The Do's and Don'ts of Cover Letters

Cover letters are still important, here's why...

I know, I know, I keep saying it. The truth is, I could probably say it a hundred more times and still there would be people who wouldn't believe me. So, here it is again – Cover letters are one of the most important things you can do to make your resume stand out.

When you are looking for a job, it might seem that writing a cover letter is a waste of time and a little bit old fashioned, but the truth is that it still makes you look like a professional who pays attention to the details. A well written cover letter shows that you are classy, which is always a good thing.

If you have been hesitant to include a cover letter every time you send in a copy of your resume, either because you weren't sure how or felt that they weren't important, here are the do's and don'ts of cover letters:

Do:

• Include a cover letter every time – You are asking someone to give you a job that will, hopefully, pay you enough money to support yourself. Isn't that at least worth writing a brief note? If you were working at a job and had to send a project or proposal to a client, you would probably at least include a short note. Applying for a job is no different.
  
  
• Write a new letter for each job – No one likes form letters. Well, except for my Grandfather, but I think that he just doesn't realize that the junk mail he gets aren't actual letters that need a reply. But, aside from him, most people can tell the difference between a letter that was written for them and a copy/paste form letter. Form letters make you look lazy and show that you don't mind sacrificing quality for speed. These aren't traits you want to advertise. Instead, write a new letter for each job you apply for.
  
  
• Answer questions – If you think your resume could raise questions, answer them in the cover letter. For example, if you are applying for a job in a different state or geographic area, mention that you are moving to the area or if you are taking a step down, address that briefly as well.
  
  
• Keep it short – A good cover letter should be one page, with three paragraphs. You don't even have to fill the entire page. The cover letter is just a brief introduction that lets an employer know why they should take a look at your resume.
  
  
• Mention the job you are applying for – Always mention the job title you are applying for and where you heard about the opening. This will reinforce the fact that you wrote the cover letter just for this particular job.

Don'ts:

• Don't use an out of date greeting - “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sirs” isn't appropriate any longer. The former is too formal while the latter is making a risky assumption that the hiring manager or managers are men, which is a mistake that could cost you the job. Instead, why not opt for “Good Morning,” or “Hello”.
  
  
• Don't use technical language – The recruiter or hiring manager might not be familiar with acronyms or other jargon. Instead, use a conversational tone and words that anyone can understand.
  
  
• Don't make it too long – Anything more than a page is overkill. If you feel that you need to write a great deal to compensate for your resume, then fix the resume. Keep the cover letter brief.
  
  
• Don't forget to proofread – Nothing looks quite as bad as several errors on a cover letter. Take the extra time to read over what you've written a few times and be sure it is all correct and easy to read.

Cover letters can be a snap, the trick is to not overthink them. They are just a short note to introduce yourself and give the hiring manager an idea about who you are and why they should read your resume.

Do you send a cover letter every time? Why or why not?

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Are They Even Reading My Resume? 5 Reasons Resumes End Up In The Trash

If you are going to take the time to apply for a job, make sure that your resume doesn't end up in the trash can.

When you are looking for a new job, one of the most frustrating things is sending in resume after resume, and not hearing anything back from any of the companies you applied with. It has happened to me more times than I care to remember. It feels like I'm emailing cover letters and resumes to a black hole, because I don't hear anything back.

With the tough job market, not only are you having to compete against a large pool of candidates but employers and recruiters are being overwhelmed by the sheer number of applicants for every job opening.

For them, the goal is to find the best qualified person at the best price. In order to achieve that goal in the most effective way, they have to sort through the stack of resumes they've received and toss out the ones that don't look promising.

It might sound cruel and while there is a chance that they could be throwing out several diamonds in the rough, the truth is that they just don't have the time to go through all of them.

In order to keep your resume from being overlooked, here are 5 of the most common reasons why a resume ends up in the trash:

1. No subject line – Especially if you are submitting your resume to a recruiter, it's important to reference the job title in the subject line of your email. Recruiters are generally very busy people and have several job searches going on at the same time. If they can't tell which job you are applying for, they can't do anything with your resume.
   
