May 21st, 2012
It is preferable to address a cover letter to a specific party when applying for a job. Before sending an anonymous cover letter, attempt to find the name and job title of the hiring manager or human resources personnel member who is reviewing applications. If you are replying to a blind ad or cannot obtain information on the hiring manager, it is important to address your letter in a way that is respectful and accurate.
1Use gender-neutral terms. Do not address to “Dear Sir,” says a job advisor for Quintessential Careers. Instead, use “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Madam or Sir,” if you choose to use gendered terms in your cover letter.
2Avoid vague salutations. According to Boise State University’s career center, salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern” are considered generic and impersonal and should only be used if you cannot ascertain more specific information on the person who will be reviewing your application.
3Address your letter to a specific job title. If you know the title of the individuals to whom you are directing your resume and cover letter, use their title in lieu of a more generic salutation. For example, you may say “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Human Resources Director.”
4Follow all directions listed in the job advertisement. If you are replying to an ad, follow the submission details that it lists exactly as stated. Addressing your application packet wrong or violating the employer’s wishes with regard to phone calls, emails and workplace drop-ins can jeopardize your chances of getting the job.
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May 20th, 2012
Jobseekers and other business professionals often find themselves in a position where sending a cover letter is an appropriate course of action for applying for a specific position or reaching out to make a new business contact. A common problem arises when you do not have the name of the intended recipient of the letter. A good rule of thumb is to place an anonymous call to the company and ask for the name of the person in charge of hiring. It is always best to send a letter to a specific recipient. However, there are times when such an inquiry yields no results and you are left wondering how to address your cover letter.
1For a job, always address a cover letter to “Dear Hiring Manager.” This is the best possible solution when you do not have a specific name for the person who is responsible for receiving and analyzing job applicants’ resumes. This method ensures that your letter will be given to the “hiring manager” or person in charge of making hiring decisions at the company.
2Address a cover letter accompanying business documents or records as “To Whom It May Concern.” This is appropriate in obligatory settings where information must be conferred as part of an agreement or business relationship. An example of the appropriate usage of this greeting is when you are sending requested information to an insurance company, have a complaint about a utility service, or are writing to correct a discrepancy with your bank or credit card provider.
3Address a letter to a group, potential business contact, or a company that you hope to do business with as “Dear Friend” or “Dear Friends.” This greeting is especially appropriate when soliciting donations for a charitable event or attempting to attract new partners for a collaborative project. This greeting is not appropriate for employment-related cover letters.
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May 20th, 2012
You have invested the time to create a detailed resume of your engineering work experience and qualifications. The next step is to compose a cover letter that will complement the resume and offer a good first impression to potential employers.
1Use a standard business letter format. Enter your return address and the date on the top right side of the page. Add the contact person’s name and company address a few lines down on the left side of the page. Use Mr. or Ms. before the recipient’s name.
2Compose the proper salutation. When you know the name of the contact person, write your salutation as "Dear Mr. Smith.” When you don’t know the name of the contact person, write "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Recruiter:”
3Start your introductory paragraph with a statement indicating the job you are applying for and where you saw the job posting. If you are sending a blind resume, you could write, "I am writing to inquire about engineering opportunities at your company." Then include a brief sentence that summarizes your background.
4Utilize the body of your cover letter to highlight skills that relate directly to the advertised position. Include a summary of your engineering specialty. Also add any accomplishments such as product inventions, quality improvements and team leadership.
5Recap your interest in the position and why you are a good candidate in a concluding paragraph. Don’t be shy–ask for an interview. Provide any information that will assist the recruiter in contacting you such as the best times to reach you by phone.
6End the letter with your choice of the following: "Sincerely,” "Regards" or "Yours truly.” Then leave a few blank lines and type your full name.
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May 19th, 2012
A cover letter is an introduction to an employer that entices the employer to take a look at your resume and call you for an interview. The cover letter should be used to highlight and elaborate skills on your resume. Tackle the writing by dividing the letter into three short paragraphs and make sure that it’s no longer than three pages. Whenever possible you should address your letter to the specific person in charge of hiring for the position,
1The first sentence of your cover letter should indicate your interest in a specific position. For example you might say: "I am applying for the Receptionist position posted on your website." Recruiters are often hiring for a number of positions at the same time so you want to ensure that your letter goes in the right pile.
