by Gary Swart, oDesk.com
There are thousands of ways to ruin a cover letter. If there's one thing I've learned after seeing hundreds of thousands of job applications in oDesk's marketplace, it's that jobseekers shoot themselves in the foot way too often. Every missed detail of your cover letter gives a hiring manager reason to move to the next candidate in the queue of 50, 80, 100 resumes.
After more than 200,000 contract jobs, the oDesk community has gathered some practical wisdom about what makes a cover letter work. Low-key professionalism goes a lot further than hyperactive salesmanship -- save that for your "American Idol" audition.
Here are six tips for more effective cover letters:
* Keep it short. If your cover letter is as long as this article, cut it by at least two thirds. A personal greeting, a couple sentences summarizing your resume's highlights, and maybe another sentence or two about additional -- and very relevant -- points. End with a polite closing, asking for the interview. Anything else and the reader's eyes glaze over. Just remember that The Gap doesn't put all of their merchandise in the window.
* Follow directions. If you're asked to answer specific questions or include a key word in the email's subject line -- do it! You'd be surprised how many people will, say, separately attach their resume in response to job postings that say "No Attachments!" They're the first to be rejected.
* Never use a canned cover letter. Whether hiring full-timers or freelance contractors, managers can spot "generic" from a mile away. The right couple hundred words will prove you read the entire job post, offer the required skills, and care enough to type a succinct letter.
* Watch your tone. You should sound serious yet relaxed. This is a letter from one professional to another. Don't be funny, wordy, or overly flattering. Helpful, yes -- desperate, no. While you're selling your phenomenal skills, don't come across as arrogant; confident is good, cocky is fatal. You want hiring managers to see that you're here to help them, not to prove you're a divine gift to us mere mortals.
* Easy on the jargon. Use technical terms correctly and cut out the marketing-speak. The buyer won't be impressed by your "forward-looking strategic plans to actualize your proven potential to deliver maximal results that drive customer satisfaction." Contrary to some job-hunting guides, you cannot hypnotize the buyer with "energizing" buzz words.
* Link to examples. Provide links or attachments to relevant work samples as requested. If you've got more online, offer a simple master link, not an obsessive list of URLs to everything you've ever done.
You've worked hard to polish your resume, and you already understand the magic of spell-check and the value of having a friend look it over. But that won't help if your cover letter fails. Make it a concise, effective teaser. If Hollywood can boil a two-hour movie down to a 90-second preview, you can get your cover letter under 300 words and manage to leave your audience wanting more.
Gary Swart is CEO of oDesk, the marketplace for online workteams.
There are thousands of ways to ruin a cover letter. If there's one thing I've learned after seeing hundreds of thousands of job applications in oDesk's marketplace, it's that jobseekers shoot themselves in the foot way too often. Every missed detail of your cover letter gives a hiring manager reason to move to the next candidate in the queue of 50, 80, 100 resumes.
After more than 200,000 contract jobs, the oDesk community has gathered some practical wisdom about what makes a cover letter work. Low-key professionalism goes a lot further than hyperactive salesmanship -- save that for your "American Idol" audition.
Here are six tips for more effective cover letters:
* Keep it short. If your cover letter is as long as this article, cut it by at least two thirds. A personal greeting, a couple sentences summarizing your resume's highlights, and maybe another sentence or two about additional -- and very relevant -- points. End with a polite closing, asking for the interview. Anything else and the reader's eyes glaze over. Just remember that The Gap doesn't put all of their merchandise in the window.
* Follow directions. If you're asked to answer specific questions or include a key word in the email's subject line -- do it! You'd be surprised how many people will, say, separately attach their resume in response to job postings that say "No Attachments!" They're the first to be rejected.
* Never use a canned cover letter. Whether hiring full-timers or freelance contractors, managers can spot "generic" from a mile away. The right couple hundred words will prove you read the entire job post, offer the required skills, and care enough to type a succinct letter.
* Watch your tone. You should sound serious yet relaxed. This is a letter from one professional to another. Don't be funny, wordy, or overly flattering. Helpful, yes -- desperate, no. While you're selling your phenomenal skills, don't come across as arrogant; confident is good, cocky is fatal. You want hiring managers to see that you're here to help them, not to prove you're a divine gift to us mere mortals.
* Easy on the jargon. Use technical terms correctly and cut out the marketing-speak. The buyer won't be impressed by your "forward-looking strategic plans to actualize your proven potential to deliver maximal results that drive customer satisfaction." Contrary to some job-hunting guides, you cannot hypnotize the buyer with "energizing" buzz words.
* Link to examples. Provide links or attachments to relevant work samples as requested. If you've got more online, offer a simple master link, not an obsessive list of URLs to everything you've ever done.
You've worked hard to polish your resume, and you already understand the magic of spell-check and the value of having a friend look it over. But that won't help if your cover letter fails. Make it a concise, effective teaser. If Hollywood can boil a two-hour movie down to a 90-second preview, you can get your cover letter under 300 words and manage to leave your audience wanting more.
Gary Swart is CEO of oDesk, the marketplace for online workteams.
Job Info , Jobs Sources , Career
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar