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Your #Career : #JobSearch – Craft a Winning #CoverLetter In 10 Minutes…But with these Key Points—as Well as some Expert Advice—you can Write a Killer Cover Letter as Soon as you Read this Article.

Let’s be honest: some of us would rather visit than dentist than write a cover letter. But it doesn’t have to be difficult—and it doesn’t even have to be time-consuming. (We promise!)  

Glassdoor has created a guide for creating the perfect cover letter in a matter of minutes—complete with everything from the anatomy of an eye-catching opening to a checklist you can reference when you’re ready to edit your first draft. But with these key points—as well as some expert advice—you can write a killer cover letter as soon as you read this article.

Here’s how to craft a winning cover letter in 10 minutes—or less.

Nail down the key points.

Every cover letter covers the same basic points: each includes your contact information, a greeting, and your past experience. But to make your cover letter stand out, you’ll have to make those same ol’ points sing, Glassdoor’s guide points out. For example, when it comes to your contact information, “don’t make recruiters dig through your cover letter to find” it, the guide advises. Place it on top of your letter, where it’s easy to spot, read, and reference.

As for that greeting? “Forget ‘To Whom It May Concern,’” according to the guide. If you can find a contact person’s name and title, use it. You’d be amazed what a difference it makes.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Show why you’re right for the role.

Your resume clearly lists all of your qualifications, so your cover letter is the best place to elaborate on what makes you right for the job. “Whenever possible, include concrete metrics that illustrate the results you’ve achieved,” our Glassdoor guide recommends.

You can also show your personality, recommends career coach Hallie Crawford. “Try to grab the hiring manager’s attention in the introductory paragraph regarding why you’re interested in the position and passionate about the work. Tell a personal story that relates to the industry or the organization,” she recommends. Try out quotes or anecdotes too.

Keep it clean.

According to Glassdoor’s guide, “cover letters should be clean and easy to read,” so be sure to “skip the intricate designs and crazy fonts for party invitations,” Glassdoor advises. And, if possible, keep your cover letter to a single page—just like you did with your resume, too.

One way to make your cover letter clean is to use bullet points. “Address specific skills and qualifications needed for the job in a bulleted list that’s easy to read,” Crawford explains.

What’s more, “your cover letter should match the format of your resume,” Crawford says. Think of it this way, Crawford adds: “Both of these documents are your personal branding materials, so they should match with the same header, font, and style to brand you.”

End on a high note.

Lastly, “at the end of your letter, let the hiring manager know why you stand out from your competition for the job,” Crawford advises. “Highlight your unique combination of skills and experience.” One way to do that, Crawford says, is to “review your peers’ LinkedIn profiles to understand what’s typical in your industry and how you’re different from them.”

 

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HowtoGetJob Toolkit Glassdoor 2018 CoverLetter

Your #Career : 6 of the Most Captivating #CoverLetter Openers (& Why They Work)…Let’s Cut Straight To The Chase: Most (if not all) #CoverLetters are Bad.

Let’s cut straight to the chase: most cover letters are bad. In fact, Dawn Rasmussen, certified resume writer and president of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, happily admits that “I love writing cover letter openings because I know how bad they usually are.”

But that doesn’t mean your cover letter is destined for the slush pile. By starting with what Rasmussen calls a hook, you can snag a hiring manager’s attention — and even a new job.

“The best openings — otherwise known as a hook — are attention-getters,” Rasmussen says. “Hooks are similar to headlines you see online that tempt you to click and find out more.”

How can you write a hook? You can open with a compelling quote, tell a story, use humor and much more. Here are six cover letter strategies you can use — plus examples you can emulate — along with the reasons why they work so well, so that you can get to writing.

Strategy 1: Open With a Quote

Dear [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Hiring Manager],

“It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive.”  — Earl Warren

As a public defender, my job is to keep justice alive, and I do this by relentlessly pursuing avenues to ensure that this is carried through for the people that I represent.

According to Rasmussen, this opening works really well because “it specifically addresses the underlying motivators that encompass both law [the candidate’s chosen industry] and the driving force for justice, which fits right along the lines of what a public defender does.”

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Strategy 2: Pique a Hiring Manager’s Curiosity

Dear [Hiring Manager],

I knew that I was destined for greatness when I was slimed on Nickelodeon. Nothing like being covered in green goo to help you realize your potential. “How does this apply to the open internship at Airbnb?” you may be wondering. Because I am collaborative, creative and tenacious enough to get a bunch of smelly slime dumped on me and still keep smiling.

Lindsay Mustain, Talent Paradigm‘s vice president of business development and job coach, says that starting a letter in a way that piques curiosity is “considered a pattern interrupt. It’s silly and interesting. It’s enough for someone to stop and get a little bit of attention and keep your audience interested in your story. Make sure it’s something interesting to read.”

Strategy 3: Show You Pay Attention to Company News

Dear [Hiring Manager],

According to a recent article in the Portland Business Journal, “ABC Corporation just signed a new lease on a 100,000-square-foot office park.”

Because [your company] is making the news with such a large new office space addition, growth is in your immediate future.

It is clear that your company is adding headcount, so having a sales team that can scale revenues accordingly is critical to your continued success. And that’s where I come in.

Accelerating revenues is a hallmark of my career, and since my background is in the same sector, I see a great deal of opportunity to help expand your company’s footprint in the marketplace and enhance the bottom line with new sales.

“Holding a mirror back up to the employer so they can see themselves in the news is a great attention-getter,” says Rasmussen. “But it also shows critical thinking skills — tying together that a new lease means more people and more money needed to keep operations afloat.”

Strategy 4: Tell a Story

Dear [Hiring Manager],

When Flight 1549 touched down into the cold, dark waters of the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, as a passenger, I thought my life was over.

Seeing the professionalism and calmness of the entire flight crew was something to which I immediately connected. I had thought about becoming a flight attendant in the past, but something clicked in that moment — and I realized that my desire to serve in this capacity was actually being born in that moment.

There’s a “wow factor” when you tell a story in the opening of your cover letter, Rasmussen explains. “It grabs your attention, and makes you think, ‘Here’s someone who had something major happen to them. I should read on.’” It also shows off your personality, too.

Strategy 5: Show Your Passion  

Dear [Hiring Manager],

When I heard Elon Musk’s quote, “when something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor,” I knew I needed to tell you about the passion I have around the vision that Tesla has for infinitely scalable clean energy. I’ve been dreaming of a career with Tesla since I was in college and the Tesla Roadster became available.

Fact: businesses want to hire people who are passionate about their industry and company. So, show that passion, Mustain encourages. “You know the business, you know the founder, you know the mission,” she says. “You are a raving fan and educated about the company. You start with why you believe in them,” and then take the letter from there.

Strategy 6: Write Unconventionally

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Congratulations! You have just reached the last résumé you’ll need to read to fill the open operations manager position.

So relax, put your feet up and read on to find out how I can help your company reach its productivity, cost management and efficiency goals.

This cover letter opener is gutsy, but that’s the point, Rasmussen says. “The candidate is literally going directly to the key pain points of what the employer needs,” she points out, “but in an upbeat way without being too snarky.”

 

Glassdoor.com | April 26, 2018 |  Posted by 

 

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