Although, cover letter adds to the wear and tear of job search, yet it gives you another chance to emphasize what you have to contribute to the company or Organization. Hey! Do not give the recruiter a second to entertain thoughts like: But how can this person help us? Though your resume can answer this question, it does so in a ‘rigid’ format. Whereas, the cover letter allows you to answer in your own words and style.
Your cover letter should contain not only your experience; it should also show how and what you can contribute towards the positive growth of the firm.
Example:
Weak: I have good knowledge of web programming and Application development.
Better: Due to my strong knowledge of web programming and Application Development, I will develop a better structured standard compliant, information system infrastructure which will make processing easier thereby saving work time and money.
The cover letter is the only place you can add what you can do for the firm (not just what you can do); exploit it!
Except where it is otherwise mentioned all applications should be submitted with a well written cover letter.
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Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Hot/Fresh Interview Tips
The following Interview Tips will help you:
• Feel more confident
• Prepare intellectually and emotionally
• Know what to wear and what to bring to your interviews
• Learn which questions you should always ask
• Respond to tough, awkward, or illegal questions
• Identify interviewers' hidden agendas
• Use simple techniques to share control with the interviewer
• Meet the four key objectives you need to secure the offer
• Develop strategies for handling salary questions
• Understand essential follow-up techniques
• Feel more confident
• Prepare intellectually and emotionally
• Know what to wear and what to bring to your interviews
• Learn which questions you should always ask
• Respond to tough, awkward, or illegal questions
• Identify interviewers' hidden agendas
• Use simple techniques to share control with the interviewer
• Meet the four key objectives you need to secure the offer
• Develop strategies for handling salary questions
• Understand essential follow-up techniques
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Writing a Cover Letter that Ecitets
So many cover letters bore the readers.Remember, you don't hire yourself and because someone else does, you can't bore that someone into hiring you. Employers often use cover letters to determine whether or not you would be a good fit for the position and for their company.
A cover letter allows you to personalize your resume when it is mailed to prospective employers in response to advertisements or to inquire about possible interviews. The letter's main purpose is to advertise your strengths and assets in a way that would interest employers in interviewing you. Your cover letter MUST excite an employer or recruiter enough to make that person want to drop his sandwich and get you on the phone. Its strength lies in its language and detail, so do your research and take your time. Use a professional tone, but don't be stiff. Be yourself. Take advantage of this opportunity to show off your dynamic personality as well as your skills.
Here are some tips you can use while writing your cover letter:
Addressing your Cover Letter
Start your letter with the date. Skip two lines and write the recruiter's full name, preceded by Mr. or Ms. Address the cover letter to the person who will be receiving it (use their contact information on the posting or contact the employer directly to see who is the hiring manager for the position). If you don't know the recruiter's name, simply list the company name and address and address the letter, "To Whom It May Concern."
Introduce Yourself
State your letter's purpose in the first paragraph. Tell the recruiter which position you're applying for and why it interests you. Briefly list your top qualifications. If you're responding to a job posting, mention where you saw it.
Sell Yourself
The second paragraph is the most important: It's your sell. Summarize your credentials, but don't reiterate your resume. Show what value you can bring to the company instead of what they can offer you. List your most relevant accomplishments from previous jobs, internships or volunteer work and make sure to explain how your educational background, skills, and experiences will add value to their company rather than what the company can do for you. If you're responding to an ad, you have an edge: You already know the job requirements.
Flatter Your Reader
The third paragraph should clarify why you want to work at this particular company. Explain why you and the company are a good fit. Show the recruiter that you've done your research. Mention what you learned about the company or the position by talking to representatives and attending any of their events. This shows the employer that you are sincerely interested in the position and also that you made an effort to learn more about them. Remember, everyone loves flattery, but don't go over the top.
Follow-Up
Your final paragraph should be only a few sentences. Thank the recruiter for reading your letter, then request an interview and provide your phone number. Or, be proactive and state that you'll call in a week to follow-up. Then do it.
Wrap It Up
Two lines below the last paragraph, conclude with "Sincerely,". Three lines below that, type your full name. Don't forget your signature.