   
2. You didn't include a cover letter – Cover letters are really important. No matter what you may hear or read, they are always worth the effort. Maybe you don't have to have one, but they certainly don't hurt. They take a little bit of time, but when you are asking someone to give you a job, it's worth the extra work.
   
   
3. Your cover letter is too long – Think short and sweet here. You don't need a two page cover letter. The ideal cover letter is 3 paragraphs long. The first paragraph is a brief introduction, the second says why you think you are a good fit and touches on your qualifications and the third simply closes the letter.
   
   
4. You don't live near the job – If you don't live within a reasonable commuting distance from the job, you probably won't be considered for it. If you are planning to move to a new town and are applying for jobs before you move, include that information in your cover letter. Just a quick sentence that gives the employer an idea of when you are moving can make a huge difference. Otherwise, they probably won't even read your resume.
   
   
5. Your resume is hard to understand – If they have to think too hard to figure out what you are trying to say in your resume, they will probably just toss it. If you are having trouble making your resume easy to read, then get help. Professional resume writers can make a big difference.

Don't let your resume end up being deleted or thrown away without being read. Before you apply for another job, make sure that you are giving yourself the best chance to shine.

If you are a hiring manager, what other things can cause you to throw out a resume without even reading it? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Job Search 101 - Only Apply For Jobs That Are Right For You

Looking for a job can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like it is just too hard, there is too much to do and when you aren't getting responses as quickly as you like, it is easy to lose hope and start to become frustrated.

They say that to make a task easier, you have to break it down into small steps. So, let's keep breaking down the job search steps, to make sure that you have all of your bases covered:

Only apply for jobs that are right for you – There seems to be this unshakeable belief that is held by many job seekers that if you spread your resume out you have a better likelihood of getting a positive response. This is not the most effective way to find a job, and certainly isn't a good way to find a job that you would honestly love to do.

Using this approach is similar to a man going to a club and asking each woman there to marry him, until someone accepted. Sure, he would end up with a wife, but you have to wonder, what kind of woman would marry a man without caring if he was right for her? Applying for jobs that you don't want or that aren't right for you, just serves to give you less time to put real thought into writing a cover letter and tailoring your resume for the jobs you really want. You know, the ones you are actually qualified for!

When you take the time to really think about your skills and experience, and the research to find out where the next step in your career is, you will have a better idea of how to market yourself and know where to focus you efforts. With a goal in mind, the other steps will become much easier.

Even though it is common to think that you just want a job, any job, and that keeping your options open will prevent you from ruling anything out, the truth is, keeping the options open means less resources for each prospect. If you aren't sure what job you are looking for, at least narrow it down to two or three job titles. You can customize your resume and your search strategy for these select titles and raise your chances of success.

Just remember, all you need is just one good break. There are no awards for prolific resume sending. So, devote your energy into finding that one break that will get you where you want to be.

Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Job Search 101 - Tune Up Your Resume

There's no doubt about it, looking for a job is stressful. In fact, many people can quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the process and as a result, they put off doing the things that they know they should be doing in order to find a new position. For many people, feeling like a task is too complicated mixed with a simple fear of failure, causes them to procrastinate and not be as effective as they could be.

The easiest way to overcome those feelings is to break down the large task and turn it into a series of small steps. The steps themselves are much easier to accomplish and it is always easier to convince yourself to “just do it”, when the job doesn't feel so big.

To make things a little easier, let's break it down into small steps, so that you can cover your bases:

• Tune-up your resume – It might take a little time, but do what you can to make it clear, concise and easy to understand. If you think that you need a little bit of help in making your resume the best it can be, consider using a resume writing service, like the one offered at Beyond.com. Or, if you are more of a do-it-yourself sort of person, read some of our past blogs filled with resume tips.
  
  
  Make your resume the best document you possibly can. This may mean writing and editing it, then putting it away for a day or two, then coming back to it with fresh eyes. This document is going to be your first impression and you best shot at getting an interview. Once you have your resume fine-tuned and you are happy with the information it contains, you aren't quite done yet. Using your resume as a guide, you need to create an internet friendly copy to be posted online to job boards and your Linkedin profile.
  
