May 2023 - Page 9 of 12

3 Advanced Cover Letter Strategies For Offshore Drilling Employment

When looking for offshore drilling employment, and in fact any job that requires a written application, the cover letter is arguably the most important element. It is what gets your resume read… or not. If you flub it, you can kiss your chance of an interview goodbye. Before looking at the three advanced strategies, let’s look at three important basic principles of writing this document.

Basic Principles

The first of these basic principles is to send more job applications out. It is common to send 5 job applications and get no response. But send out 100 competently written cover letters/resume and you should start to see some decent results. Prosecuting a successful job hunt is much the same as prosecuting a successful war. You need both quantity and quality.

The second basic principle is to make sure your letter looks neat and professional. Yes, this is important even for a job that requires physical labor like an offshore roustabout or roughneck. Besides looking neat, the spelling and grammar needs to be correct. However, you do not need to pay a professional writer to write your cover letter. Just run it through the spelling and grammar checker in MS-Word. You can also do the same thing using OpenOffice (a free clone of MS-Word).

The third basic principle is to make sure you include the job title in the subject heading of your letter. Use the same job title that is in the advertisement. Include any codes that are in the advertisement. This is important. If you do not tell the oil company why you are sending them your cover letter, they will trash it without reading it.

The three basic principles above seem laughably obvious. But too many job seekers are too rushed, or are too lazy or simply too careless to do things right. They basically shoot themselves in the foot. Now, let’s move on to the three advanced principles. Although the following strategies do not guarantee you an interview, they will definitely get you a foot up in the game.

Advanced Strategies

The first advanced strategy is to tell the oil drilling company why they should hire you. The simplest way to do this is to copy each point of the job advertisement’s scope and responsibilities list, and then write down your prior experiences that demonstrate that skill or ability.

The second advanced strategy is to show the human resource staffer what makes you more special than your rivals. Again, here is a simple way to do this: just note down additional skills that are relevant to an offshore drilling job but not included in the advertisement. For example, related (or at least useful additional) skills for a roustabout job would include painting, scaffolding, crane operations, welding, firefighting (as a real fireman, not learned in a course), etc.

The third advanced strategy is to make an irresistible offer. This comes in two parts. The first is to show that you can start work immediately. This means you should not be working now or serving out your notice. It means you should also have all the relevant medical certifications, skills certifications (e.g. HUET for work on board an offshore oil rig), union memberships and licensing. Part two is to end your cover letter by asking them to call you for an interview. Successful salesmen know this last strategy very well (both parts of it). It is what makes them successful – daring to make an irresistible offer and daring to close the deal.

When you are looking for an offshore oil drilling job, your cover letter will make or break your job hunt. Violate the three basic principles above and you may as well just stick to flipping burgers for McDonalds. But the three advanced strategies are what will give you a leg up on 90% of your rivals.

Cover Letters – Purpose and Structure

Cover letters are not so much a part of your “Job Seeker’s Tool Kit” as they are part of the implementation of your overall “self marketing” strategy. That’s right – a cover letter is a sales presentation in disguise!

With cover letters, you’re reaching out for a very tangible goal – a job interview. Cover letters are the most commonly used method to introduce your credentials to an employer. And they can serve as one of your strongest selling tools!

Avoid the “standard, boring” types of cover letters that employers receive every day. “I’m very interested in a position with Motley Corporation as a programming analyst. Enclosed please find my resume… ” A letter like this basically says, “Hey, I need a job and here’s my resume!” Not a very impressive sales presentation, is it? More importantly, it does nothing to distinguish you from the crowd of other applicants sending the very same kind of drab, standard letters with their drab, standard resumes.

In a professional-level search, there are different letters for different purposes!

There are many times during the implementation of your full search campaign when you will rely on a written letter to speak for you. The way you present yourself on paper can make or break your success during any phase of the process.

