A Cover Letter That Can NET You a Job!

Have you heard of the idea that A Cover Letter That Can NET You a Job?  

Indeed, there is such kind of a cover letter that works well.  

As you know, I’m a headhunter. When I need to do a search, apart from going through my company’s database, I also contact my sources in the market and ask them for referrals.  As a matter of fact, many of my successful candidates were generated that way.  So why don’t you make use of the same strategy to land a job?  Trust me, ‘networking’ is such a powerful job search tool.   

Here is how to write a Networking Cover Letter.

 

A Cover Letter That Can NET You a Job!

Job-search cover letters introduce you and your skills to a hiring manager. You know that fact if you've been writing them to potential employers. But do you know there is another cover letter type that can do even more for you? It's called the networking cover letter.

This document goes out to your circle of human resources––family members, friends, neighbors, associates, and professional men and women––for one purpose––to ask for help as you look for work. These people can lend a hand by giving you names and contact information of individuals they know, as well as employment leads, referrals, advice, knowledge, and introductions. Imagine the wealth of assistance you can gather by simply casting your net toward these men and women.

To get started, create a master list of everyone you can think of. Refer to business cards you've collected, association and club rosters, church directories, your e-mail address book, and any other pertinent means of gathering names of people you mingle with. Then send a networking cover letter (based on the tips below) to each person on your master list. Invest some time doing this task—knowing it will pay big dividends over the next several weeks.

Writing the Networking Cover Letter Letter                                                                  

• Keep it short (one page only) and focus on what you want—help in your job search. 
• Put your job skills and employment interests in a list for easy reading.
• Ask for leads and referrals directly and politely.              
• Attach a copy of your current resume.
• Send a thank you note to everyone who responds—even if they weren't able to help.

Then get to work on the leads you do receive, sending to each person a cover letter that introduces you and your employment experience. Cast your net and be patient. It will bring in a catch worth waiting for.

Written by Jimmy Sweeney

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several career-related books and writes monthly articles titled, "Job Search Secrets" and "Tough Times Job Tips."

Visit Jimmy on the web at Amazing Cover Letters.com for your 'instant' cover letter today. In just 3 ½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!

Amazing Cover Letter – Your Unique Job Landing Tool

Amazing Cover Letter - Do You Really Need It?

Have you notice Jimmy Sweeney and his Amazing Cover Letter Creator appear quite often in my blog?  I think I should tell you a little more about this. 

To be honest upfront, I’m an affiliate of Jimmy’s Amazing Cover Letter creator.  I’m making a decent income from my headhunting job, why am I selling this software? 

If you’ve been reading my i-banking resumes blog, you will know that I blog to help young graduates to go into one of the toughest job markets - investment banking.  I-banking is really tough and candidates are facing keen competitions.  While some readers ask me to write cover letters for them, I refer them to Jimmy’s software for two reasons.  One I don’t have the time to do it.  Two Jimmy’s software program does the job of a professional cover letter writer but at a much lower fee.  For many candidates, this did sound like a dream come true!

Amazing Cover Letter Creator has an extremely high product rating. If you ever do any research over the internet, you must aware of this.  But the important thing I want to let you know is its low refund rate of 0.19% (meaning that out of every 500 people who purchase this product, 1 returns it, and 499 keep it!).  This has been my personal statistics since I started selling this product in the past four years in my i-banking blog.  I’m pretty confident that this is a product worth my recommendation.  So what is Amazing Cover Letter all about? 

You can visit its official website or continue reading my introduction.

The creator and author of the Amazing Cover Letter Creator is Jimmy Sweeney. Jimmy is a professional copywriter and the President and CEO of a California based marketing company. Jimmy decided to put some of his copywriting skills to work in the job seekers market by writing cover letters for prospective employees. The end result of his experiment was the job seekers got significantly more phone calls as a result of Jimmy's cover letters.

The program is very easy to use.  Once you downloaded it to your computer, the first thing you do is to open it and choose the kind of cover letter you want. After this you have to choose the size of the applicant job pool and here you can choose among large, small or medium.

