Let’s bring it down to earth with some helpful tips to help you get noticed. Well written cover letters relay much information such as:
- Communication/Soft skills – Is the cover letter gratuitous rather than enhancing the resume?
- Negotiation skills – just like a good marketing letter, it should have a “call to action”.
- How well do your skills/experience meet the specific job specifications?
- How easily will you will be found on the internet? – It is advantageous to use a professional resume writer who will help you with your cover letters also. Appropriate Keywords well sprinkled will get you noticed.
- What do you say about yourself verses what others have acknowledged about you? – A lot of recruiters will tell you they don’t have time to read the cover letter after all it is what you say about yourself. So feel free to include accomplishments and quotes from your references.
- Links to your public profile – Ask your references if they will be a good reference for you and provide their endorsement on LinkedIn. If they hedge or say no, you have some work to do.
- Flexibility – If you include your resume when you apply online, don’t put the date in the letter, but on the filename or other file property information. Generally it is not the best idea to include the cover letter with the resume when you apply online because you may be type cast for a given role rather than open to opportunities.
- Preparation – Always research the company to place some product or company specific information that indicates you are a great fit for the position. It also indicates interest in the specific company.
- Enthusiasm – Always be enthusiastic about opportunities at the company and about your experience in general. If it comes down to the wire between 2 candidates, they will choose the one that best matches the company goals and culture.
Now Houston, do we have liftoff? Here are some ways to fire up your resume:
- In place of Summary or Qualifications, use stronger headers like Expertise or Accomplishments.
- Instead of action words that everyone uses, like motivated, and driven, use industry keywords.
- Use statistics or your written references’ comments to corroborate the resume information, like awards, certifications, designations, sales quotas achieved/exceeded etc.
- Use the header section to put your name and a brief, powerful description of your interests and skills. Then use the footer section to put your contact information.
- If you are open to many different industries, first evaluate your interests, then search www.indeed.com for these keywords to see if you feel you would like to transition to these careers. If so, get some information on the companies that offer these careers. Research the companies and develop contacts there so you can network directly and through other contacts.
- By scientific research, the first 30 seconds is when people precipitate value from your first impression. So, create powerful 30 second elevator pitches and ice breakers. Set a timer and read the first 30 seconds of your resume. If you don’t like it , re-write it until you do.
- Ask your colleagues to critique your resume and offer suggestions. After all they know your work and can offer perceptive advice.
So what is your direction? What are your pain points? What do you need to know about making your next career move?
