Cover Letter - What should you include IM HIRED

Cover Letter - What should you include Dear Sir/Madam, Id like a job! Regards, Your New Employee Hopefully you had chance to check out my last post Is the Cover Letter Dead?  and if you did then this post might be slightly confusing! As I ended by saying the traditional cover letter wasnt needed and now I am saying what should you include in it? Dont panic I havent back tracked. This is going to be all about what to include in your introduction when sending off your CV to an employer. The introduction is the first thing that the recruiter gets to see when you send off your application and some employers are making judgements at that stage. I know you shouldnt judge a book by its cover but that doesnt really count in the job search unfortunately. Employers are spending seconds on your applications, seconds! So what should you include in that introduction to ensure they stay for a little longer to find out how great you are. Whats it all about? First things first you need to get to the point. Why are you writing to this employer? You need to start off by explaining what job you wish to apply for and where you saw that job advertised. Straight out the gate you are showing the recruiter you arent just pressing apply blindly. You actually want to apply for their role. There is nothing worse than getting an application through that states the wrong job title or company name you need to be checking your application before sending! Why are you interested? Its never enough just to say you want to apply for a job, you need to show your enthusiasm and passion for the role. You need to break it down in to two main sections. Why are you interested in the job and the company. It starts by doing your research. Find out about the company and add a small element of your research in your first paragraph. Whether knowing they are a award winning design company, or they are associated with a particular professional body. Every company wants to know what you know about them and how youll fit with the company culture so make it clear in your cover letter. Secondly, think about what stood out to you in the advert. When you first read the about the role what made you want to apply, did they speak about a great training programme or their fantastic charity work? Again, you are highlighting that you have actually read and researched the role but more importantly you are making the introduction relevant to the recruiter. Why do you fit the role? Although the CV itself should demonstrate your skills, strengths and experiences your cover letter needs to quickly represent why that employer should want to hire you. Its basically a summary of why you fit the specification. Ive mentioned this tip previously but this is where it comes into place perfectly; print out the job advert and start highlighting the employers requirements, then you need to add those keywords into your cover letter. You are basically matching yourself to the job and making it really clear to the employer why they should employ you. Using examples of your experience will also give more depth to why you are the perfect candidate. However, remember no war and peace here, keep it to the point! Tailoring Also known as my favourite subject! Your cover letter should change every time you apply for a job so no copy and pasting here. If you followed the above then it should be impossible to just send off the same template each time. But to make it more unique you can put your researching skills to good use once more. So skip the To whom it may concern or the Sir/ Madam and actually find out the name of the hiring manager. Direct your application straight to them. Firstly, it will mean your CV doesnt get lost on the wrong persons desk and secondly it will show youve gone the extra mile. Put those Facebook stalking skills to good use and get on the company website to see if there is a directory, review the advert for names to connect with or go to Linkedin and find out the name of those in HR or recruitment. It doesnt take as long as you think and it could get you a much quicker response. Essentially you need to summarises yourself in no more than a page, detailing why the employer should keep reading. No one likes generic or rehearsed so be natural, tailored and show you passion for their role. I promise you, you will hear back much quicker if you just spend a little extra time on tailoring your approach.

Resume Writing For Job Seekers

Resume Writing For Job SeekersResume writing for job seekers is important. As a resume can change the chances of an individual obtaining a job, so will job searches itself. Writing a successful resume is what any job seeker does best.So many prospective employers are now searching online for applicants. While it is beneficial to have more information about the applicant (by sending in his resume), it can also increase the burden on the employer. So, a well-written resume should not be neglected.Therefore, it is essential to include your contact details with your quality resume. These details may vary according to the employment market and can vary even from one job to another. For example, those applying for managerial jobs would include a contact number. On the other hand, people applying for data entry positions would be asked to give a personal e-mail address.You can find numerous web sites where you can share your skills, education and experience. As a job seeker, this will help you be more competitive in the market and thus be more competitively selected for the job.Now, if you have not completed your college degrees, it is now becoming a good idea for you to provide some certificates and diplomas. This can also help you appear less suspicious when it comes to interviewing.If you wish to take up a different career path, it is also important to include in your resume with details of your previous jobs. One such job is your previous employment as a professional dancer. This is a fact that may increase your chances of getting employed as a dancer.And, finally, you may have some personal needs that are related to your own career goals. Forexample, if you wish to get married, you can include that in your resume. Similarly, you may also wish to become a parent, it is important that you can include in your resume with details of your previous jobs related to this.