Leave a Great Impression
Three lines below the finish, type "Enclosure" (referring to your resume). You'll look professional and detail-oriented.
More tips:
Ø Be brief and to the point; every point should support your application.
Ø Maximum of one page.
Ø Don’t use general cover letters for different companies. Tailor each letter to the company, department and, if possible, specific position. The extra effort pays off.
Ø Check spelling of name & company to ensure there is no error. You can have someone else proof read it for you as ‘Spell Checking’ sometimes omits some errors.
Finally
Be sure to follow up with the employer in 2-3 weeks if you have not heard from them. In your follow-up email, reiterate your interest in the position and ask about the status of your application and if they need any further information from you.
A cover letter allows you to personalize your resume when it is mailed to prospective employers in response to advertisements or to inquire about possible interviews. The letter's main purpose is to advertise your strengths and assets in a way that would interest employers in interviewing you. Your cover letter MUST excite an employer or recruiter enough to make that person want to drop his sandwich and get you on the phone. Its strength lies in its language and detail, so do your research and take your time. Use a professional tone, but don't be stiff. Be yourself. Take advantage of this opportunity to show off your dynamic personality as well as your skills.
Here are some tips you can use while writing your cover letter:
Addressing your Cover Letter
Start your letter with the date. Skip two lines and write the recruiter's full name, preceded by Mr. or Ms. Address the cover letter to the person who will be receiving it (use their contact information on the posting or contact the employer directly to see who is the hiring manager for the position). If you don't know the recruiter's name, simply list the company name and address and address the letter, "To Whom It May Concern."
Introduce Yourself
State your letter's purpose in the first paragraph. Tell the recruiter which position you're applying for and why it interests you. Briefly list your top qualifications. If you're responding to a job posting, mention where you saw it.
Sell Yourself
The second paragraph is the most important: It's your sell. Summarize your credentials, but don't reiterate your resume. Show what value you can bring to the company instead of what they can offer you. List your most relevant accomplishments from previous jobs, internships or volunteer work and make sure to explain how your educational background, skills, and experiences will add value to their company rather than what the company can do for you. If you're responding to an ad, you have an edge: You already know the job requirements.
Flatter Your Reader
The third paragraph should clarify why you want to work at this particular company. Explain why you and the company are a good fit. Show the recruiter that you've done your research. Mention what you learned about the company or the position by talking to representatives and attending any of their events. This shows the employer that you are sincerely interested in the position and also that you made an effort to learn more about them. Remember, everyone loves flattery, but don't go over the top.
Follow-Up
Your final paragraph should be only a few sentences. Thank the recruiter for reading your letter, then request an interview and provide your phone number. Or, be proactive and state that you'll call in a week to follow-up. Then do it.
Wrap It Up
Two lines below the last paragraph, conclude with "Sincerely,". Three lines below that, type your full name. Don't forget your signature.
Leave a Great Impression
Three lines below the finish, type "Enclosure" (referring to your resume). You'll look professional and detail-oriented.
More tips:
Ø Be brief and to the point; every point should support your application.
Ø Maximum of one page.
Ø Don’t use general cover letters for different companies. Tailor each letter to the company, department and, if possible, specific position. The extra effort pays off.
Ø Check spelling of name & company to ensure there is no error. You can have someone else proof read it for you as ‘Spell Checking’ sometimes omits some errors.
Finally
Be sure to follow up with the employer in 2-3 weeks if you have not heard from them. In your follow-up email, reiterate your interest in the position and ask about the status of your application and if they need any further information from you.
Career Advancement
The most important thing to remember about your career today is that you need to be responsible for your own future. Being responsible requires flexible and adaptable career strategies like these:
1. Increase your value to your company by analyzing company goals, priorities, and strategies.
Then figure out how you can make a solid contribution.
2. As soon as you've mastered your current job and feel comfortable with it, ask for a new assignment or take on a new challenge.
Keep setting new goals for yourself.
3. Don't wait for a review to find out how you're doing. Set up a meeting with your supervisor every three months to seek input on how you can improve.