  
  The main things you want to change in order to make your resume ready for the internet is to remove your personal information. Your full physical address, your phone number and even the contact information of your previous employers should be removed. If you have been in the workforce for a long time, you will probably want to trim down your previous work experience to just the past 3 or 4 most relevant jobs.Think of your online resume as an advertisement.
  
  
  When companies search through the posted resumes, they are looking for qualified candidates to find out more about. Typically, an interested company will look at your posted resume, and if they are interested, they will ask you for a copy of your actual resume. Even though you want to be accessible to companies who are searching for new applicants, you don't want to have your personal information out there where it is easy for people with bad intentions to get to it.
  
  
  Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.
  
  
  Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com
  
  
  By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
  
  

Tips For Getting Back Into The Job Market

Many people who are finding themselves back in the job hunt, are people who have been working for the same company for a decade or longer. Re-entering the job market can be really, really hard. And the tried and true ways of finding a job no longer apply. So much has changed in the last 5-10 years, that it can feel like finding your way in a whole new world.

So, here is a helpful guide to the ways the job search process has changed over the past 5-10 years.

• Don't count on a resume to get a job- It used to be customary for a job seeker to print out many copies of their resume along with a cover letter to any company they thought would be a good fit. Then, the hiring manager for that company would look over the resume and give the applicant a call to schedule an interview. This doesn't work anymore. Blindly mailing out copies of your resume hardly ever gets you a job. It is a waste of time and energy.
  
  
• A resume is no longer a summary of your work experience and education history- Employers are not interested in reading through a detailed list of every job you have ever held. They want to know who you are, what you know and what you can do for their company today. Where you worked 10 years ago really isn't very important. Resumes now should be an advertisement including your relevant work experience and education. Emphasis your recent accomplishments and training.
  
  
• Don't expect to hear back from the company- Unless they are planning to ask you to come in for an interview. Occasionally, you may receive a form email saying that the position is filled, but don't count on it. Expect to apply for jobs and never hear anything back.
  
  
• Resumes have to be digital- 99% of jobs applications are going to be online. Because of this, your resume needs to be in a digital format. Having a typewritten, paper copy is not going to do the job. The best bet is to just start over using a computer word processing program. Make sure that you add keywords to your resume to make it stand out to employers. A digital, scanner friendly resume is invaluable to your job search.
  
  
• Computer literacy is a must- If you aren't comfortable with using a computer, find a friend or relative to give you a crash course. Almost any employer is looking for employees that are familiar with using a computer to at least access the internet and email.
  
  
• Your experience matters less than you think- It used to be that employers were looking for the most experienced, most highly trained employees they can afford. Not any longer. Employers are looking for dynamic people who can make a difference for their company today. They aren't very interested in what you did back in the day. To impress them, show them what you bring to the table and how you can help their company rather than trying to impress them with your years of experience.

• Develop a social network- If you don't have one already, sign up for an account on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. Play around with them and figure out how to use them. Ask your friends or family member to help you out. Developing a strong online presence is very important. You can use your social network to find out about job openings and get recommendations from friends.
  
  
• Many interviewer and hiring managers may be younger than you- Often, recruiters and hiring managers are people who are fresh out of college, or have only been working in a professional capacity for a few years. You are going to have to get used to it. If you don't want to be judged by your age, don't do it to them. It is easy to talk down to people younger than you without even realizing it, so be careful.

Getting back into the job market is hard, but it can be very rewarding to. Don't get discouraged. Changing is just a part of growing, it is uncomfortable and can hurt a little, but it's worth it.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Take a look at PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

The Laid-Off Life: The Waiting Game

"How much of human life is lost in waiting." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sigh. I’m bored. Why don’t you come join me? I’m waiting. Seems like when you’re living the laid-off life, you do a lot of waiting. Waiting for the worms. Waiting for Godot. Waiting for Guffman. Waiting for the world to change. Waiting for the sun.

Waiting.

I had (yet another) interview yesterday. With a big company. As far as I can tell, I’m getting pretty good at this interview thing, which is like being good at surviving a plane crash or winning divorce settlements: good skills to have, but ones you wish you didn’t have to utilize in the first place. I know how to do all the right things like arrive at the right time or dress professionally or ask the right questions at the end. I know how to be engaging and sound knowledgeable and explain that my last job gave me the skills to be perfect at this one. But as anyone looking for employment in 2010 knows, that’s not enough. There’s luck and good timing and quantitative method and did I mention luck? And there’s waiting. The interview lasted a good (in both the descriptive and pejorative senses) two hours. I did the proper following-up via email, and made sure the interviewer (thankfully the department head and not an HR person) was fully aware of my great interest in the position. And now?