Just think about all the different situations in which letters might be useful in opening doors, making a strong first impression, and in keeping your candidacy on the “front burner” in the eyes of key decision-makers. These include:

* Letter responding to an advertised opening

* Letter following-up on a personal or professional referral (this one is my favorite)

* Letter introducing yourself to a decision-maker (called the “cold approach letter” – my least favorite type of cover letter)

* Thank you letter (after first meeting)

* Follow-up letter (after multiple meetings/interviews)

* Response to a job offer letter

* And others…

In general, there are three parts of a cover letter – and the middle part is a kind of sales presentation. Here is the outline:

Part 1: Introduction – Explain why you’re writing to the employer. Did you see a job posting; were you referred by a friend or colleague; did you see one of their executives present at a conference or meeting; did you read something in the business press about the company? Be specific and use your research. Give the recipient of your correspondence a sense of your knowledge by referring to industry trends, specific events, or media coverage. This is the best way to demonstrate your interest in the organization.

Part 2: The Sales Presentation – To sell yourself effectively, tell the employer your qualifications and give examples of your relevant experience. The same elements that make your resume effective work in your cover letter: use action words; be brief; be specific. Write about particular accomplishments and use facts and numbers to back them up.

Part 3: Wrap-up and Close – Be sure to restate in one sentence what you can do for the organization. Wrap-up your cover letter as strongly as you opened it. Restate your interest in working with the company, and why. It’s difficult for an employer to resist genuine interest and enthusiasm, combined with your knowledge of the company! Close the letter by directly requesting an interview. Take charge of the process by stating a timeframe in which you will call. Then follow-up precisely as promised, to demonstrate how responsible and professional you are!

As you can now see, cover letters can serve many purposes – the most important of which is to “sell you” when you aren’t personally in front of the hiring manager. When your cover letters are written correctly, they should create a great deal of leverage in your job search. This, in turn, will lead to more interviews and ultimately more job offers!

20 Ways to Increase Sales With Direct Mail Letters

1. Adapt letter-headed paper

If you’re using company letterhead for direct mail then adapt it to your requirements. The company name and selling benefit should stand out. If you want people to email you, then the email address should stand out. If you want them to phone, then make the phone number prominent. Use the footer as a place to increase sales by drawing attention to a trade association or quality control mark. Make legal information as small as possible.

2. Postal replies

Do you want potential customers to reply by post? Include a pre-paid envelope.

3. Long letters

Don’t be afraid to write long letters (over a page). Nobody will buy something without enough information to make a decision. Keep selling until you have run out of sales points. Every word should be relevant – no rambling.

4. Be friendly

Address your letter to a known person if at all possible because it shows that you care who they are. Second best is to address them by their job or interest, eg. ‘Dear Dog Owner’. The worst salutation is ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.

Sign off in a friendly way. Instead of a secretary signing the letter on your behalf, sign it yourself. Include your Christian name and a friendly title. ‘Customer Services Manager’ says that your company cares about its customers.

5. Powerful headlines

At the top of the letter write a headline that communicates the product’s main benefit. It gives the potential customer a reason to read on. Keep it clear and simple – think communication not clever word play.

6. Powerful openings

Grab your reader’s attention. Study magazine articles and newspapers. How do they it? What works? Use your research. Here is a list of letter openers to get you started: http://www.procopytips.com/sales-letter-openers

7. Subheadings

Subheadings make letters digestible. Each subheading should sell the product.

8. Ask for what you want

Don’t beat about the bush. If you want your reader to buy your soaps then tell them so. If you want them to take out a subscription, ask them to sign up (and make it super easy). Ask straight away – don’t leave it until the middle of the letter.

9. Talk benefits

Know the difference between features and benefits. Instead of saying ‘the X65 lawnmower has a barrel of sixty rotating blades’ say ‘the X65 lawnmower develops a healthy lawn within weeks’. Decide which is the most important benefit and put that first. All the other benefits follow.

