Andrea Paxton - 201 killer cover letters

SINCE THE FIRST and second editions of our book were published, the world has changed in dramatic ways, many of which have affected the job market and the job search process. The greatest change in the job hunt is that it now takes place almost entirely online. Thanks to the Internet, you can identify your preferred geographic location, industry, organization, and position without leaving your desk. You can network, apply, and even interview online.

In many profound ways, the Internet makes the search far easier. Its equally easy, however, to be lulled into a false complacency that can significantly extend the length of your search and compromise your success. For example, the incredible simplicity of applying for jobs online means that many people apply for jobs they are unqualified to fill, which can swell an applicant pool to an unwieldy size. As a result, truly qualified applicants can be overlooked. To get noticed, to make a genuine impact, the serious candidate has to work harder and smarter, networking more effectively and making contact more strategically and more frequently than ever before.

Do you hate to write? Most people do. But this book makes it easy! And heres why your cover letters are so vital to your success: employers dont want to hire a list of jobs, job responsibilities, dates, degrees, coursework, and affiliations. They want to hire a persona living, breathing human being. Someone with a personality. A humorous coworker or a serious one. A team player or a self-starter. An intuitive thinker or someone who takes direction well. Sure, they want to hire a candidate with the appropriate skills, but theyve got to like that person (you), too. After all, theyll be working with you on a daily basisand the better everyone gets along, the more productive the work will be.

What this means is that you must project your personality, or some aspect of it, from the very first ad you respond to and in the very first letter you write. The reason is that, to make a hiring decision, your next employer is looking for the answers to four vital questions:

Do you have the skills that this job requires?

Will you be compatible with my team?

Are you honest and willing to work, and do you have the right attitude?

Are you a good fit for my organization?

Your resume will answer the first question. Your letters or e-mails, interviews, and references will answer the other three questions. Thus, your jobhunting letters are an essential opportunity to make yourself stand out as a unique and interesting person, someone who an employer would like to meet, interview, hire, and work beside.

To get an edge over your competition, you should not only write, but write often. Why? Most job applicantsyour competitionnever follow up after an interview. Of those who do, many write letters that are so inadequate that they actually impair what might have been a perfectly acceptable candidacy. Furthermore, most job search letters are forgotten after a quick review. What this means is that writing your potential employer at all can put you ahead of other candidates. Writing a strong, impressive letter can put you miles ahead. And writing frequently can give you what advertisers call top-of-mind awareness: it can keep you on your next employers radar no matter how long the hiring decision takes.

Dont despair, there is good news! Writing effectively is not as hard as you think. You dont have to be a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist. You dont have to use eight four-syllable words per paragraph. You dont have to make your correspondence any longer than it needs to be; writing voluminous letters wont guarantee that youll get hired. You only have to make yourself understood. You need to know what you want to say, and you need to say it clearly, accurately, and concisely.

And that is precisely what this book will help you achieve. With this book, and the downloadable content that accompanies it, you hold in your hands a powerful advantage. Because the vast majority of jobhunters will choose not to write cover letters or e-mails, when you do, you will stand out from your competition in an important way. Suddenly, you will get noticed as the one who is thorough, takes the extra step, is not lazy, and strives for what he or she wants. In short,