Waiting.

Rarely in life is waiting a good thing. What do people wait for? The principal while sitting outside his office. Lab results. Lines to move. Traffic lights to change. Orders to march on insurgents in Fallujah. For the operator on hold. Mandatory gun purchase periods. The oven to preheat. Pregnancy test results. Aliens from Uranus to attack. And to hear about whether or not you got the job. What makes waiting worse is when there’s nothing you can do to speed up the process or even monitor the process. There’s no 'your wait time from this point is 45 minutes' or 'there are 28 callers ahead of you'. There’s just wait.

A wise person once said that waiting is patience, but passive patience is laziness. So, I’m actively waiting. And if you are in the same situation, I suggest you try to do the same thing. They pay me to write this column and talk about the exciting things in my life like waiting, but it is also therapeutic. There’s a reason people blog or write in journals or Facebook update. It feels good to get your thoughts down on paper or screen or email. And I suppose that’s why people write memoirs and autobiographical movies and songs about heartbreak. Because it’s restorative release. I can also imagine that lack of release attributes to violent behavior like road rage and going ConAgra, as we used to say in the Midwest. And no one wants that (although they do provide you with steady work in prison). So, my minions, you are my collective therapists, my anonymous support group.

So I say to you: do the same thing. When you’re waiting, do something constructive. Can I suggest writing about it? A Google search for "unemployment blogs" returns six million results (in 0.15 seconds: how amazing is Google? Why can’t I work there?). That’s a lot of people in the Internet ether talking, discussing, blogging, releasing about being out-of-work. They’re so easy to create, it’s ridiculous. Sites like Blogger and WordPress are turnkey and simple. I can’t guarantee people will actually read what you write; I once had a radio DJ gig where I offered my car to anyone who’d just call in, but clearly no one was listening. But I don’t see the audience as the point as much as the broadcast itself. The point is to get down in writing how you’re feeling. Trust me, it will make you feel better.

And during the waiting period, keep doing the research you (hopefully) started before your interview. It will not hurt, and when (not if; keep up the positive vibes) you’re called back in for a second interview, or even just contacted by the hiring manager, you’ll be well, and even more, prepared. Research things that came up in the interview, about the company, the position, and the interviewer. Go over the interview in your head and see if there’s anything relevant you hadn’t discussed or answered that needs following-up on. It is never detrimental to be over-prepared, but it can be deadly to be under-prepared. And, in general, if you don’t get the job, you will have future interviews, so give yourself a postmortem on your performance. What did you do well in the interview? What can you improve on? What preparation do you need to do differently next time? Do you need to buy a new tie?

While you were interviewing, you undoubtedly learned more about the company, and about the people that work there. Possibly even met a few. Find them on LinkedIn. See if you share groups. Look them up on Google. Use your social-networking savvy to get opinions on the company and its employees. Find some dirt on the hiring manager and blackmail them. (No, really don’t do that.) If you can locate someone at the company, possibly in the department in which you are interviewing, email them. Ask them lingering questions you have about the company and its culture. Maybe finagle a phone number that circumvents the auto-attendant/voice-mail nightmare. Strike up an acquaintanceship. If you’re lucky (or persistent), they can even put in a good word for you. Or let you know about other opportunities in the company. Or even steer you away from the company if they have had bad experiences. And see if anyone there shares your alma mater; that’s always a good 'in'. At Syracuse, we called it 'The Newhouse Mafia'.

Of course, while you’re waiting to hear back, your life, your laid-off life, goes on. Don’t stop looking for more work. Interviews, for some reason, come in bunches. When you get one, there’s usually another or more in the offing. So stay the course, keep doing what you feel you’re accomplishing well and change those that need improvement. And while you’re waiting to hear back about that awesome interview you had, stay active. Follow up at appropriate intervals, don’t let them forget you, and make sure they know you haven’t forgotten about them. Hiring managers want to know you’re serious about wanting the job. Long haired freaky people need not apply. But the waiting is inevitable. Be patient, don’t panic, give it time, and stay productive. Or at least occupied. Remember your post-first-date behavior. And keep researching and applying for more jobs while you wait. Because one day, the waiting will stop.