Then you would be asked to say whether or not you have experience in the field you are applying for, after you have done this, the program automatically chooses a cover letter template for you which you can then personalize or customize using most common word processing programs like Microsoft word.

This software is extremely powerful in a way that it generates very well-worded cover letters. The only challenging part is to make modifications to make the letter specific for the job you are looking to apply to. However, the software has a section where you can see samples of each section to give you ideas on how to modify the letter for your specific situation.

In summary, here are the greatest advantages to this software:

(1) Attention Getting Ingredients - These are specifically designed to help you get calls for interview requests.

(2) Along with three free stuff*, the cost of $39.95 is only a fraction of what you would pay a professional cover letter writer and the quality of letter that the software generates is on par with what a professional would write for you. You simply aren't going to find a better bargain elsewhere.

PS:  * Amazing Cover Letter Free Stuff includes:

Ÿ           Top 3 Award-Winning Cover Letter Templates

Ÿ           Amazing Job Interview Success

Ÿ           The 'BIG 3' Salary Negotiation Secrets!

Visit Jimmy Sweeney’s Amazing Cover Letter Official Website

Cover Letter Blog - Amazing Cover Letter Review

The Elements of an Outstanding Cover Letter

Regarding the elements of an outstanding cover letter, you should have mastered them all if you've gone through the 7-day mini course in this blog.  However you must blend in one more important ingredient.  My friend Jimmy Sweeney has written an outstanding article on this and I'm happy to share with you.

Your Cover Letter Must Have THIS Ingredient

Written by Jimmy Sweeney, author of The Amazing Cover Letter Creator

Focus, vivid language, clear request for an in-person interview, proper format with plenty of white space? Yes to all of these essentials of a job search cover letter. But one ingredient that is often overlooked is tone. Many job seekers give too much attention to their work experience and skills, important as they are, and neglect to reveal their personality and character through the manner in which they express themselves. 

Tone of Voice Matters

As you sit down to write your cover letter, consider how you want to come across and then match your wording to that objective. Do you want to convey enthusiasm and sincerity or are you willing to settle for lackluster language that leaves the hiring manager wondering who you are as a person? Here are two examples.

Example A:  Thanks so much for posting your need for an administrative assistant on AnytownJobs.com. I've been looking for such a position since I moved to AnyTown last month. When I discovered that your organization is hiring, I jumped on the opportunity to contact you. I've had five years of experience assisting my previous employer and I know I can contribute to your company the skills I've developed in this job––organization, dependability, crisis management, and positive problem-solving.

Could we meet for an interview? I'm eager to find out your expectations for the person you hire and to show you how I will work hard to meet them. Please name a date and time that is right for you and I'll be there, ready to get right down to business.

Example B: I read your advertisement for an administrative assistant on AnytownJobs.com. This is the kind of work I wish to do. Therefore, I am writing this cover letter to let you know that I would like to meet for an interview so I can talk over what you need and how I can provide it. I have experience and skills related to this type of work. You can consult my enclosed resume for more details.

Please let me know if you would like to interview me. I am available weekday afternoons. I hope to hear from you soon.

Review and Study

If you were the hiring manager, which cover letter would you respond to? Take a moment to review each example and then jot down some notes on why you prefer the one you chose.

· What makes it stand out?

· What character trait shines through?

· Would the person behind this letter be someone you'd like to work with?

· What might you expect from that individual if faced with a crisis?

      

Save your comments and these examples to study while planning your next cover letter for the position you're seeking. Then let your personality and character guide you as you write, including job-related details in a tone that will compel the hiring manager to call you for an interview.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"

The Elements of an Outstanding Cover Letter

What EVERY Cover Letter Needs

If you've completed my 7-day Resume Cover Letter Mini Course, you should have mastered the 7 basic elements of a highly effective cover letter.  Now let's see what Jimmy Sweeney says.  Here are the "Secret 7" from him.  You'll find addtional insights comparing his 7 and mine.  Try to incorporate them into your next job search letter.

