- Keep to only one page
- The cover letter should not be longer than one page, otherwise the interviewer will lose interest.
- Maximum five paragraphs only.
- Use simple words.
- Address the letter to the Human Resource Manager by name, if possible, followed by company name and address
- Do not write Dear Sir/Madam, Gentlemen, Sirs, Mr President, or To Whom It May Concern.
- If you do not know, find out beforehand. Do not spell the person’s name wrongly.
- Layout
- The Opening – Include your full name, address, date, employer’s designation and company address, correct salutation and subject.
- Introduction – Indicate position applied for, branch/state position available (if applicable), source and date of job information. Briefly mention your qualifications.
- Sales Pitch – Highlight to what extent you match the job requirements. Summarize your education, experience, capabilities and skills. Mention your interest in the company and the reason you are applying for that particular position.
- Request for further action – Write that you look forward to receive their call for an interview. State your availability to attend interviews. End by thanking the person for his/her time and consideration.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
How To Write a Cover Letter
Job Seekers: Why You Should Include Your LinkedIn Profile Link in Your Email Signature
A reader recently asked if it was really beneficial to include her LinkedIn profile public profile link in her email signature. I responded that I have found it very beneficial in two measurable ways:
1) I click the "Who's viewed my profile" link on my LinkedIn home page to determine if someone from a target company has viewed my profile. Since I've included it in my email signature, I definitely get more LinkedIn profile views (although LinkedIn does not allow you to view them all unless you pay to upgrade your account).
2) I added my resume (without my home address for security reasons) and list of recommendations to my profile using the free Box.net application and presentations to my profile using the SlideShare application ... so every time someone downloads these documents from my profile ... I get an email notice. This notice doesn't always tell me who downloaded the document, but by reviewing "Who's viewed my profile" during that time frame, I can usually narrow down which company accessed this information about me. Having that foreknowledge is sort of exciting because if your profile is good and your support materials are solid ... you'll probably get a call soon after from that company!
Most importantly, showing that you are on LinkedIn and that you know how to include your public profile link on your email signature shows people you "get" social networking ... and that knowledge is a necessity in this day and age.
How to add your LinkedIn profile hyperlink to your email signature:
1) In your email program, open the email signature editor window (it can usually be found within Options, then Email or Mail Options). Type the words My LinkedIn profile in the signature editor box under your name, phone number, and email address.
2) Open LinkedIn, and then click on your profile.
3) Click the url from the middle of your profile box where it says "Public Profile". When your public profile comes up, highlight and then copy the url from the browser window. (Control c)
4) Highlight My LinkedIn profile in your email signature. Click the hyperlink button. When the hyperlink box pops up, paste your profile link (url) into the box (Control v). Click save. You may have to temporarily allow pop-ups (by right clicking the yellow box at the top of your web browser) to complete this process.
5) Save your email signature changes. Your my Linked profile link should now appear in your email signature whenever you send a message.
1) I click the "Who's viewed my profile" link on my LinkedIn home page to determine if someone from a target company has viewed my profile. Since I've included it in my email signature, I definitely get more LinkedIn profile views (although LinkedIn does not allow you to view them all unless you pay to upgrade your account).
2) I added my resume (without my home address for security reasons) and list of recommendations to my profile using the free Box.net application and presentations to my profile using the SlideShare application ... so every time someone downloads these documents from my profile ... I get an email notice. This notice doesn't always tell me who downloaded the document, but by reviewing "Who's viewed my profile" during that time frame, I can usually narrow down which company accessed this information about me. Having that foreknowledge is sort of exciting because if your profile is good and your support materials are solid ... you'll probably get a call soon after from that company!
Most importantly, showing that you are on LinkedIn and that you know how to include your public profile link on your email signature shows people you "get" social networking ... and that knowledge is a necessity in this day and age.
