If you want your cover letter noticed, make it personal! This is your opportunity to relay some important personal details related to your professional aspirations and accomplishments which may not be included in your resume. Also, unlike your resume, your cover letter will be written in the first person.

My position in Canada is being eliminated and I am not open to relocate to another global business unit.

I have numerous project accomplishments I wish to share with you.

Make it personal and impressive. Don’t be shy when it comes to bragging about your accomplishments. You did it! These accomplishments must be backed up in your resume and clearly relayed in a detailed and quantifiable manner.

I renegotiated various agreements to keep the project on track and without sacrificing quality.

I conceive and deliver large, high value, high profile solutions.

I have led teams peaking at 100-persons located at various points across the world.

Making it personal is not just about you, you need to assure the reader that you are addressing this cover letter to them and not just anyone who is willing to read it. Do your homework. The effort you put into your cover letter will lend assurance to the reader that you will put that extra effort into your job. Resources are abundant to secure information regarding the performance of most companies or organizations.

I can rectify under-performance and a dysfunctional business unit.

Your organizations CSR initiatives and employee involvement indicate this position to be a perfect cultural fit.

If  you are searching for an innovative and persistent leader able to shift the company positively and competitively forward, please contact me for an interview. I can make a difference!

What is more personal than a name? If you are able to address your cover letter to the individual who will be reading it, you will establish a positive first impression and a personal connection that could present you with your next job opportunity.

A cover letter can be a powerful selling tool if it is professional, personally addressed, contains pertinent information to the company and position and includes highlights of your accomplishments. All are criteria for each type of cover letter. Here are a few more points to ensure your cover letter is a powerful selling tool:

• Format your cover letter consistently with your resume regarding the font type and header
• Include full contact information as found in your resume
• Adjust right and left margins alike and leave consistent white space at top and bottom
• Check for spelling or grammatical errors
• Obtain a contact name and full address for the recipient
• Clearly introduce yourself and the reason you are submitting your resume
• Highlight accomplishments from your resume that are pertinent to the position
• Do not include information that is not available for validation in your resume
• Note information about the company to reinforce your interest and due diligence
• Choose industry/job related keywords that are current
• Advise if you are willing to relocate
• Recheck for spelling or grammatical errors

For further information contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer.

A BNET article, Why I Hired Someone Who Showed Up Uninvited as told to Joseph Conway by Michael Shore, CEO, FLS Energy is an excellent read from the employers perspective on hiring practices. Vision, enthusiasm, resiliency, ethic, gutsy; these were the skills that not only secured the position but led to a key, long term role within the company.

The importance of soft skills should never be underestimated, nor the significance of a cover letter. Your professional resume will list both your hard skills and soft skills but it is your cover letter that provides the ultimate tool to sell your soft skills and many employers are interested in hiring the whole package and not just a degree.

Are you customizing your cover letter to the position you are seeking and selling your soft skills? Contact Elite Resumes to obtain a free critique of your cover letter from an executive career management professional to ensure you secure your next job interview.

A “Direct” cover letter is the type of cover letter used to apply for a specific job posting. Directions on submitting your resume and cover letter will be included with the posting and must be followed to a T. Remember most hiring professionals are looking for a reason to eliminate candidates. Don’t give them one.

Some job postings will divulge the hiring company and some include only the recruiting company. And there are many that are posted by various recruiters as well as the hiring company. Invest the time and effort to fully research the position. Sometimes it’s as simple as a google search for the first “line” of the job description to discover the details. 

Anyone can submit a cover letter and a resume but if you want to position yourself above the competition, do your due diligence in discovering the details and then incorporate the information in your cover letter. Did you uncover a contact name? Is the company renowned for their corporate social responsibility? Have they been awarded a Top 50 employer? What reason do you have for wanting to work for them? If you are responding to a recruiter, does the recruiting company have a well established reputation or maybe an international clientele? Everyone will notice your extra effort and appreciate the acknowledgment or a genuine compliment.

Your cover letter is a selling document as is your resume so sell yourself! Highlight key accomplishments from your resume in your cover letter. Your goal is to impress the reader! You included quantifiable proof of your achievements in your resume, don’t omit it in your cover letter.

Do you have a tag line? Don’t hesitate to keep the readers attention right to the end of your cover letter by adding it as a P.S.,  “My tenacity, diligence and determination will drive your business to new heights. “

Review the entire resume and cover letter and pay attention to detail. Yes, we know the cover letter you are submitting is a template for various job applications as your experience and accomplishments aren’t going to change. But it should not look like a fill in the applicable blanks with job title and date cover letter. Proof the entire document and make the effort to research the company you are applying to and note your enthusiasm about  joining a top 50 best employer. Although your accomplishments don’t change, you may have the option of selecting ones with more relevance to the position. Carefully review the instructions for submitting your cover letter and resume. Who, where, what and when?

