Cover Letter Tips

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Tricky cover letter mistakes to avoid

Your cover letter is like a handshake—it’s how you introduce yourself to employers when you apply for a job. Like a good handshake, you want your cover letter to be sharp, concise, and make a great first impression. Your cover letter isn’t a part of the job application process you want to skimp on, either. A cover letter allows you to go into mo...

Are Cover Letters Still Relevant?

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz Monster Contributing Writer Should you bother writing a cover letter? It’s a question being asked often these days. With the popularity of social profiles and resume scanning, cover letters are under scrutiny. Candidates wonder if it’s worth the effort: maybe their carefully crafted letter won’t get read. Recruiting firms mi...

Tell a Story With Your Cover Letter

By Monster Contributor

By Joe Issid Monster Contributing Writer One of the most mundane aspects of being a recruiter involves poring over dozens of cover letters every week. Somehow, cover letters have evolved into bland summaries of professional highlights mixed in with clichéd claims of expert time-management and organizational prowess. Truth is we have all been guilt...

Eight Tips for Better Email Cover Letters

By Monster Contributor

By Larry Buhl As the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. If you're doing a job search or resume submission via email, the first impression any employer will have is from your cover letter. Some tips for creating successful email cover letters are the same as for paper cover letters: Be professional, wit...

Top 10 Questions About Cover Letters Answered

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz Monster Senior Contributing Writer When you submit a resume in response to an advertised job, are you also including a customized cover letter? If not, you should really think about doing so from now on. Cover letters can improve your chances of getting contacted for an interview. They show how eager you are to work for the speci...

Good Looking Cover Letters

By Monster Contributor

By Heather Boerner Throw away your form letter. These days, getting your cover letter noticed means getting creative. "A good cover letter can be the difference between getting a job and not getting a job," said Gretchen Hirsch, writing coach and author of Talking Your Way to the Top. "How you stand out, how you tell your story, is with cover...

How To Handle Sticky Situations In Your Cover Letter

By Monster Contributor

By Kim Isaacs Monster Resume Expert Are you wondering how to deal with a sticky work history issue? Whether you were laid off from your last position, took time off to raise children or are looking to change careers, the cover letter is the perfect place to address potential red flags. One caveat: Keep the explanation brief. Writing a cover lett...

Avoid These 7 Killer Cover Letter Mistakes

By Monster Contributor

By Peter Vogt Monster Senior Contributing Writer The student's resume was impressive. The formatting was impeccable, the content was excellent, and he did a great job of focusing on accomplishments instead of job duties. If I were an employer, I would have been impressed. Then I looked at his cover letter and imagined the employer tossing tha...

Writing A Good Cover Letter - Do's and Don'ts

By Monster Contributor

By Amanda Frank Monster Contributing Writer Writing a great cover letter doesn’t happen by accident. Somebody takes the time to do their research, thinks of something meaningful and relevant to say in a few well-worded sentences. Somebody conveys this quickly and clearly enough so the HR person sifting through resume clutter puts it in the ‘call...

How to Format Your Cover Letter

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach So much focus is given to Resumes when applying for a job. But the other part of an application that should be included when submitting your response to a posted job is a Cover Letter. Given the mixture of electronic and standard ways to apply for a job these days, it is important to know how to format your cover l...

Cover Letter Etiquette

By Monster Contributor

By Kim Isaacs Monster Resume Expert Job seekers often spend countless hours developing their resumes and then treat their cover letters as an afterthought. This can be a critical mistake; the cover letter can help your resume get noticed. Think of the cover letter as your resume's cheerleading section. To make the best impression, follow these et...

Customize Your Cover Letter to the Ad

By Monster Contributor

By Kim Isaacs Monster resume Expert Found the perfect job through an ad? Before you whisk off your resume and cover letter, study the ad and determine how your qualifications match the employer's requirements. Armed with this information, you can craft a cover letter positioning yourself as the ideal candidate. For example, look at this s...

Cover Letter Opening Statement: What to Avoid

By Monster Contributor

By Kim Isaacs Monster Resume Expert Your cover letter is the first thing employers see when they open your materials. Avoid these 10 mistakes, and make your first impression a good and lasting one. Mistake #1: Overusing "I" Your cover letter is not your autobiography. The focus should be on how you meet an employer's needs, not on your life story. ...

Emailing Cover Letters and Attachments

By Peter Harris, Monster.ca

Monster member Brandi writes: Hi. In my 'travels' on job search sites, I have never found an answer to my (and likely many others') nagging question -- when sending cover letters and resumes electronically, as attachments (when attachments are permitted), what information should be included in the body of the email? Just a note about the attachment...

Cover Letter in Response to a Monster Job Posting

By Monster Contributor

by Kim Isaacs If you see a job posting online and it sounds exquisitely suited to you, you probably feel compelled to submit not only your resume but a customized cover letter, as well. But job seekers often struggle with constructing an effective cover letter. It's important to remember that the cover letter, like the resume, is a marketing tool...

New Beginnings for Your Cover Letter

By Monster Contributor

by Kim Isaacs Cover letter openers are often pretty generic, but they don't have to be. "Most cover letters begin with something like, 'In response to your job advertisement, I'm forwarding my resume for your review and consideration,'" says Abby Locke, speaker, writer and president of Premier Writing Solutions. "Make a stronger first impression...

Cover Letter Refresher Course

By Monster Contributor

by Peter Newfield Your cover letter presents your intentions, qualifications, and availability to a prospective employer in a succinct and appealing format. As your first chance to make a great impression, a personalized letter indicates you are serious about your job search. Your resume can give the nitty-gritty of dates, places of employment and...

Suggested Cover Letter Format

By Monster Contributor

Your address Date Contact person Title Department Employers name Address Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. (Contact Person): First paragraph - introduction (2 - 4 sentences) Establishes the purpose of your letter, attracts attention, and arouses interest. State why you are writing by naming the specific position or type of job. Tell how ...

Career Change Cover Letter Template

This example of a cover letter for a career changer is by Martin Buckland, Resume Expert for Monster.ca. Raha Bonafice 89 River Road - Toronto, Ontario M6N 7P8 - 416-777-8899 - rbona@ispTO.ca March 5, 201X Human Resources Manager Hospital For Sick Children 555 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Dear Sir or Madam: As an am...