10. Make it personal

Address the reader as if you were sitting beside them. Make it about them and not you. Every time you write ‘we’ try and change it to ‘you’.

11. Emphasise important points

Emphasise important words by using bold or underline, but don’t overdo it or the power is lost. Indent to emphasise key paragraphs.

12. Make sure the letter flows

Guide the reader gently from one point to another. Sentences should be linked (‘what’s more… ‘, ‘but… ) and ideas should be set out in logical order.

13. Entice the reader to act

Your letter must end with a ‘call to action’. Now you’ve (hopefully!) sold the reader make it easy for them to act. Don’t make it complicated by providing lots of alternatives which involve decisions. Give an incentive too: ‘reply by 20th August and you will receive a free watch’.

14. Provide reassurance

Make sure the reader knows they can’t lose. For instance, say you won’t take payment until the product has been dispatched or that they won’t be charged for 60 days.

15. Use a PS

When you receive a letter do your eyes go straight to the PS? So do your reader’s. There should be a new ‘just remembered’ benefit here to seal the sale.

16. Make it a parcel

You don’t have to send a letter on its own. A creative package is likely to generate a higher response rate. You could include a sample of your product or a promotional item which will be a constant reminder of your company eg. a drink coaster or a pen.

17. Include a reply device

Pre-paid postcards with tick boxes make life easy for potential customers. If you can print their name and address for them, all the better. Reassure people that a salesman will not call and that they are under no obligation to buy.

18. Include an endorsement

Comments from satisfied customers go a long way as do market research statistics: ‘85% of our customers have used us for over 2 years’. Always be truthful. Never be tempted to lie – to do so cheats your customers and undermines your reputation.

19. Involve the reader

Ask rhetorical questions: ‘What would you do if… ? Write questions that potential customers might ask and answer them: ‘How much will it cost?’ Provide an example of a company or individual who reaped the benefits of your product: ‘When James & Son bought our product they halved their production costs in a week’.

20. Overcome objections

Make a list of all the possible reasons your customer might have not to buy. Decide how you would answer these objections and put them in your letter. For example: ‘I can’t afford it now’ could be solved with an easy payment plan. If you think people will want to compare deals with other providers then provide a comparison chart.

How to Write a Good Cover Letter – Where to Start

In today’s world with the struggling economy we have enough to worry about, writing a good cover letter shouldn’t be another worry of ours. For most, writing a good cover letter wasn’t something that we were taught in college or even high school for that matter. Which is quite sad to think about it, we spent all that time in school preparing for life, but we were never showed one of the most important aspects of job hunting and how to write a good cover letter.

When starting out, you need a good cover letter to be attached along with your resume. A cover letter is an introduction to you, prior to a prospective employer reading your resume. This is your first impression so to speak. You want to grab their attention and keep their focus and make them want to learn more about you. Doing this will make the job hunting process a little less frustrating for you.

Tip 1.

Upon the mastering the basics required for writing good cover letters, it shouldn’t take too long to whip one up pretty quickly. The first rule is simply, that your main agenda in writing a good cover letter is to get the employer to give you an interview. You should do what you can to grab their attention and keep it.

Try to imagine yourself as if you are an item for sale, and you are trying to self yourself to the employer. You need some attention grabbing headlines. Seize your opportunity of landing a second interview. The cover letter is, for all intensive purposes is your first interview. This is the reason why learning how to write a good cover letter is vital when job hunting.

Tip 2.

You need to come out swinging and keep going. You opening to your cover letter must captivate your reader. By keeping this energy going, your reader will continue reading.

Your next paragraph must explain why you are perfect for the job. Relate your skills and experience to the position your applying for. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to throw in some information about the company your applying with as well, it’ll give your reader the impression that you have thoroughly done your homework and are truly interested in working with them.

A further selling point for yourself, would be to include a few lines about something you love to do and the passion and dedication you would be able to provide to your potential employer.