2The first paragraph should explain why you’re a good candidate for the position. Use key words from the job description in your letter. Be honest; don’t state that you’re analytical if that skill is truly not your strongest suit. Lead with your most impressive skills that directly relate to the position.
3Elaborate on accomplishments in your second paragraph. Describe how you increased sales during one quarter or how you found a way to save your company thousands of dollars each year. Highlighting impressive accomplishments, especially those that relate to the position or the work that the company does shows how you would be an asset to the company.
4Finish the letter in a third paragraph by thanking the reader for her time. A good way to end a cover letter is by requesting a time and date to have a meeting to discuss the position.Close with a formal sign-off like "Sincerely." Include your contact information in the final paragraph so that the employer knows how to reach you for an interview.
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May 19th, 2012
The competition for scholarships gets tougher each year with more people going to college. If a student wishes to gain a scholarship, the cover letter is the first thing a scholarship committee will see. There are some basic keys that people often overlook when writing the scholarship letter.
1Determine what the scholarship committee requires from an applicant and include it in the cover letter. For instance, if the committee values community service, then include all volunteer efforts on your part. Remember to not merely list the accomplishments but include something personal about each item.
2Find out the specific person to whom you can address the scholarship cover letter. If possible stay away from the generic salutations like “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern.” Search the scholarship documents, web site or call the committee to ascertain to whom you can address the cover letter to make it more personal.
3Write the body of the cover letter with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity the scholarship will give you. Then make a case of how this scholarship will enable you to help your fellow man and the community as a whole.
4Include at least one line in the cover letter complimenting the scholarship organization and the work that they do. If you can, connect your goals to the ideals and purpose of the scholarship committee or organization.
5Close the scholarship cover letter with a forward looking and enthusiastic statement that thanks the committee, organization or person for their time and effort in reviewing your scholarship application.
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May 19th, 2012
Many workplace experts endorse customizing cover letters–and many insist that you can’t find a job without a customized letter. There are many different ways to customize a cover letter–and here are some tips to help you customize your cover letter.
1Simple Way: Change the name. While a perfectly tailored cover letter is wonderful, sometimes it’s just not in the cards. So while every letter should convey the appropriate message, it should not always have to go too much into detail. Consider simply changing the name in your salutation. If you include the recipient’s address, that would–of course–be changed too, in that case.
2More Detail: Change the introduction. Assuming that most of your cover letters have the same body that explains your skill set, you can change the introductory paragraph (in addition to the name and recipient address) to show more tailoring. For example, you may want to include the title of the job you’re applying for and the name of the company. This is a very useful approach because it lets you tailor your pitch and you will remember that all of the information that needs to be changed is in that first paragraph.
3Tell Them Everything: Use bullets. You can use bullets in any formal cover letter, but some people want to match the job requirements and translate them into bullets showing that they have the experience. Hint: Don’t copy/paste the job requirements. For example, if a job requires that you have 4 to 6 years of experience in the editorial arena, a bullet may read “5+ years of expertise in copywriting and editing. Additional experience as a journalist.”
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May 19th, 2012
Whether you’ve just typed “The End” on your first novel or are dabbling with an outline for a nonfiction title you’ve always wanted to write, sooner or later you’ll need to pique a publisher’s interest in reading it. When you stop to consider that publishing houses receive tens of thousands of unsolicited manuscript inquiries per year, it’s clear to see that only those letters that really hook their interest from the very first sentence are destined to become other than shredded mattter. Here are some tips on how to make your cover letter stand out from the competition.
1Survey appropriate markets for your manuscript or proposal. One of the best ways to do this is to purchase a current copy of “Writer’s Market”, an annual resource directory published by Writer’s Digest Books. This comprehensive directory lists the market needs, submission requirements and contact information for fiction and nonfiction as well as a plethora of listings for trade magazines, agents, and writing competitions.
