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Cover Letters Top 10
The following steps will help you write letters that
will start you on the way to your new career:
Step 1: Never use the word "cover letter". A
letter often is your first contact with a potential
employee and should establish a relationship with
its reader.
Step 2: Stay away from the cover letter books
you find at every book store. It is more than likely
the hiring manager has seen some of these letters
before. There is nothing worse than a human resource
manager reading the same cover letter over and over.
Only this time, it has your name on it. Don't do it.
Approach every letter as unique in content and try
to distinguish yourself.
Step 3: Don't try to over impress the hiring
manager. Believe me, they have heard it all before.
You will be better off if you just try to be honest
and straightforward without trying to make the
hiring manager say "Wow". Express yourself directly
and precisely. Visualize yourself talking to the
recipient as if you were in the same room with him
or her. If you try to make yourself larger than
life, just remember, most people can recognize a
sales pitch and will more than likely to resist. The
hard sell makes most hiring managers defensive.
Step 4: Don’t use phrases like: "I’m a
motivated, energetic and a problem-solver who leads
companies to their best possible performance!" .
Never ask a question in a cover letter such as "Do
you need a highly qualified computer programming
professional like me?" Hiring managers will not
believe anything without full references and facts
to support the information you are submitting.
Provide information such as facts, degrees, past
employers, so they can judge your qualifications
themselves.
Step 5: Use a strong first paragraph that
grabs attention quickly. Use a phrase that grabs
attention but provides no information. This will
grab the readers attention and make them want read
the rest of the letter to find out more about you.
Step 6: Don’t try to impress the hiring
manager with big words and technical jargon. Just
use plain English. Use general terms that you would
use in everyday conversation. Technical terminology
is OK, just make sure your reader understands the
terms you are using.
Step 7: Write from the readers perspective. Use
words such as "you" and "your" instead of "I" and
"me". Make the reader think you are trying to
benefit them and the company, not yourself.
Step 8: Write simply, directly and briefly. Be
direct and to the point without using big words and
useless terminology.
Step 9: Avoid the passive voice. Be
aggressive and let the reader know that you are
available and willing to begin work for the company
as soon as possible.
Step 10: After you write a letter, set it
aside for awhile. Come back later and read it over
and over again. A phrase that sounded good when you
wrote it may sound terrible an hour later. Be your
own worst critic and be willing to make changes to
your letter in order to make the best first
impression possible. Ask someone else to critique
the letter and let them know you want them to be
honest so you can have the introduction letter you
need to begin your new career.
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