Eight Tips for Better Email Cover Letters

By Larry Buhl, for Yahoo! HotJobs

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, with correct spelling and grammar, and -- very important -- do use them. Other tips pertain only to the electronic medium, and when disregarded, could ruin your chances before your foot is in the door.

Here's what you should you consider when crafting an email cover letter.

Don't Waste Your Subject Line


What you write in the subject line can determine whether your letter gets read, according to Lydia Ramsey, business etiquette expert and author of Manners That Sell. "Don't ever leave the subject line of your email blank and don't waste it by just inserting the job number," Ramsey says. "The subject line should be clear and specific to the job you're looking for." An example: "Bilingual CPA seeks account manager position."

Use Standard Cover Letter Protocol


Write your letter as the body of the email and include a salutation (use the receiver's actual name if you know it) and a standard closing. ("Sincerely" or "Warm regards" work well.) Leave blank lines between paragraphs, and use appropriate signature and closing lines. Include all the information in your signature line you would have on your business card, including snail mail address, phone number and email address. "Remember, your email address doesn't always automatically show up on the receiver's email program," Ramsey says.

Keep It Short and Dynamic
Managers and recruiters are busy. They want to get the gist of your pitch in 150 words or fewer. The first paragraph is crucial, according to Ramsey. "Hook the reader in the first paragraph by selling him or her your abilities," she says. "Use short paragraphs and short sentences to give a very brief bio on who you are and what you can do for them, and wrap it up in the second paragraph."

Keep It Simple
If you write a cover letter in a word-processing program, strip away all formatting and save the file as plain text. The ideal line length is 40 characters. Some email packages automatically do word wrap for you, so your cover letter doesn't arrive in fragments. If your program doesn't do this, go to FormatIt.com, drop in your text and the free service will format your email for you.

Don't get cute. Save emoticons, abbreviations, and wild colors and fonts for your nonprofessional emails. The same goes for humor. Chances are, the reader won't think it's funny, and may even find it irritating.

Be Specific
Don't respond to an ad for a copywriter when you're really a graphic designer, says Diana Qasabian, talent director at Syndicatebleu. "It may be the tight job market, but we've been receiving more and more letters responding to a specific job from candidates who are not at all qualified for it," she says.

"We look for specifics in email cover letters, which means skills and abilities," she adds. "Embellishment and fluff are not necessary. It's not necessary to write, 'I'm a hard worker.' That goes without saying."

Keywords Are Key


Because many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATSes) to find and screen candidates, skill-oriented keywords will boost your chance at being discovered, a recruiter at a large technology company says.


"ATS tools track keywords that identify skill sets," she says. "So even if you're not right for the job you're seeking, strong keywords improve the chance that your cover letter and resume will be retrieved in a future search or be selected for a more appropriate job."

Play by Their Rules


Take the time to learn the company guidelines for submitting resumes, and follow them. Many companies list these guidelines on their Web sites. Also, don't include attachments unless they are requested. Some companies block all emails with attachments to prevent viruses.

Check It Again
Thoroughly spell-check and proofread your email letter. And remember, your email software's spell-checker won't catch grammar mistakes. Send it to a friend first and ask him to check it for content and style. If all your friends are tapped out, or even if they aren't, test your email cover letter by emailing it to yourself, and put yourself in the mind-set of an employer when you read it.

Cover Letter Etiquette

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 etiquette rules:

Say No to the Cover Letter Cop-Out

The first rule of cover letter etiquette is to send a cover letter -- always. It doesn't matter if the hiring manager didn't ask for it or you're too busy to write one. It's proper business etiquette to accompany a resume with a cover letter, and it gives you the opportunity to help sell yourself for the position.

Be Concise

Busy hiring managers don't have time to wade through letters that could pass for dissertations. Get to the point as expeditiously as possible, and break any paragraphs seven lines or longer into short, easily digestible ones.

When sending an email cover letter, brevity is even more important. The nature of email calls for concise communication, in part because it's harder to read on screen than on paper. However, don't fall prey to the one-line cover letter that some job seekers try to pass off. It goes something like this: "Please see attached resume, and thank you for your time and consideration." You should be able to write a convincing cover letter in a few brief paragraphs.

