Harty p. 306-334, Cover Letters and E-Resumes

Steven Graber- “The Basics of a Cover Letter”

Effective cover letters attract an employer’s attention by highlighting the most attractive features of the product

FORMAT

Appearance of a cover letter shows organizational skills and attention to detail

The Parts of a Letter

2 styles for cover letters

Business style- all elements begin at the left margin
Personal style- return address and complimentary close begin at centerline, paragraphs are indented

Return address
Avoid abbreviations, though abbreviating the state is acceptable; include contact info

Date
Appears two lines below the address, write it out

Inside Address
Four lines down, give addressee’s full name, then title, company name, company address
Make sure the text of the letter is vertically centered

Salutation
Two lines underneath address, use “Dear Mr.___:” or “Dear Sir or Madam”

Length
3 or 4 short paragraphs on one page

Paper Size
Use standard 8.5 by 11” paper

Paper Color and Quality
Use matching paper and envelopes for your resume and cover letter, good paper with weight and texture

Typing and Printing
Use computer with letter-quality printer, serif font same typeface and size as resume

Envelope
Use standard business envelope, type the address and address it to the contact person

CONTENT

Personalize Each Letter
Try to address your letter to the most influential person who is appropriate

Mapping It Out
Cover letter should give an overview of your abilities and explain why you’re good for the job

Indicate why you want the job

First Paragraph: state the position for which you are applying
Second Paragraph: explain your abilities, why you’re a good fit for the job
Third Paragraph: show how you exceed requirements, include awards/accomplishments
Fourth Paragraph: close by saying you look forward to hearing from them

Complimentary Close
Sincerely, then print your name 3 lines down and sign above it- line up with return address and date

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COVER LETTERS

Use a polite, formal style with confidence and respect

A reserved, confident tone is good, similar to a job interview

Use concrete examples of skills and accomplishments

Use the fewest words possible, avoid jargon

Avoid catchphrases

Refrain offering salary information unless the advertisement requires it

Proofread very carefully; reprint it if there are mistakes

COVER LETTER BLUNDERS TO AVOID

Avoid including unrelated career goals as well as clichés and obvious comparisons

Don’t include irrelevant information

Don’t use mass mailing, inappropriate stationery, or anecdotes

Verify the accuracy of any company information you include, don’t bluff

Don’t appear desperate or admit shortcomings in the letter

Don’t misrepresent yourself or use demanding or presumptive statements

Don’t include irrelevant personal information

Carefully edit your letter for tone and typographical issues, always retype it if there are errors

COVER LETTERS FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Use your strengths as selling points, regardless of their origin and your lack of job history

RESPONSE TO A BLIND ADVERTISEMENT

Tailor your response to any specific information given

COLD COVER LETTERS are used to directly contact an employer without previous correspondence

BROADCAST LETTERS are used by well-qualified individuals to advertise their ability to top-level professionals in a particular field

LETTERS TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES AND SEARCH FIRMS should highlight your skills and explain what kind of job you’re interested in and salary information

NETWORKING LETTERS refer to a mutual acquaintance to garner reader’s attention

Dikel and Roehm- “Your Resume On the Internet”

Don’t rely too heavily on the Internet at the expense of networking and actively searching for jobs

THE MYTH ABOUT THE INTERNET RESUME

You don’t need a completely different resume just for the Internet

Different formats for your resume:
Hard copy- nice looking with bullets
Scannable version- nice looking, no bullets just word processed
Plain-text version- plain for copy/pasting
Email version-plain, small size for emails

Don’t post your internet resume with other personal information that could be used to discriminate against you

RULES FOR RESPONDING ONLINE

Email your resume and cover letter to the person or company indicated in the job listing

Format the resume correctly for email; include it in the body rather than as an attachment unless otherwise instructed

Use the advertised job title in the subject line of the email, and read the application instructions included in the job announcement and follow them exactly

E-RESUMES ARE NOT JUST FOR EMAIL

Copy and paste your resume from a prepared copy you have already formatted to look great online

PREPARING A PERFECT PLAIN-TEXT RESUME

Email has more formatting restrictions than most online resume databases

Steps for creating plain-text resume:
Check keywords that define your job qualifications
Save your resume as a text-only document
Delete any page numbers
Use all CAPS for words that need special emphasis
Replace each bullet point with a standard keyboard symbol
Use straight quotes in place of curly quotes
Rearrange text if necessary
Limit line lengths
Save as Text Only with Line Breaks
Copy the entire text in your ResTextBreak.txt document that you’ve opened in Notepad, and paste it in the body of the email message.

WHERE SHOULD THAT RESUME GO?

Post your resume only on one or two of the large databases

Post it on one or two targeted resume databases specific to your industry or location

Protect Yourself Online

Make sure a site has a comprehensive privacy policy, allows you to limit access to your personal information, allows you to search the site before registering, and allows you to edit and/or delete it once it has been posted



Before You Post, Something to Think About

Do you want your resume public, and are you ready for the consequences?

RESUMER BLASTERS: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE OR A NEW FORM OF SPAM?

Wide distribution of your resume offers you little control of your personal information

Your resume may be sent to employers who aren’t interested or even looking to hire

Don’t waste money on a service like this that probably won’t benefit you much

ONLINE GUIDES AND GUIDANCE

Online Writing Lab, OWL, Purdue University

The Damn Good Resume, damngood.com

The Resume Place, resume-place.com

Susan Ireland, susanireland.com