Listen with an open mind by viewing this as a learning experience that can pay big dividends. You are buying yourself time to make needed changes before your review. Soliciting feedback demonstrates that you are receptive to mentoring.
4. Keep a log of the goals you want to achieve and your progress on them.
By the time your review rolls around, you'll have documentation of all your accomplishments.
5. Learn new skills and keep current with technology.
It's time to use the Internet to leverage your career: research occupations, industries, and companies; network with colleagues around the world; identify job openings, and post your resume.
6. Increase your visibility by being active on task forces, in professional organizations, and in your community.
Become a good networker. Make time for people and look for ways to support them. That will make you naturally attractive.
7. Study human nature, personality type, behavioral styles, and how people relate to each other, so you can adapt your style to create winning partnerships.
The way you come across is as important as your performance.
8. Change jobs every 2-5 years. Sometimes lateral moves can do more for your career than a promotion.
Take the entrepreneurial approach and go for the position offering the biggest challenges.
9. Believe in yourself enough to take risks.
If you're not risking, you're not stretching.
10. Be willing to relocate and consider the big picture.
Look at what other opportunities are available in the area, in case the job you're relocating for doesn't pan out. It's much easier and less expensive to do a local search than a distance search, so it may not be smart to move to the land of little opportunity, even for a good job.
1. Increase your value to your company by analyzing company goals, priorities, and strategies.
Then figure out how you can make a solid contribution.
2. As soon as you've mastered your current job and feel comfortable with it, ask for a new assignment or take on a new challenge.
Keep setting new goals for yourself.
3. Don't wait for a review to find out how you're doing. Set up a meeting with your supervisor every three months to seek input on how you can improve.
Listen with an open mind by viewing this as a learning experience that can pay big dividends. You are buying yourself time to make needed changes before your review. Soliciting feedback demonstrates that you are receptive to mentoring.
4. Keep a log of the goals you want to achieve and your progress on them.
By the time your review rolls around, you'll have documentation of all your accomplishments.
5. Learn new skills and keep current with technology.
It's time to use the Internet to leverage your career: research occupations, industries, and companies; network with colleagues around the world; identify job openings, and post your resume.
6. Increase your visibility by being active on task forces, in professional organizations, and in your community.
Become a good networker. Make time for people and look for ways to support them. That will make you naturally attractive.
7. Study human nature, personality type, behavioral styles, and how people relate to each other, so you can adapt your style to create winning partnerships.
The way you come across is as important as your performance.
8. Change jobs every 2-5 years. Sometimes lateral moves can do more for your career than a promotion.
Take the entrepreneurial approach and go for the position offering the biggest challenges.
9. Believe in yourself enough to take risks.
If you're not risking, you're not stretching.
10. Be willing to relocate and consider the big picture.
Look at what other opportunities are available in the area, in case the job you're relocating for doesn't pan out. It's much easier and less expensive to do a local search than a distance search, so it may not be smart to move to the land of little opportunity, even for a good job.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Advancing Your Career
The most important thing to remember about your career today is that you need to be responsible for your own future. Being responsible requires flexible and adaptable career strategies like these:
1. Increase your value to your company by analyzing company goals, priorities, and strategies.
Then figure out how you can make a solid contribution.
2. As soon as you've mastered your current job and feel comfortable with it, ask for a new assignment or take on a new challenge.
Keep setting new goals for yourself.
3. Don't wait for a review to find out how you're doing. Set up a meeting with your supervisor every three months to seek input on how you can improve.
Listen with an open mind by viewing this as a learning experience that can pay big dividends. You are buying yourself time to make needed changes before your review. Soliciting feedback demonstrates that you are receptive to mentoring.
4. Keep a log of the goals you want to achieve and your progress on them.
By the time your review rolls around, you'll have documentation of all your accomplishments.
5. Learn new skills and keep current with technology.
It's time to use the Internet to leverage your career: research occupations, industries, and companies; network with colleagues around the world; identify job openings, and post your resume.
