Resume & Cover Letter Advise

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you have composed the cover letter of your life. It is outstanding! It contains every iota of information that anyone ever told you to include. The bad news is no one is going to read it.

It’s confusing. These cover letters don't really matter at all and at the same time they are very important. The cover letters are unimportant because they don't contain any information that isn't in either the CV or the job application that it covers. Your address and phone numbers will be on both and it isn't as if you offer any new information in the cover letter. What is required on a cover letter is really “Dear Sir or Madam, enclosed please find my application/CV and I look forward to meeting you so that we can discuss further steps.” It should also contain you address, ID or Social security number and telephone contact numbers.

Your Talisman recruitment consultant will be able to help with all of the finer details of the letter, just as they will with the CV and the other information required on the actual job application. They are an important resource you really do want to make use of. Most of us send out very few such cover letters in a lifetime while they deal with them all day and every day. They will also be able to offer good advice on current styles and wording.

This is where cover letters become important. Styles change over time and you want to make sure that you are completely up to date at the time you're applying. Remember that companies and industries are rather like tribal organizations. The way things are done in marketing is subtly different from the automobile industry, which is different again from the home building industry or high-rise construction.

The style of address on a cover letter, the wording, the spelling of the manager’s and the company’s name and how you end your letter are all important. These are all things that are in a constant state of flux and can be at different stages of change in different industries.

Your Talisman consultant can help you get them right. Your cover letter must show that you are a member of the correct tribe and that you are up to date with everything that’s going on.

From my first days as a writer I was told to be very particular with the cover letters I wrote to editors. No joking, no remarks and keep the tone of the letter professional. And that is what I have done. I treat all other correspondence with editors in the same way.

I write all my letters in Times New Roman font and I go to great pains about the setting out of the page to make the letters as pleasant looking and as readable as possible. I use the Bold and Italic features as little as possible. I leave wide margins so the editor can make notes in them. If I have to add any titles I use Arial bold, which goes well with the Times New Roman and I never use a font larger than 12. I keep my sentences short and to the point.

As to the length of the letter, I try and make it as concise and as articulate as possible. I work on the basis that the editor is always very busy and will only devote a limited amount of time to each letter. So to make sure he or she gets all the way through my letter, it is crisp and to the point. I do my best to write a letter that conveys a little of my personality and a lot about my skills as a writer. After all, if the editor doesn’t like my cover letter, it is unlikely that they will like my article. If I can’t sell myself in 20 lines, I may never be able to sell myself at all.

I never use words and phrases that aren’t found in daily conversation. Just because your letter is professional, it doesn't mean that cannot be ‘user-friendly’. When you read your letter out loud it should be smooth and contain normal language and vocabulary.

Take a ‘less is more’ approach to your cover letter. Choose your font, keep it simple, no more than one page and print with black ink on white paper. You will not attract positive attention by using colored ink or paper. Cover letter writing relies on clarity and not color.

Your letter should include a short paragraph describing your track record in the literary field. You should also include a short summary that states why your work is unique and marketable.

Your may express appreciation to the publisher for the time they spend with your manuscript but don’t overdo this.

The hardest part is patience. It’s going to take time. It can take weeks, months or maybe a year to receive a response from the publisher. Do not call them and ask if they’ve read your letter yet. This will probably decrease your chances of acceptance.

1. How are you looking for a job?
The great majority, about 85%, of people hired, are actually hired through personal contacts who know someone in the company and not through ads. A personal recommendation from someone already on the staff who knows a suitable candidate will usually do the trick. So spread yourself around and keep in touch with all your contacts. One of them may be in the right position to recommend you when a vacancy comes up.

2. Is your job toolbox up to date?
Your job toolbox should contain the latest updated version of your CV which in turn should contain everything that is relevant to the job you are applying for. Your CV should also be up to date in its presentation and appearance. Do not apply for a hi-tech job with a greasy old CV written 20 years ago. Make a new one if necessary. There are many sites on the internet that offer free advice and help.

You toolbox should also contain an updated list of your contacts in the companies which work in your field.

3. Check up on your attitude
Do you arrive at interviews determined to win and get the job or do you shuffle in feeling negative and not sure why you are there at all? Be positive. Feel good about yourself. Deliver a firm handshake. Be confident. Smile. If you have some bad lines on your CV, rehearse your story about them and put it across well. Come armed with good letters of recommendation and a list of your work experience.

4. Be articulate
Express yourself concisely and clearly. Don’t stammer your way through interviews. Try and communicate well and express your thoughts clearly.

5. Look good
Come well dressed and looking good. Make sure all your clothes are clean, that your hair has been cut and that you are shaven. Wear a tie. Do not arrive at your interview in jeans and a tee shirt.

6. Are you up to date?
Are you carrying the latest certifications? Have you passed the latest courses? Is your technical knowledge up to speed? Try and talk to someone in the company before applying and find out what systems they use. Take a quick refresher if you can and if it’s necessary. It might be as simple as upgrading your computer skills.

7 Be passionate about work.
Chase after jobs when you hear about them. They will not come to you. Be relentless in your search. Don’t give up.

8 Downgrade the internet
Stop spending valuable time searching on the internet. You only have a 6% chance of getting hired through a blind ad.

9 Show respect
Show that you have a sense of respect when you are at the interview. Edit your cover letter and resume and make sure they are addressed correctly and easy to read. Spell the company’s name correctly and if there are any names in the letter, make sure they are spelled correctly.