2Make a list of those publishing houses that would be the most receptive to your particular project. You wouldn’t, for instance, send a cover letter about your sizzling new romance novel to a publisher that is only interested in nonfiction titles related to agriculture, nor would you send your children’s picture book to a house that clearly states “We do not handle children’s picture books”. Many a new author, of course, believes that rules are meant to be broken and will waste valuable time, energy and postage in a scattergun approach to inappropriate markets. The thinking here seems to be that their work is so exceptional that it will cause an editor to say, “Oh wow! Let’s change our entire submission policy to accommodate the genius of this inquiry.” Nope, doesn’t work that way. Likewise, new writers are often dismissive of pesky rules that say such things as “We only read agented submissions”, “We do not accept any email inquiries”, or “Do not submit anything between the months of May and September”. Trust me. They really mean everything they say.
3Identify the appropriate editor or department to which inquiry letters should be sent. These will be listed in “Writer’s Market”. At large publishing houses, for instance, there will be multiple editors listed and the topic areas that they respectively handle. Before you write your letter, however, it’s advisable to call first and confirm that the information is still accurate. What many writers don’t realize is that there is generally a high turnover amongst editorial staff, especially at major houses. By confirming that the correct person is still there, this demonstrates that you have done your homework. Whether your inquiry is via email or formal correspondence (and many editors still prefer the latter), the target reader should not be addressed with familiarity or chumminess. If and when “Bob” invites you to call him by his first name, he should be addressed in correspondence as “Mr.”
4Hook the editor with a question, a provocative statement, a statistic, or even a short excerpt from the book. This will comprise the first paragraph of your cover letter.Example #1:Janet’s boss, Mr. Peevish, warned her that she’d be fired if she was late to work one more time. After missing her train on that fateful Tuesday morning, a part of her wondered whether she should even go into the building at all and endure his usual wrath. Twenty minutes later, she was running for her life amidst a panic-stricken crowd. She glanced back only once at the terrifying devastation of the inferno and knew that there was no way Mr. Peevish could have escaped before the tower fell.Example #2:”It’s just a little push down the stairs,” my mother said, “and Grandpa Ellis won’t hurt you anymore.” It seemed like such a simple idea at the time. Little did I know it was a convenient way for her to get rid of both of us.Immediately following your hook, identify the title of your book and its genre.
5Summarize the plot of your book in the second paragraph. Brevity is paramount since the total length of your cover letter should not exceed one page. The synopsis should identify your key characters, the core conflict, the setting, the timeframe, and the resoution. A lot of writers are reluctant to give away their endings because they assume that a prospective editor will then have no need to read the entire thing if they know how it comes out. It’s actually the opposite that is true. If it’s a well told story, an editor will want to read it and see how the author handles all of the elements therein including the development of character, the handling of dialogue, the pacing, the structure and the originality of the premise. If your book project is nonfiction (for instance, a how-to or self-help title), the second paragraph should briefly describe what the target reader will learn how to accomplish. This can be described in narrative format or as a short list of bullet points.
6Explain your personal or professional qualifications to write this particular book in the third paragraph. This paragraph should also include who you believe the target audience to be for this title, how it compares to similar titles the publishing house has already released, and how you plan to help market the book. This last element is something that more and more publishing houses are looking at since they want authors to take an active role in the book’s promotion. If, for example, you have written a how-to text and just happen to teach workshops across the country on this very subject, there is a defintiive tie-in. Likewise, if you are a zealous blogger, write a weekly/monthly newspaper or magazine column, or have visibility in a particular industry, an editor is going to look more favorably on you than if you simply expect the publisher to do all of the legwork in promoting your new release.
7Conclude with a very short fourth paragraph that identifies the estimated word count of the book and whether the book is completed. For new fiction authors, publishers will have the expectation that the book is already finished. In nonfiction, however, a credible expert can pitch a concept along with an estimated date of completion without having actually finished it. The receptivity to the latter, of course, has a lot to do with the uniqueness of the proposal and whether the writer’s reputation is well known. Beneath your closing paragraph, be sure to include your full contact information. This means address, phone number and email. If you have a website, it’s permissible to include that as well.
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