6. Increase your visibility by being active on task forces, in professional organizations, and in your community.
Become a good networker. Make time for people and look for ways to support them. That will make you naturally attractive.
7. Study human nature, personality type, behavioral styles, and how people relate to each other, so you can adapt your style to create winning partnerships.
The way you come across is as important as your performance.
8. Change jobs every 2-5 years. Sometimes lateral moves can do more for your career than a promotion.
Take the entrepreneurial approach and go for the position offering the biggest challenges.
9. Believe in yourself enough to take risks.
If you're not risking, you're not stretching.
10. Be willing to relocate and consider the big picture.
Look at what other opportunities are available in the area, in case the job you're relocating for doesn't pan out. It's much easier and less expensive to do a local search than a distance search, so it may not be smart to move to the land of little opportunity, even for a good job.
1. Increase your value to your company by analyzing company goals, priorities, and strategies.
Then figure out how you can make a solid contribution.
2. As soon as you've mastered your current job and feel comfortable with it, ask for a new assignment or take on a new challenge.
Keep setting new goals for yourself.
3. Don't wait for a review to find out how you're doing. Set up a meeting with your supervisor every three months to seek input on how you can improve.
Listen with an open mind by viewing this as a learning experience that can pay big dividends. You are buying yourself time to make needed changes before your review. Soliciting feedback demonstrates that you are receptive to mentoring.
4. Keep a log of the goals you want to achieve and your progress on them.
By the time your review rolls around, you'll have documentation of all your accomplishments.
5. Learn new skills and keep current with technology.
It's time to use the Internet to leverage your career: research occupations, industries, and companies; network with colleagues around the world; identify job openings, and post your resume.
6. Increase your visibility by being active on task forces, in professional organizations, and in your community.
Become a good networker. Make time for people and look for ways to support them. That will make you naturally attractive.
7. Study human nature, personality type, behavioral styles, and how people relate to each other, so you can adapt your style to create winning partnerships.
The way you come across is as important as your performance.
8. Change jobs every 2-5 years. Sometimes lateral moves can do more for your career than a promotion.
Take the entrepreneurial approach and go for the position offering the biggest challenges.
9. Believe in yourself enough to take risks.
If you're not risking, you're not stretching.
10. Be willing to relocate and consider the big picture.
Look at what other opportunities are available in the area, in case the job you're relocating for doesn't pan out. It's much easier and less expensive to do a local search than a distance search, so it may not be smart to move to the land of little opportunity, even for a good job.
Three Steps to Choosing a Career
Three Steps to Choosing a Career
by Michelle Tullier
A professional wrestler runs for governor of Minnesota and wins. The owner and pastry chef of my neighborhood bakery is a former investment banker. A friend from college who was a computer scientist for seven years now makes her living as a sailboat captain in Seattle.
How did these people get where they are today? Through a combination of luck, confidence and lots of self-awareness. As you contemplate where your own career might take you after college, it's impossible to know what opportunities fate may throw your way. What you can do, however, is identify your interests, talents and values, and then explore occupations that might make good use of them. If you follow the three-step process below, you won't just be sitting back waiting for careers and jobs to land in your lap. You'll be working toward discovering what makes you happy.
Step One
Figure out what makes you tick by asking yourself:
What sparks and holds my interest?
What do I do well?
What kind of personality do I have?
What's really important to me?
Take any career-related tests. Or think of times when you've enjoyed and excelled at a job, internship, class or aspect of your personal life. A great book to help with this process is Do What You Are by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger.
Step Two
Learn about your career options. Rarely do you have the opportunity to take a class in college that shows you what the work world is like. You have to take the initiative to explore it yourself. See if your college's career office has a library of books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed and the salary ranges for various occupations. Your college's career counselors should be able to help. Also, talk to people through informational interviews, and try out careers by shadowing and taking internships or part-time jobs.
Step Three
Sort out your priorities. After you've spent time on steps one and two, some of your strong preferences may start to emerge. You might learn you don't want to be in a corporate environment. That rules out investment banking. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a career, so you cross those types of jobs off your list. Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, you're making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career when the time comes.
Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don't have to live forever with any career decision you make now. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose right after college probably won't be your career 40 or 50 years from now -- unless you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open.
by Michelle Tullier
A professional wrestler runs for governor of Minnesota and wins. The owner and pastry chef of my neighborhood bakery is a former investment banker. A friend from college who was a computer scientist for seven years now makes her living as a sailboat captain in Seattle.
How did these people get where they are today? Through a combination of luck, confidence and lots of self-awareness. As you contemplate where your own career might take you after college, it's impossible to know what opportunities fate may throw your way. What you can do, however, is identify your interests, talents and values, and then explore occupations that might make good use of them. If you follow the three-step process below, you won't just be sitting back waiting for careers and jobs to land in your lap. You'll be working toward discovering what makes you happy.
Step One
Figure out what makes you tick by asking yourself:
What sparks and holds my interest?
What do I do well?
What kind of personality do I have?
What's really important to me?
Take any career-related tests. Or think of times when you've enjoyed and excelled at a job, internship, class or aspect of your personal life. A great book to help with this process is Do What You Are by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger.
Step Two
Learn about your career options. Rarely do you have the opportunity to take a class in college that shows you what the work world is like. You have to take the initiative to explore it yourself. See if your college's career office has a library of books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed and the salary ranges for various occupations. Your college's career counselors should be able to help. Also, talk to people through informational interviews, and try out careers by shadowing and taking internships or part-time jobs.
Step Three
Sort out your priorities. After you've spent time on steps one and two, some of your strong preferences may start to emerge. You might learn you don't want to be in a corporate environment. That rules out investment banking. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn't sustain a career, so you cross those types of jobs off your list. Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, you're making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career when the time comes.
Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don't have to live forever with any career decision you make now. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose right after college probably won't be your career 40 or 50 years from now -- unless you want it to be. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New York to Lead Us Cities in Job Losses
NEW YORK – Only five metropolitan areas in the U.S. will escape job losses this year, according to a forecast released Saturday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
New York is expected to take the biggest hit as thousands of jobs are lost on Wall Street. Big financial firms are slashing workers as they cope with bad debt. Other companies have gone under, like Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in September.
The New York area is expected to lose 181,000 jobs in 2009, the report said. Consulting company IHS Global Insight produced the report for the group.
The Los Angeles area is expected to see 164,000 lost jobs, in part because of the huge drop in home prices that has punctured the California economy.
After New York and Los Angeles, the Miami area is expected to see the greatest loss, with a decline of 85,000 jobs. Chicago and the surrounding area are next, with losses projected at 80,000.
Unemployment is expected to top 10 percent in 70 areas, from already hard-hit cities like Detroit and Cleveland to places that had until recently been prosperous like the Riverside-San Bernardino area in California. Other big cities like Denver and St. Louis are expected to see unemployment rise above 9 percent.
Ithaca, N.Y.; Fairbanks, Alaska; and St. George, Utah, are among the handful of the nation's 363 metropolitan areas expected to see employment remain flat or increase slightly.
New York is expected to take the biggest hit as thousands of jobs are lost on Wall Street. Big financial firms are slashing workers as they cope with bad debt. Other companies have gone under, like Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in September.
The New York area is expected to lose 181,000 jobs in 2009, the report said. Consulting company IHS Global Insight produced the report for the group.
The Los Angeles area is expected to see 164,000 lost jobs, in part because of the huge drop in home prices that has punctured the California economy.
After New York and Los Angeles, the Miami area is expected to see the greatest loss, with a decline of 85,000 jobs. Chicago and the surrounding area are next, with losses projected at 80,000.
Unemployment is expected to top 10 percent in 70 areas, from already hard-hit cities like Detroit and Cleveland to places that had until recently been prosperous like the Riverside-San Bernardino area in California. Other big cities like Denver and St. Louis are expected to see unemployment rise above 9 percent.
Ithaca, N.Y.; Fairbanks, Alaska; and St. George, Utah, are among the handful of the nation's 363 metropolitan areas expected to see employment remain flat or increase slightly.
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