How to add your LinkedIn profile hyperlink to your email signature:
1) In your email program, open the email signature editor window (it can usually be found within Options, then Email or Mail Options). Type the words My LinkedIn profile in the signature editor box under your name, phone number, and email address.
2) Open LinkedIn, and then click on your profile.
3) Click the url from the middle of your profile box where it says "Public Profile". When your public profile comes up, highlight and then copy the url from the browser window. (Control c)
4) Highlight My LinkedIn profile in your email signature. Click the hyperlink button. When the hyperlink box pops up, paste your profile link (url) into the box (Control v). Click save. You may have to temporarily allow pop-ups (by right clicking the yellow box at the top of your web browser) to complete this process.
5) Save your email signature changes. Your my Linked profile link should now appear in your email signature whenever you send a message.
How to ask a LinkedIn connection to introduce you to a hiring company. Tip #1: DON’T just send an introduction request
The LinkedIn introduction feature is a great weapon in your job search arsenal, but like any weapon, it should be handled carefully lest it backfire.
How LinkedIn introductions work
Through the LinkedIn introduction feature, you can send a request to a LinkedIn friend (connection) to ask him or her to introduce you to one of his/her LinkedIn friends (a 2nd degree connection from you), or even to be introduced to a friend of that person’s friend (a 3rd degree connection from you). This can be a great way to make contact with a person within a target company where you want to work, but should be done strategically and diplomatically.
First, do your homework
1) Look through all of your LinkedIn connections. Click on their connections link and scan their connections. Observe if they are connected to people who work in companies where you would like to work. While you are doing this research, invite connections of theirs (who are mutual friends of yours) to connect on LinkedIn to build your network.
2) Type the name of the company in the “Search People” box to learn of people who either work at the company now or who used to work for the company. Note what degree connection they are to you and/or whether they are members of the same LinkedIn group as you.
3) Determine which people have titles that could be most relevant to the position you seek. For example, you may want to be introduced to the person who is the likely hiring manager for the position, or to a recruiter or HR professional. Frankly, I had better luck connecting with executives or hiring managers than to recruiters (who are often jaded to all job seeker tricks), but you may have a different experience.
4) After you determine what person you want to reach, consider who your first degree contact is who can introduce you to the person. For example, if you want to be introduced to a 2nd degree connection, say, Becky Barnes, HR Manager at Mega Corp., consider if your 1st person connection, Lester Milktoast, is the right person to make the introduction. Is he a reputable, respected person? Is he someone who will follow through with such a request? Does he believe in your abilities enough to recommend you as he passes on your introduction?
5) If you are in a LinkedIn group with the person to whom you want to be introduced, you don’t have to go through a first degree connection to make his or her acquaintance. Just click on 'Send a message' from their profile and contact them directly.
Prepare your first degree connection
If you have many first degree connections like I do, you may not know them well enough to feel comfortable asking them to introduce you to another complete stranger. In this instance, don’t give up, but do think smart. Before you send the introduction request, send a LinkedIn message to prepare your first degree connection and/or to get his/her valuable insight.
Write something like, Lester, I notice you are a first degree connection to Becky Barnes at Mega Corp. I really want to work there. Would you be comfortable if I were to send you a request to be introduced to her? Any information you can pass along about Becky or Mega Corp., or any good word you can put in for me to Becky or other people who might be hiring, would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for a position as a (TITLE). If you know of any leads in my field, I’d be so thankful! If you’d like, I can email you my resume so you can speak knowledgeably about me to Becky. Let me know your email address so I can send it to you. Thanks for your help.
Don’t abuse your relationship with your first degree connections by sending them too many introduction requests. Rather establish a relationship with them where you can be of help to them in some way. Let them know how their help benefitted you and thank them for their assistance.
Third degree might be a degree too far
If the person you want to reach is a 2nd degree connection from your LinkedIn friend (your 3rd degree connection), realize that your friend likely does not know that person any better than you do (the person is their friend’s friend, not his/hers). So while it’s possible to do a 3rd degree introduction, it may not be an effective interaction. In this scenario, it might be better to reach out to the targeted person directly through a LinkedIn group or by trying to find their email address on Google and sending them a direct message.
