Kimberly Sarmiento - The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Résumé Cover Letters: Step-by-Step Instructions

The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Rsum Cover Letters:

Step-by-step Instructions

By Kimberly Sarmiento

The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Rsum Cover Letters: Step-by-step Instructions with Companion CD-ROM

Copyright 2009 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be sent to Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, Florida 34474.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-238-2 ISBN-10: 1-60138-238-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sarmiento, Kimberly, 1975

The complete guide to writing effective rsum cover letters : step by step instructions, with companion CD-ROM / by Kimberly Sarmiento.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-238-2 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-238-3 (alk. paper)

1. Cover letters. 2. Rsums (Employment) I. Title.

HF5383.S265 2009

650.142--dc22

2009014392

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.

Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bears memory to local animal shelters, parks, conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

Douglas and Sherri Brown

PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.

Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:

• Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.
• Support local and no-kill animal shelters.
• Plant a tree to honor someone you love.
• Be a developer put up some birdhouses.
• Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.
• Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.
• Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.
• Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.
• Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.
• If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.
• Support your local farmers market.
• Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.

Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices, such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.

Dedication

For TrishI miss you.

To Ayla and Julian: I love you both!

Table of Contents

Foreword

The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Rsum Cover Letters provides the reader with a step-by-step analysis of cover letter writing and exemplary examples to inspire readers of every profession. Kimberly Sarmiento has written a detailed, yet easy to follow guide that covers nearly every facet in cover letter creation.

With the state of the economy in flux and job opportunities becoming scarce, a powerful and effective cover letter is key in a successful career search. Human resource departments receive hundreds, perhaps thousands, of inquiries regarding their job postings. It is imperative that the cover letter captures the attention of the reader and quickly conveys qualification information.

This book uncovers the tools needed to craft an effective cover letter. It covers everything from the salutation of the cover letter to the keywords used in various industries. In this book, Kimberly Sarmientos instructions will guide you in crafting your cover letter so that it will catch the attention of potential employers, and hopefully move you to the next phase of the job search the interview.

Whether you find writing a difficult chore best avoided or a passion to indulge in, this book offers valuable advice that will make the task of cover letter writing seem easy. No matter where you are in your job search, The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Rsum Cover Letters will be an effective tool for you to use while creating a successful cover letter.

Introduction

How many hands have you shaken in the last week? How about in the last month? Just a few years ago, handshakes, meetings, and face-to-face conversations were the norm when it came to interacting with your fellow human beings. These days, you can converse, collaborate, and even complete a project with another individual without ever meeting them in person. The world has changed a great deal in the last decade. In the early 90s, the