Your final paragraph is the contact section. Provide your email address or phone number. Don’t make it difficult for the reader to get in contact with you. These are the essential pieces of a great cover letter, now we are going to close it out with a bang.

Tip 3.

You can close out your cover letter with a PS or post-script. This is the final step of the crucial part in job hiring. Here you summarize your letter. Here is where you include the position that your applying for.

This is how you close your cover letter in the most effective way. Once you nail down these basics and start applying them, you should expect your phone to be ringing off the hook from potential employers wanting to hire you.

How to Write an Effective Resume That Gets You Hired

If there is one crucial tool most job seekers need to master – it is their resume. This is synonymous to a carpenter’s hammer, a writer’s pen, and a surgeon’s instrument. It must work accordingly for the person in order to land a perfect job. Needless to say, ending up with the right career will not be feasible unless you have a ticket for entry. This is when the creation of an effective resume comes in. How will you do this? There are considerations that you have to ponder, of course.

Assembling the Perfect Resume

Assembling an effective resume requires a ton of self-reflection. What are the best ways to write a resume? How will you start? These are the usual steps:

Start with a plan

Prior to sitting down and writing your very own resume, it is vital that you have a plan in mind. Your plan will set the direction. As you do this, you also get to establish coherence which will be of great impact to your resume. Digging deeper to the field that you want to be a part of is also ideal. Once you have your aim clear in mind, materializing the resume will be the next priority.

Showcase your accomplishments and strong points

In resume writing, it is crucial that you know how to show case your strengths. You may do this by foregrounding your accomplishments. Among the information utilized for these are education, training, work history, accomplishments and certifications. Always remember that these will give you the edge over other candidates. As much as possible, highlight the turning point of your features. They should be realistic to the position you are eyeing for. If you can put them in summary, and then that is going to work accordingly.

Make it visually appealing

Little do people know that aside from the substance, the form of your resume will also have to be given attention. It is just safe to say that designing should also be a part of your resume writing and creation. Always glance at the whole document. Does it attract the eyes when placed side by side with other entries? You will not want its design to be a hinder to your qualifications. Do not ever let this cause a problem. It should not. If you can, it will not hurt to go for white spaces. These can be maximized. When it comes to the number of pages, your stand will also be studied. If you are in the middle of your career, and then summing up a two-page resume is just fine. For starters, a one-page resume will do just fine.

Remembering everything above will help a lot in resume writing. Starting from the top, a powerful CV can be the output. Do not ever underestimate the effects of this. Remember, this is the only way for you to get noticed. Give your best shot in it and you will be miles closer to your dream.

Additional Tips

Truth be told – employers do not spend much time going over resumes. They spare about 10 to 20 seconds on it. With this said, capturing their attention should be the name of the game. This is a chance to gain their interest and advance into comprehensive reading. As this is the case, do not fail to master the basic elements of resume writing.

Is a Resume Objective Important?

Most job hunters are confused about what should be in a resume objective. This bewilderment is reasonable as there is a plethora of conflicting information posted about what a resume objective should include and the purpose. Some web articles report you must include one while others recommend omitting them altogether. Due to the fact that your resume and cover letter are your first impression and opportunity to persuade an employer to interview you, you need to pull out all the stops. If you do not impress and sell the reader your first impression could be your last impression. A resume is a means to an end and in this ending what you want is an interview.

Because a resume is serving two entities at opposite ends of a hopeful transaction; employment, the objective is different for a job hunter than an employer. The goal of a job hunter is obvious: you want an interview and a job. The objective of your resume for an employer is to help them decide whether to interview or eliminate you.

So in order to serve your purpose of getting an interview, because the employer has all the power to make the decision of granting you one based on their needs and desires, your resume objective must serve a higher purpose. By focusing on the employer’s needs you will be serving your needs. Look at the big picture: serving the employer’s purpose will serve your purpose. Give them what they want and you will get what you want. They want a skilled employee who can and will do the job and you want the job. They need to be convinced you are the best person for the position.

