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Cover Letters: Selling Your Skills on Paper

Learn how to create a compelling cover letter that highlights your skills and increases your chances of getting an interview. Discover the different types of cover letters and get expert tips to make a great impression.

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Cover Letters: Selling Your Skills on Paper

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  1. Cover Letters: Selling your skills on paper The Career Place Connecting Workers and Employers

  2. What is a cover letter? • Your formal introduction • The first read, it can make or break your entry • A ‘must’ with your resume

  3. Generating interest The goal is to get an interview! • Should be brief and interesting • Should not be a carbon copy of your resume • Should highlight what you’ll bring to the job • Should be job specific

  4. Presenting yourself in two ways A cover letter comes in two basic forms… • Letter of interest • Letter of inquiry • Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably; however, they are different

  5. Letter of Interest • Targeted for a specific position • Outline skills to meet company’s needs • Helpful to use position announcement’s terms, lingo

  6. Letter of Inquiry A marketing tool to… • Obtain an informational interview • Correspond with a networking contact • Conduct company/industry research

  7. Create the right impression: 10 Tips 1. Letter geared for specific job opening • Adapt letter to needs of the job you want • Refer to that job in opening sentences 2. Describe your related skills • Tie your experience to your skills • Show how they directly relate to the job description

  8. Create the right impression: 10 Tips 3. Make it personal • Address letter to a specific person • If you don’t have a contact, call and ask • Use a comma after the name 4. Create a catchy opener • Readers scan for content • Open with attention-grabbing sentences • Describe why you’re the best for the job

  9. Create the right impression: 10 Tips 5. Include vital information • Name, address, phone with area code • Should be clearly visible • First thing reader will need to contact you 6. Type and proofread • It’s your first impression…make it good • Be sure it’s neat and professional • Errors will reflect badly on you

  10. Create the right impression: 10 Tips 7. Keep it brief • Use action words, active sentences • Limit letter to one page • Three or four paragraphs 8. Be confident, creative, enthusiastic • It’s a tool to sell your best asset…you! • Let your personality shine in your letter

  11. Create the right impression: 10 Tips 9. Keep copies • Keep a copy of every letter you send • Past letters make job search easier • Copies make follow up easier 10. Request a response • Your letter is written to get an interview • Ask for one!

  12. Interview Skills • 70-80% of interview questions are competency or skills based: • “Describe a time when…” They are open ended and you should be able to provide detailed examples of your experience. Quantify your contributions! Be specific! • What role were you in? • Who was involved? • What did you actually do? • What were the results?

  13. Interview Skills • Ask the interviewer questions: • What do you see as the greatest challenge for this position? • What qualities do you see as most important for this position? • This will help reveal what’s important to the interviewer. • Play off of their answers.

  14. Interview Skills • Most people like to connect with other people. • Avoid generalized answers. • Give answers that will invite the interviewer to think about what you’ve said.

  15. Interview Skills • Make notes immediately after the interview. • What questions did the interviewer ask. • What went well? • What could have gone better? • Did you think of other questions to ask the interviewer after you left?

  16. Interview Follow Up • Email or mail based on the organization. • Thank them. • Reiterate why you are a good fit. • Close by saying you look forward to the next step.

  17. Interview Follow Up • Call • If the interviewer says they will let you know something by Tuesday and it’s now Thursday, give them a call. • Identify yourself and what position you interviewed for • Ask them where they are in the hiring process • Let them know you are still interested in the position

  18. Prepare for the interview • Research the organization • Take a few copies of your resume • Know where you are going • Show up on time • Bring job references if they’ve asked for them • Bring a pen and paper to take notes • Bring a copy of the job posting • Bring a list of questions you may have • Dress appropriately for the job

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