Keep It Professional But Friendly

While a resume is generally a formal document, cover letters give you a chance to reveal your personality. Not only do you want to show that you're a good fit for the position, but you also want the reader to like you. Appropriate use of humor, combined with a friendly and professional tone, can help endear you to the hiring manager.

Get Personal

Whenever possible, address your letter to a specific person. If a job posting doesn't include a person's name, do some research to find out who the correct person is. Try calling the employer (but do respect ads that state "no phone calls"), and ask a receptionist for the hiring manager's name. Keep the salutation professional by using "Dear Mr. Jones," not "Dear Jim."

Focus on the Employer's Needs

If every other sentence of your letter begins with "I" or "my," you need to change the focus. Research the employer and find out what types of problems managers there are facing, qualities they look for in employees and their future goals. Then use your letter to prove that you are the answer to their problems. The most compelling letters demonstrate what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you.

Be Original

Your cover letter will stand out if you employ some creativity. For example, you could include a brief summary of your toughest sale or most challenging project.

You could incorporate excerpts of performance reviews to highlight your record of success. Or, you could create two columns in your letter to demonstrate precisely how you meet the employer's requirements:

• Your ad specifies: Five years' experience in IT.
• And I deliver: Six years of superior-rated performance in network design and administration.

Proofread

Cover letters should be free of errors, so thoroughly proofread them before sending. If proofreading is not your strong suit, get help from someone with meticulous proofreading skills. If you're customizing a cover letter that you use for many positions, remove any placeholders; this will prevent embarrassing errors such as "I would be delighted to be your next  ." And one last tip: Whatever you do, spell the hiring manager's name correctly.

Following cover letter etiquette can take time, but the reward is worth it: more calls for interviews and a greater chance of securing a new position.

Five Simple Steps to a Successful Cover Letter

By Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

Most folks put (or should put) a lot of effort into crafting a resume that conveys their talents and breadth of experience. But these same people often drop the ball when it comes to crafting a cover letter to complement that important document. This can be a costly error. If your resume gets you in the door, your cover letter is what prompts employers to answer that door in the first place.   

If you're intimidated by writing a cover letter, don't be. Job-search expert Deborah Brown-Volkman has an easy-to-follow, five-step formula for cover letter success.

Cut to the Chase

Brown-Volkman reminds applicants to begin their cover letter by clearly identifying why they're reaching out to a company. "Start by completing the statement, 'I am writing to you today because....'" Cover all pertinent facts, such as the position's title and location. Also include up front where you saw the ad for the position and who recommended you, she says.

What I Like About You

Brown-Volkman says that flattery will get you everywhere. "Next, complete the statement 'I like your company because....' Compliment the organization on what they have done right and what you admire about them. This will show that you've taken the time to get to know the company in detail," she says.

What You'll Like About Me

Brown-Volkman urges job seekers to list their most vital qualifications. "Now, tell the employer, 'Here are relevant examples of work that I've done that match what you're looking for.'" Briefly discuss the items you want to showcase so a hiring manager can spot them easily. "Bullet points work well in making youraccomplishments easy to read," she says.

What Else You'll Like About Me

Now, succinctly, personalize your letter. "Describe who you are and what makes you stand out from other applicants," says Brown-Volkman. "Discuss your soft skills and strengths and what you're passionate about professionally." Research the company's mission statement to see if your values match up and use similar language. "This is your last chance to say, 'Here's why I am a good candidate,'" she says.

And In Conclusion

In your closing paragraph, Brown-Volkman recommends expressing your enthusiasm for a position and an interview and to include a plan of action. "Make note of your contact information and state what the next steps will be," she says. "If you will wait for their reply, tell them that. If you will be following up, tell them when they can expect to hear from you." Don't drop the ball on your first promise to a potential employer, though. "Whatever you put down, make sure you do what you say you will do," she says.

Three Job-Interview Myths

Three Job-Interview Myths

By Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs Senior Editor

Think you know all there is to know about interviewing for a job? According to career coach David Couper, there are many surprising myths surrounding job interviews. In his book Outsiders on the Inside, Couper lists several myths that, if you believe them, may prevent you from landing your dream job. 

So here's the truth about three of those myths -- as well as several tips on making the most of a job interview:

Myth 1: The Interviewer Is Prepared
"The person interviewing you is likely overworked and stressed because he needs to hire someone," Couper says. "He may have barely glanced at your resume and given no thought to your qualifications."