A resume objective is the first thing an employer sees on the page below your name. Most advice directs you to create a brief introduction of your career goals and the type of job you are seeking. This writing can seem self -centered and is misaligned when you consider this document is essentially a marketing piece.

Expressing your career goals in your terms can be risky. If your goals do not match those of the employer you run the risk of being eliminated before the employer even gets past reading your objective. Also if the position has additional duties not fully disclosed by the job title or description, your objective can make your goals appear limited. If an employer has a different job opening other than what was advertised that you might be a perfect fit for, your objective might exclude you from consideration.

Employers are looking at your past but buying your future. Employers have a difficult time correlating your past with their future goals just by reviewing your resume. And without first meeting with an employer and learning about the company how can you possible write about any goals that match what they have planned? You cannot and the best you can do is to create an objective from the limited information about the position usually from the job posting and other information you can dig up.

Leaving out a resume objective is an option. Most employers find this the most objectionable part of resumes anyway. A major reason for this is that most the writing is too generic or not focused on the job or employer. Many candidates include a Summary of Skills section in place of the objective statement.

While omitting a resume objective seems reasonable and is usually acceptable, there are some advantages to including one. For instance, this section gives you the opportunity to use the exact job title or skill keywords the prospective employer is using. Then if the employer is scanning for keywords and the job title is one of those words you will be included. Another plus is the opportunity to draw attention to your skill keywords and offer additional information for any special circumstances such as an internship application or a career change.

The following statement includes a transferable skill, in this case communication skills that the employer has listed in the job posting for a physical therapist. This example is for a career transition from customer service work to physical therapy:

To apply valuable communication skills gained from seven years of customer service experience in coordination with the education of a four year degree and certificate as a Physical Therapist to provide clients with exceptional service.

Again a resume objective provides the opportunity to include a job title that you not have held and would otherwise not be on your resume. Here is a generic sample that is focused on the employer and includes the job title of the position open:

To meet with you and learn about your company and the Junior Accountant position to appropriately assess your opportunity to determine if present accounting skills and future development can be of exceptional benefit to you.

Presenting certain career goals can be in the interest of an employer. If a job description for a sales associate includes a statement about possible advancement the following objective could be advantageous:

To meet with you and find out about your company and the sales associate position to determine if current selling skills can help you now and the goal of working toward a leadership position can serve you in the future.

An Inclusive Guide to Write Human Resource Cover Letters

Writing an impressive and well integrated human resource cover letter needs in depth analysis of all the relevant requirements of the position and a strong decisive mind to fulfill those duties. It needs a highly dynamic and extrovert personality who will actively look into the different matters and work towards the accomplishment of the given objectives effectively.

Thus, while writing human resource cover letters you need to take into consideration various key requirements of the offer so that you can focus on the relevant skills and professional experience in dealing with such issues. Here are some of the guidelines which can help you to improve quality of your cover letter. You can go through them to get an exact idea about what your letter should contain and how to project your profile in a better way.

Carry out research of the given position to know more about the duties associated with it. Such a careful analysis helps us in identifying the key result areas of human resource position. List the skills and qualifications which would help you in giving the best result oriented performance. Link your profile with the employer’s expectation by establishing a close connection in between and marketing your personnel management skills and practice.
Project your sound decision making abilities and excellence at carrying out recruitment and selection functions. It helps to put forth your abilities to judge properly and thereby, selecting the best candidates according to the organizational requirement. Highlight your prior experience in dealing with human resource functions and good administration skills.
Rationalize your interest in the given offer and capabilities to handle the given set of responsibilities. Your letter should follow a proper well integrated format and should give information about the source of the opening and reference if any. It helps the recruiter to correlate your profile with the specific offer.
Deal adequately with your management and decision making skills. Professional experience section should state your past performance in relation to handling organizational work force and development functions.
Highlight your training and performance evaluation skills required for appraisal system. It should put forth your abilities to judge and provide efficient recruitment, selection, and compensation management functions.
Listing such proficient operations should lead towards convincing the employer about your capabilities, sincere efforts and practices. It would certainly help to improve your job prospects consequently.

