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7 Secrets
of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter
Written by Jimmy Sweeney,
Developer of the
Amazing
Cover Letter Creator
... a great cover letter resource.
Visit Jimmy for your 'instant' cover letter today. Jimmy
Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the
new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." He has also written
several career-related books and his unique, "think-outside-the-job-search-box"
approach, make his articles a job-seeker favorite.
Just like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, the "humble"
cover letter gets no respect.
Job-seekers
spend so much time and energy on their resumes they've got
nothing left to offer their poor, neglected cover letters.
The cover letter is your
one chance to really "market" yourself to an employer using
proven marketing strategies rarely found in the typical
cover letter.
It is the well-written cover letter
not the resume that can single-handedly land you
more job interviews.
Conversely, there's only so much you can do with the traditional
CV or resume. I believe the carefully crafted cover letter
is more important to your job search success than any other
written document, including the resume.
As a direct marketing
professional for over 20 years,
I bring to you my 7 secrets of
a highly-effective resume cover letter:
1. ADDRESS your cover letter to a specific person.
Do your best to find out "To Whom" you should address
your cover letter. "Dear Manager" is lifeless.
2. OPEN with an attention-grabbing
first sentence to really grip the reader. This will
almost guarantee your cover letter and resume get a closer
look.
3. REMEMBER less is more.
The best cover letters have plenty of white space. Cover
letters that are clear, focused, short and sweet land more
job interviews period.
4. FOCUS on what you can do for the employer. How
can you benefit the company specifically? Do a little research
and relate this simply and clearly in your letter.
5. CHOOSE WORDS that show enthusiasm and passion for
the position you seek... (big, big secret!) Then, carry
this passion into the interview with you.
6. REQUEST ONE ACTION you want the employer to take:
"I would really like the opportunity for a personal interview
this week." (You never know until you ASK.)
7. END your cover letter with something enthusiastic
and telling like, "I look forward to being interviewed at
your earliest convenience. Thank you so much for this
opportunity." Sincerely, Jane Jobseeker. (Notice how Jane
assumes she'll land the interview? This is clever, smart,
and it works like a charm).
More Articles by
Jimmy Sweeney
Think of your cover letter
as a sales letter. The only purpose of your resume cover
letter is to land you more job interviews. That's the bottom
line. By using the proven marketing strategies I've outlined
above you will land more quality job interviews than your
competition.
You must find a way to get your "foot in the company door"
to have any chance of landing the job. With the right cover
letter you can blow the doors of opportunity wide open.
And remember, more job interviews translate to (drum roll
please)... more job offers.
Finally, the most important advice I can offer you is this:
FOLLOW-UP every job lead, contact, and communication. Following
up is the "golden key" to getting hired for the job of your
dreams. Use follow-up cover letters, thank you letters,
even follow-up phone calls. Following-up can literally double
your chance for success. It is also the one secret ingredient
missing from 99% of every job-seeker's playbook.
Good news for you!
Who else wants their phone ringing off the hook with
more quality job interviews?
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