What You Can Do: Think of a job opening as a set of problems to which you are the solution. Prepare for an interview by identifying the problems hinted at in the job ad (if there's no job ad, research the company and industry) and preparing examples of how you'll solve them. For instance, if one of the primary job requirements is to "write press releases," the problem the employer has is a lack of effective press releases. For the interview, you could prepare a story about specific results you've achieved with press releases you've written. Show how you can solve that problem.

Myth 2: The Interviewer Will Ask the Right Questions
Many interviewers prepare no questions beyond 'tell me about yourself,'" says Couper. And in some cases, you may be interviewing with a human resources representative or a high-level manager who doesn't have a lot of specific information about the open job's duties.

What You Can Do: Prepare several effective sound bites that highlight your past successes and your skills. A sound bite is succinct and not too detailed, so it's catchy and easy to remember -- "I was the company's top salesperson for eight months in 2008," for example.

Reference letters are another great source of sound bites. If a former manager wrote something about how amazing you are, quote her (and offer to leave a copy of the reference letter when you leave the interview) -- for instance, "Company Z's art director called me the most thorough and well-prepared project manager she'd ever worked with -- and that ability to plan for any possible problem is something I pride myself on."

Myth 3: The Most Qualified Person Gets the Job
No one believes this myth any more, right? As Couper says, "Less-qualified but more outgoing candidates may win over an interviewer's heart."

What You Can Do: If you're on the shy or introverted side, practicing your interview techniquesbeforehand is key. Work with a close friend or relative until you're comfortable with your interview answers. You never want to be stuck with a short, one-word answer -- so prepare explanations and examples to discuss.

Also do some research about the interviewer. Find her profile on LinkedIn for instance, or look for recent news about the company. To set the tone for a friendly interaction, find a reason to compliment her for a professional accomplishment or her company's success. And don't forget to smile and make eye contact.

And finally, keep in mind that looks matter: You should be well groomed and dressed to impress. If you're not sure how formal your attire should be, ask the human resources person you've been dealing with what's typical. Alternatively, find someone inside the company to ask, or check out the About Us page on the company's Web site. If the management team is pictured in dark suits, neckties and so on, you'll likely want to dress as formally as possible. If the CEO is pictured in a T-shirt, business-casual clothes are fine (but you'll rarely want to dress more casually than that).

10 Tips to Boost Your Interview Skills

10 Tips to Boost Your Interview Skills

By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

Even the smartest and most qualified job seekers need to prepare for job interviews. Why, you ask? Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression. So study these 10 strategies to enhance your interview skills. 

Practice Good Nonverbal Communication

It's about demonstrating confidence: standing straight, making eye contact and connecting with a good, firm handshake. That first nonverbal impression can be a great beginning -- or quick ending -- to your interview.

Dress for the Job or Company

Today's casual dress codes do not give you permission to dress as "they" do when you interview. It is important to look professional and well-groomed. Whether you wear a suit or something less formal depends on the company culture and the position you are seeking. If possible, call to find out about the company dress code before the interview.

Listen

From the very beginning of the interview, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or indirectly. If you are not hearing it, you are missing a major opportunity. Good communication skills includelistening and letting the person know you heard what was said. Observe your interviewer, and match that style and pace.

Don't Talk Too Much 
Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions, sometimes talking yourself right out of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the position's requirements and relating only that information.

Don't Be Too Familiar 
The interview is a professional meeting to talk business. This is not about making a new friend. Your level of familiarity should mimic the interviewer's demeanor. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the interview and to ask questions, but do not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job.

Use Appropriate Language

It's a given that you should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation -- these topics could send you out the door very quickly.

Don't Be Cocky

Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if you're putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability, overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved.

Take Care to Answer the Questions

When an interviewer asks for an example of a time when you did something, he is seeking a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a specific example, you not only don't answer the question, but you also miss an opportunity to prove your ability and talk about your skills.

Ask Questions

When asked if they have any questions, most candidates answer, "No." Wrong answer. Part of knowing how to interview is being ready to ask questions to demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The best questions come from listening to what you're asked during the interview and asking for additional information.

Don't Appear Desperate

When you interview with the "please, please hire me" approach, you appear desperate and less confident. Maintain the three C's during the interview: cool, calm and confident. You know you can do the job; make sure the interviewer believes you can, too.