Recently I received a cover letter dated June 2nd that should have been dated August 18th and the position that was referenced was spelt wrong. Do you think a decision maker would consider this person as a potential candidate?

Don’t miss out on an opportunity. Pay attention to detail and you will be recognized as a viable candidate throughout your job search.

The recruiter cover letter is perhaps the most general with regards to your talents and skills as you are not applying for a specific job or organization so it is imperative that you sell yourself to the recruiter as a potential candidate for a variety of positions and companies. As with your resume, always concentrate on your accomplishments. If you don’t impress the recruiter you will not get the opportunity to interview with their clients.

A recruiter will most likely be filling positions for more than one client, many of which could be hiring in a variety of locations. Are you willing to relocate? This could be a key factor in a recruiters decision so be sure to include details if you are willing to consider relocating.

Be sure to note that you are interested in current or future search assignments as they may not have something for you today but you do want to be kept on file and be remembered for any future opportunities.

Sell, sell, sell!

“I am an expert! I’m a problem solver! I have an impecable track record for delivering results! Your client will be impressed! Please call me to discuss my further accomplishments, too many to note on my resume.”

Selling yourself is one key point that is common to every type of cover letter.  

Maintaining a consistent and professional name for each of your online profiles is important. Unless you have a very unusual name, it may not be in your best interest to use only one initial with your last name as you could end up lost in a sea of people with the same handle or possibly mistaken for someone with a less than stellar reputation. Consider establishing your online presence using your full name, Harold J Smith, rather than H Smith to differentiate yourself. Eliminate all of the dots and dashes and numbers that are often automatically generated and use your proper name. Most online networking sites give you the option to customize your URL and generate one based on the user name you choose. How does this relate to your resume? A resume written in 2009 must contain your Linkedin address with your contact details.

Also included in your resume is your email address. The question to ask in 2009 is not whether or not you have an email address on your resume, but how old is your email address and is it professional? Today there is no excuse! Email addresses are easily acquired and they’re free. If you haven’t updated yours in years or you’re still using the one you created using a nickname, create a new one that can be used professionally. Recruiters are interested in forward thinking individuals who stay current. An AOL address is perceived as outdated and a Hotmail address lacks professionalism so update your resume with an appropriate email address.

First impressions are key to your success and the contact information you provide on your resume is your first impression on paper, or rather, on the computer! Without an impressive resume it is unlikely you will be given the opportunity for a job interview. If you want to be taken seriously in your pursuit of an executive position and increase your chances of a job interview, submit a professionally written resume with at least one online address and a professional email address.

Not sure if you have a resume that will get your foot in the door? Don’t take any chances! Contact us for a free resume critique today!

You may not be in career transition today but there’s no guarantee that you won’t be next month, next year or the year after that. Here are a few results from Jobvites’ survey:

80% of the companies surveyed are using or planning to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year. 95% of those using social networking sites for recruiting are using Linkedin. Those using Facebook increased from 36% last year to 59% this year. Twitter is now ranked third with 42% of recruiters using it to source candidates.

Since Twitter was not even ranked last year it is evident how quickly an online presence has evolved into a critical  job search tool that rivals that of a resume!

If you wish to succeed in your job search it is imperative to add an online presence in addition to your professional resume and cover letter. According to these survey results, I recommend starting with Linkedin!

The pain cover letter shows you are proactive, someone looking for new challenges and ready to tackle critical business issues and it is an intriguing way of luring a potential employer into calling you for an interview. They will want to know in greater detail what contributions you will make.

You will need to go hunting for these opportunities, staying current with news and business magazines to discover the companies that are experiencing trouble. Then position yourself as the chief problem solver and go in with gusto explaining how you will tackle their dilemma.

The pain cover letter offers another perspective to your job search. It works. Make it work for you!     

Unlike your resume, cover letters are written in the personal pronoun and there are a variety of types, including:

Recruiter – Networking – Direct Mail – Advert – Pain

Click on the following to find an example of a Direct Cover Letter:

For examples of other cover letters,  http://aneliteresume.com/resume-writing/sample-resumes/cover-letters/

Seize the opportunity to exude confidence and sell your skills with an enticing, personalized cover letter. More importantly, don’t forget to ASK FOR THE JOB!