: harassment, nuclear (nucular is also acceptable until 2008), and database (pronounced dah-ta-base or DAY-ta-base).

By the way,

• The singular of data is datum
• The plural of stadium is stadia
• Media is plural for medium. TV is a medium. Radio, too. Print (a.k.a. newspaper) is another. TV, radio and newspapers together are forms of media.

It is a fact that customers do business with those they know, like and trust. Speaking well builds trust with clients. It reflects a shared value, the proper use of language. Speaking well is a sign of your professionalism, suggesting you will adhere to other standards of good business: honesty, fairness and service.

When you speak well the world respects you and wants to do business with you. Can ya dig it?

Video Letters for MindValley Jobs

MindValley is an organization that requires video resumes (or video cover letters, as MindValley calls them) from their job applicants. Video applications are fitting for this innovative group, and the YouTube clips they receive are creative, each ranging from around one to nine minutes in length.

Before you take a look at the string of submitted videos, read MindValley's Career page, which explains what type of video cover letter they want.

Here are my two favorites from the group:

When to Make Letters Capped

Here's a topic that throws a lot of letter writers for a loop: capitalization. Knowing what words always start with a capital letter and what circumstances require a normally lowercase word to be capitalized can make a big difference in how effectively you communicate. Continue reading...

Value of LinkedIn Recommendations

As a LinkedIn member, you have the opportunity to invite members of your network to write you recommendations, which get incorporated into your LinkedIn profile. (If you're unfamiliar with LinkedIn recommendations, go to my profile and scroll down to the "Recommended by" section to see what I'm referring to.)

For a job seeker, the most obvious benefit of having LinkedIn recommendations is that a recruiter or potential employer might be impressed by what people say about you. Here are some not-so-obvious benefits of nurturing the growth of your LinkedIn recommendations:

1. It's a great way to make your network stronger. When you ask one of your contacts for her endorsement, offer to write one for her in return. In that way, you've strengthened the bond between the two of you.

2. It's good for your self-esteem. It feels really good to read positive things people say about you. And if you ever feel down about your job search (or life in general), read your LinkedIn recommendations and maybe that will give you a lift.

3. You could get a great statement or idea for your job search. In the Summary of Qualifications section of your resume, in your cover letter, or in your job interview, it might be appropriate to quote a phrase from one of your recommendations. Many people have trouble saying good things about themselves. If you're one of those shy job seekers, let one of your LinkedIn endorsers say it for you!

Cover Letter to Job Hunt Network

Question
My husband lost his job in October. His friends and family asked that he send them his resume so they could send it to people they know. What kind of cover letter do you use in this situation when you don't know what type of job someone might have available for you? Continue reading...

Sincere Cover Letters Work

In your cover letter or email to an employer, be sincere in everything you say and the way you say it. Your reader will sense your earnestness and be impressed. Continue reading...