Friday, January 16, 2009

Job Search Series: Cover Letters

In the job search process, the cover letter often plays a crucial role. Following are some of the key functions of the cover letter:

- Introduces you and your resume to the reader/interviewer.

- States upfront which position you are applying for. [Very important. Larger companies are often filling more than one position at any one time.]

- States how you heard about the position. [Especially helpful if you were referred or recommended by a current employee or other known person, or if you are responding to a job listing or to a posted position on their site, on another site such as Monster.com, or comes through a specific agency or recruiter.]

- Highlights some of the key ways in which your skills and experience fit the job description.

- Indicates in some way that you have done your research about this company, position, and field.

- Indicates the level of your interest in this position. [Genuine enthusiasm and a curiosity to learn more about the company and the position are always a plus. The key word here is "genuine".]

- Gives the reader an impression about the level of your professionalism. [Clues: quality of paper used, letterhead design, writing skills - grammar, spelling, composition, organization of content, editing, proofreading]

Earlier in January, Connie was interviewed by a writer at Pongo Resume for an article published January 6, 2009 - 7 Experts Offer Their No. 1 Cover Letter Tip - by Team Pongo. If you are involved in the job search process, be sure to check out this article, and the many other job search blog articles published by Pongo several times a week.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Greeting the New Year

Happy New Year, Dear Readers!

This would be a wonderful time to thank you for visiting our blog at any time since our launch in January of 2006 and to wish you every happiness and success in this new year of 2009.

Every year is a year of change, transition, and possibility - but perhaps this year more so than many. Though economic times may be tough and challenging for some, and though as a country and as a global population we still face challenges of many types, a new year always brings with it hope and the possibility of change for the better.

And in this country, and around the world, part of that hope will be brought to the fore with the inauguration of president-elect Barack Obama at noon on January 20th. In Mr. Obama, we have a leader who is extremely intelligent, thoughtful, perceptive, wise, inclusive, and far-seeing. His leadership already inspires hope and confidence.

To this mix, let us add two other words: patience and perseverance. Let us be patient as President Obama perseveres in finding solutions to our many dilemmas and challenges. Let us be both patient and persevering in pursuing our own goals and dreams and in solving our own dilemmas. And let each one of us be the change we hope to see around us.