Get introduced
Once you have established that it is all right to send an introduction request to a connection, follow LinkedIn’s instructions to send an introduction.
While it pays to be cautious about sending LinkedIn introductions, it can be a great way to become acquainted with a hiring company … and that can help you Get a Job!
How LinkedIn introductions work
Through the LinkedIn introduction feature, you can send a request to a LinkedIn friend (connection) to ask him or her to introduce you to one of his/her LinkedIn friends (a 2nd degree connection from you), or even to be introduced to a friend of that person’s friend (a 3rd degree connection from you). This can be a great way to make contact with a person within a target company where you want to work, but should be done strategically and diplomatically.
First, do your homework
1) Look through all of your LinkedIn connections. Click on their connections link and scan their connections. Observe if they are connected to people who work in companies where you would like to work. While you are doing this research, invite connections of theirs (who are mutual friends of yours) to connect on LinkedIn to build your network.
2) Type the name of the company in the “Search People” box to learn of people who either work at the company now or who used to work for the company. Note what degree connection they are to you and/or whether they are members of the same LinkedIn group as you.
3) Determine which people have titles that could be most relevant to the position you seek. For example, you may want to be introduced to the person who is the likely hiring manager for the position, or to a recruiter or HR professional. Frankly, I had better luck connecting with executives or hiring managers than to recruiters (who are often jaded to all job seeker tricks), but you may have a different experience.
4) After you determine what person you want to reach, consider who your first degree contact is who can introduce you to the person. For example, if you want to be introduced to a 2nd degree connection, say, Becky Barnes, HR Manager at Mega Corp., consider if your 1st person connection, Lester Milktoast, is the right person to make the introduction. Is he a reputable, respected person? Is he someone who will follow through with such a request? Does he believe in your abilities enough to recommend you as he passes on your introduction?
5) If you are in a LinkedIn group with the person to whom you want to be introduced, you don’t have to go through a first degree connection to make his or her acquaintance. Just click on 'Send a message' from their profile and contact them directly.
Prepare your first degree connection
If you have many first degree connections like I do, you may not know them well enough to feel comfortable asking them to introduce you to another complete stranger. In this instance, don’t give up, but do think smart. Before you send the introduction request, send a LinkedIn message to prepare your first degree connection and/or to get his/her valuable insight.
Write something like, Lester, I notice you are a first degree connection to Becky Barnes at Mega Corp. I really want to work there. Would you be comfortable if I were to send you a request to be introduced to her? Any information you can pass along about Becky or Mega Corp., or any good word you can put in for me to Becky or other people who might be hiring, would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for a position as a (TITLE). If you know of any leads in my field, I’d be so thankful! If you’d like, I can email you my resume so you can speak knowledgeably about me to Becky. Let me know your email address so I can send it to you. Thanks for your help.
Don’t abuse your relationship with your first degree connections by sending them too many introduction requests. Rather establish a relationship with them where you can be of help to them in some way. Let them know how their help benefitted you and thank them for their assistance.
Third degree might be a degree too far
If the person you want to reach is a 2nd degree connection from your LinkedIn friend (your 3rd degree connection), realize that your friend likely does not know that person any better than you do (the person is their friend’s friend, not his/hers). So while it’s possible to do a 3rd degree introduction, it may not be an effective interaction. In this scenario, it might be better to reach out to the targeted person directly through a LinkedIn group or by trying to find their email address on Google and sending them a direct message.
Get introduced
Once you have established that it is all right to send an introduction request to a connection, follow LinkedIn’s instructions to send an introduction.
While it pays to be cautious about sending LinkedIn introductions, it can be a great way to become acquainted with a hiring company … and that can help you Get a Job!
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