Thus, human resource cover letter should project your excellence at organizational and administration functions needed to implement organizational policies effectively. Hence, you can utilize your sound knowledge of human resource processes and expertise in dealing with key human resources issues. Thus, the ultimate aim of such letter is to strengthen your profile by offering adequate details which would serve as a basis to the recruiter and help him to rationally judge your suitability for the position.

The Power of the Unsent Letter for Those in Recovery

Throughout the ages, people have used unsent letters for healing and renewal. Therapists tell us to write to our deceased parents, pour out our hearts and burn the letter. Friends tell us to “write off” unhealthy relationships. Even businesses “write off” bad debt.

To write an unsent letter for personal wellness, simply address a sheet of paper or a page in your journal to the intended receiver. Then take 15 to 20 minutes to really let go and explore your feelings and thoughts. In your writing, you might tie your emotions to various situations or experiences. How has your relationship with this person affected who you would like to become, who you have been in the past, or who you are now? Is there any unfinished business? Are there questions that have been left unanswered? What are the most significant positive experiences with this person? How will you as the writer of the letter change as a result? The point is to be completely honest with yourself. Remember that the entire purpose of the writing is for you and you only. When you are finished, you may choose to reread the letter, or not. It’s your choice. Either way, simply fold up the paper. Burn it. Tear it. Shred it. Flush it. Toss the pieces into the ocean or let the wind take them away. Just do not mail the letter.

The power of the pen, and especially the unsent letter, is especially meaningful for people in recovery from substance abuse. Be it alcoholism, drug addiction, food addiction or gambling trouble, expressive writing can assist in one’s recovery journey.

For this article, I have outlined the 12 steps from Alcoholics Anonymous and juxtaposed the writing opportunities in each step – several of which include the Unsent Letter.

Step Number

Step Description

Writing Opportunity

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.

Write out your drinking/drugging biography since the beginning. It could take the form of a letter to your former “drinking self,” or to a bottle or drug.

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Write a letter in gratitude to your Higher Power.

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Again, writing to God – this time writing the Third Step prayer.

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

Step 4 is one of the steps that has the most writing involved. Writing in this instance is in the form of lists and explanatory sentences.

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

While the actual step work is usually face to face, write in your journal about your feelings and emotions after taking this step.

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

The writing here is listing making of character defects.

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Again, letter writing to God is an acceptable way of completing this step.

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Writing the list here helps in personal willingness and faith.

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

The unsent letter is a powerful means of making amends in many cases. If someone is deceased, an unsent letter is a positive way of expressing remorse and asking forgiveness. If a direct amends would injure someone, an unsent letter describing the incident in question is a perfect way of making amends.

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Developing a regular journaling practice is a positive, healthy way of tracking personal inventory. Further, journaling entries can provide valuable insight into recurring themes and growth.

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Writing your own prayers, poems and even songs is a wonderful way to explore meditation and one’s relationship with a Higher Power.

Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Visit http://www.writetohealth.com and the Write to Recover workshop for ways to explore the Recovery principles and practices in our lives through the written word.

In almost every step, recovery work involves expressive writing, and most certainly the Unsent Letter. Write on, everyone!

Simple Cover Letter Tip – "Gratitude" Magic

Spring is in the air and the songbirds are on the way back to there seasonal homes. A new season awaits you. Time to make plans for your new career and get after your to-do list. It is also time to say thank you to everyone who you have spent the winter and holiday season with and do not forget the Hiring manager at the company you want to start your new career at.

This is a great time to share your appreciation to all of your business acquaintances and contacts. When ever you write a cover letter to any prospective employers, it is very smart to include a few words of gratitude for the chance to introduce yourself and your skills. Do not forget to ask for that interview for the job you want to land.