So, friends, thank you for allowing me this outlet to tell you about the trials and troubles of my search for full-time employment. It keeps me sane(r) and focused. Not everyone gets a gig that pays you to keep a diary, but if you have the means, I highly suggest picking one up. But my biggest wish for myself is to no longer have this column. Maybe they’ll pay me to write 'The Newly-Employed Life' (hint hint, editors).

In the meantime, I wait. Let’s hope that you people and getting this job aren’t the only things keeping me from going all ConAgra on you.


Michael Hochman
LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ Laid-Off Life on Twitter ◙ Laid-Off Life on Facebook

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 12 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an "involuntary career sabbatical". A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??

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"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called everybody, and they meet at the bar." - Drew Carey

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

There is doubt about the value of having and maintaining a strong and current LinkedIn profile and network. Finding ways to increase your network and cultivate great business contacts is one of the best ways to make yourself attractive to recruiters. Recruiters used LinkedIn aggressively, in fact, a recent Jobvite 2010 social media report, found that LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media sites for recruiters with 75% of respondents saying that they use LinkedIn regularly to look for new talent.

In an earlier post here on PhillyJobs, I talked a bit about using LinkedIn groups to find your next position. But once you have your profile set up, there are ways to make sure that you are using it to your best advantage and ways to maximize your presence on the network.

Here are some tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile.

• Make your profile as important as your resume- Don't think of your Linkedin profile as an informal resume, but rather be sure to keep it current and updated whenever you update your resume. Be sure to use action verbs and keywords as well. By keeping it current and using keywords you will be more accessible to recruiters that are searching profiles to find matching candidates.

• Getting Recommendations and References- One of the key things you can do to make your profile more appealing to a recruiter is to have great recommendations and references. You want to have both character references and professional references. Make sure that you have several of each, but don't overdo it. Don't be afraid to ask for recommendations from people that you have worked with in the past and past professors etc.. Remember to thank them for the reference and offer to reciprocate if you think it would be useful to them.

• Make connections- Don't be afraid to ask people for a connection and don't refuse a connection unless you have good reason. Sometimes it helps to look at a friend's connections and find people on their lists that may be good contacts for you. Never underestimate the power of “a friend of a friend”.

• Use you LinkedIn account for research- Before your next interview, take the time to look up the company or the hiring manager that you have an appointment with on LinkedIn. Read over their profile and get a feel for who they are and what they are looking for. It can set you apart from other candidates if you are able to come to the interview armed with information about the company, the position and/or the interviewer. This isn't invading their space, because you can be sure that the interviewer will have looked over your profile before the interview as well.

Think about LinkedIn networking the same way as you would think about your personal network. Many of us have found jobs when we were just starting out by someone's mom knowing someone that knew someone that was hiring. This is exactly the same thing. Putting yourself out there can be difficult, but the rewards are worth it. By optimizing your LinkedIn profile it raises the odds of finding a new job that fits your skills and talents. And isn't that what we are all looking for?

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several websites and other publications, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.

10 Mind-Blowingly Creative Resumes

I was recently looking around the internet for ideas to spice up my resume format and found some amazingly creative resumes. While I am not sure if the over the top graphic design resumes are the right choice for many of us, it is certainly a way to stand out from the crowd. When you are looking for a position in a creative field such as Web Design, Graphic Design and even Copyrighting, making your resume into your own work of art can show off you talents and abilities, working as a mini-portfolio as well as giving your job experience and training.

So I scoured the internet to bring to you the top ten most creative resumes.

1. Joe Kelso

2. Anna Yenina

3. David Young

4. Crista Watson

5. Omondi Abudho

6. Ellen Ternes

7. Fresh83

8. Jane Doe

9. Kate Nadolski

10. Greg Dizzia

By Melissa Kennedy- a freelance writer that has contributed to various websites and e-zines. A volunteer, full time mom and active job seeker.