Free Cover Letter Example

7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter

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.

Big, BIG mistake!

It is the well-written cover letter not the resume that can single-handedly land you more job interviews. 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.

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).

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!

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy has written several career-related books and his unique, "think-outside-the-job-search-box" approach, make his articles a job-seeker favorite. Jimmy is regularly published on some of the Internet's largest career web sites.

Who else wants their phone ringing off the hook with more quality job interviews? Visit Jimmy on the web right now at http://www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com for your 'instant' cover letter today.

Cover Letter Success
COVER LETTER If you want an exciting, higher paying job ... ANY job for that matter ... you've got to grab the employer's undivided attention! You’ll do this perfectly with the Amazing Cover Letter Creator

MORE ARTICLES:

Cover Letter Warning: Watch Out For the BIG BAD WORD!
Dear Job-Seeker:Just as Goldilocks was suspicious of the big bad wolf, be wary of the big bad word! You know the kind. Pursuant.

Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing - Part One
To begin, make a decision to discard any former knowledge learned about the "rules" of resume and cover letter writing. People commonly become stuck in "bad" writing habits from a time gone by.

Passing the test of the cover letter
Many people have asked themselves how to write a cover letter the best way. What is the recipe for the most successful cover letter? While there are a couple of hints and pieces of advice we can give, there is no way we can tell you from now that this or that kind of cover letter is the perfect one.

Writing a Must-Read Cover Letter
If you want to land an interview, you'll need more than a perfectly polished resume, you'll also need a perfectly polished cover letter.A cover letter does more than provide a mere introduction, it gives the employer an opportunity to see why you are the right candidate for the job—before she even takes a look at your resume! By taking the time to customize a cover letter to each job opportunity, you can almost guarantee that your resume will get a good look instead of landing a permanent home in the circular file—or worse, the recycling bin.

Cover Letter Magic: 4 Ways To ASK For The Job Interview - And Get It!
Just how important it is to ASK for the job interview clearly and directly in your cover letter?IT'S EVERYTHING!So the question remains: how effectively are you ASKING? The following four ways will help you nail down many more job interviews. Try them all and see which ones work best for you.

Preparing Your Resume and Cover Letter: What They Forgot to Teach You in College
Congratulations! You have a college diploma in your hand that says you're ready to go out into the working world. You may have maintained a stellar GPA. You may have participated in groundbreaking scientific research. You may have written, produced, and performed an entire concerto. Whatever your program of study, you may feel like your college education has paved the way into the work force. That is, until you realize something: you don't know how to prepare a resume.

Your Cover Letter MUST Ask This Question
Imagine receiving a letter from a salesman who wants to sell you an exciting new widget. The letter focuses on all the reasons why this is such a great item.

The Art of the Cover Letter
Hiring managers often receive hundreds, or even thousands, of applications for a given job. To avoid having your resume sink in a sea of paper or electronic files, it?s essential to write a cover letter that stands out and makes a great first impression.

Cover Letter Writing And The Art Of Public Speech
Some speeches are so powerful and inspire so much passion that they plant the seeds for a revolution or a big change in society. Why are some speakers so good at connecting with their audience and some so bad at it? At the root, a speech is about conveying a message and making an impression. Good speakers know that to be heard, they have to be clear, inspirational, and ? lead. Indeed, giving a speech is about leading people in the right direction with one?s vision of how things should be.

How to Create a Cover Letter that Will Command Attention
The first thing you need to do is grab the reader's attention. You must get the reader's attention before he or she can become interested and desirous of your offer to come in for an interview. We're all busy and we all have several things going on in our lives. So how do you cut through the clutter and grab the reader's attention?

Do You Need Help Writing A Winning Cover Letter?
Your cover letter is critical to your success. It sets the tone.

7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter
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.

A Killer Secret To Get Your Cover Letter Read
You're still reading–so I know my title grabbed your attention.Why? Because it 'packed a punch.

How To Write A Resume Cover Letter That Will Get Your Resume Read
A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to stimulate the recipient of your resume to review your resume. This free resume cover letter tutorial assumes that you will be sending your resume and resume cover letter by email.