Always keep one thing in mind though, the hiring manager has no obligation to respond to your cover letter. But if you sprinkle your cover letter with some gratitude he or she will not be able to resist contacting you.

Why?

Because you will be one of the very few that show you are more concerned with gratitude than greed. By showing a little gratitude, you display your good heart and your interest in others, not just yourself. This very small addition to your cover letter will put you in a class by yourself. It will be a sure sign that you are someone who would be a welcome addition to any company and its staff.

Simple Ways to Say ‘Thanks’ in Your Cover Letter:

Make sure that you use clear and simple language in your cover to convey your gratitude but also at the same time shows your talents and skills for the job you are applying for.

1. “Thank you for taking a minute to consider my cover letter and resume for your open position, I really appreciate how busy you are.

2. I am grateful for the time you give to your prospective employees such as me. I never take this for granted.

3. I welcome the chance to speak to you about my skills and your expectations. Thank you for this chance to hear about your company and to share how I might be a great fit into your future plans.

4. I really appreciate the job description that you provided online. I would like very much to have the opportunity to show my gratitude in person for letting me introduce myself and my background and to find out how I can contribute to your company.

Never be too gushing or sentimental, it may come off as insincere, instead, focus on clarity and sincerity. You know that you have what it takes to land that job you want, just make some small gratitude a high priority and you will succeed.

A Great Cover Letter Is Your Escort to More Job Interviews

Creating a compelling cover letter is a vital step in the job application process. Your letter should have a professional, yet naturally flowing conversational tone. Never underestimate the power of a cover letter to make or break your submission to a particular company, which is assessing your fitness as a candidate. Call it a resume cover letter; it’s nearly as important as the resume itself. The cover letter can create either a favorable or sloppy first impression-it’s up to you. Crisp, compelling and persuasive prose can make an enormous difference. Do you know what a cover letter looks like? If you can’t do it right, then you should consider hiring a professional resume writer and professional cover letter writer to do it for you.

The functions of a cover letter are as follows:

• To not only introduce yourself to a potential employer, and reveal appealing aspects of your personality, but to sell yourself, just as if you were a product: You, Inc.

• Set you apart from other applying for this job. If your letter is impressive enough, it may be placed in the “to call first” pile.

• Demonstrate your effectiveness as a corporate communicator, which is an important skill to employers

• Explain why you are interested in a particular job.

• Complement your resume by intriguing the reader sufficiently to continue the process by perusing your resume.

• Display your intellectual prowess

• Demonstrate your knowledge of the company

While time consuming, it is also absolutely necessary to write a unique cover letter to each company. You should learn enough about the product or service, internal challenges, values and goals to be able to tailor each letter accordingly.

Here are some methods that wise job applicants use to turbo charge their cover letters:

• Make the appearance of your letter clean and simple. Do not right justify margins or make the letter look mass produced.

• Keep it to one page.

• Address your letter to a specific person, either the person mentioned in an ad, or the person that your research has demonstrated might make the hiring decision.

• Always write an employer-centric letter, concentrating on how you can meet a need, solve a problem and/or explain why you are the best candidate to join the corporate team. In other words, how can you be of service to them?

• Use your first paragraph to state the job that you are seeking, and how you found out about it. If someone within the company referred you, this is the place to give their name.

• Express an interest in the company’s product, service and/or a specific project currently in the works.

• Consciously match your job experience, positive personality facets and transferable skills with those that the company is seeking. This step may require information that was not in the job announcement or want ad.

• Sketch any information in intriguing outline form-you want to whet the recipient’s appetite to learn more by studying your resume.

• In the last paragraph of your perfect cover letter, directly ask for an interview to discuss the position further. Either include your contact information in the last paragraph, or in a block with your name and title. Thank the recipient for taking the time to consider your letter and resume.