Cover Letter Tip: Put The "Secret 7" To Work For You!
President of CareerJimmy and Author of the new,© Written By Jimmy Sweeney

Amazing Cover Letter Creator

Many hiring managers face a pile of cover letters each and every day from job seekers. If you want yours to stand out from the crowd, make it short, succinct, and snappy! In other words, grab the reader's attention and hold it. The last thing you want to do is bog down the employer with a multi-page letter filled with ponderous prose. Instead incorporate the following seven secrets—the ones every cover letter should include:

1. Write a one-page cover letter. Period.
2. Leave lots of 'white space' in your letter so it's easy to read.
3. Create three paragraphs maximum or the cover letter will overwhelm.
4. Number or 'bullet' your lists when this technique fits. It catches interest.
5. Bold face the first sentence of each paragraph to highlight your point.
6. Write only three sentences per paragraph for quick scanning.
7. Print out your letter and read it yourself.  Is it a good example of the secrets on the list above?  If not, edit where needed.

Effort = Effectiveness!

The time you spend now will come back to you a hundredfold when the hiring manager selects the most promising job seekers to call for interviews. Your cover letter is the first step. Make it count by using the seven secrets above. Bonus Cover Letter Tip: Don't be afraid to ASK for the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask and you shall receive.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several career-related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job-Search Secrets.” Visit Jimmy on the web at Amazing Cover Letters.com for your ‘instant’ cover letter today. In just 3 ½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter! 

Cover Letter Blog - What EVERY Cover Letter Needs

Resume Cover Letter - Mini Course Day 7

A Powerful Wrap-up Sentence At The P.S. (Postscript) Location

Here’s the greatest cover letter secret ever revealed...few job seekers have the chance to read this.  You are one of the lucky ones.

Add a P.S. (postscript) to the bottom of your resume cover letter!

                                                                                      

I’ve actually borrowed this idea from Jimmy Sweeney, author of Amazing Cover Letter Creator.

I’ve made this suggestion to many job seekers and received feedbacks that they experienced dramatic increase in job interviews and job offers!  So I know this little secret works like magic.

As you may know, Jimmy has a marketing and advertising background. He has made use of this P.S. strategy on numerous sales letters to restate exactly what action he would like the reader to take and achieved his desired results. 

Job-seekers would like to be called for more job interviews and the P.S. is the perfect opportunity to stamp this fact on the reader’s brain.  It’s your best shot for a ‘direct hit’ that can increase the chances of producing the desired result… the job interview.

The P.S. is virtually impossible NOT to read! Think about it. When you read any type of letter and your eyes notice a P.S. at the end, you are practically ‘forced’ to read it! Use this P.S. power in your cover letter is going to boost your number of job interviews.

You can use the P.S. to ask for the interview the second time; or to restate why you believe you’re such a strong candidate for the job opening. 

TWO examples of the P.S. being used in a resume cover letter

P.S. I would like to restate my desire to interview for the position of (job title). {Company name} is number one on my list of companies I’d like to work for. I am available immediately and can be reached directly on my mobile phone at 1234-5678. Thank you so much!

P.S. I would love the opportunity to meet in person and to explain why I may be the right match for the position of (job title). I can be reached right away at 1234-5678. Thank you in advance.

Conclusion: Take advantage of the fact that people are trained to read the P.S. and make sure to include one in your next cover letter.

Resume Cover Letters - Mini Course Day 7

Resume Cover Letter - Mini Course Day 6

Effective Ways To Ask For The Job Interview

A resume cover letter should effectively ASK for the job interview.

Did you do this well in every one of your job search letter?  If you don’t, you’ll be beaten by your competitors who do!

Where And How To Effectively Ask For A Job Interview In Your Next Cover Letter

While job seekers generally ask for an interview at the end of the letter, there is no reason why you can’t place this request directly at the very beginning of the letter. 

A very effective way of doing it is to write this headline:

I would love the opportunity to interview in person for the position

of (job title).  Then continue your letter with “Dear Mr Smith…”  Of course you’ll make the same request in your last paragraph.

THREE More Effective Ways

To ASK For An Interview

If you want to attract quality job interviews like a magnet, you need to write a powerful message to achieve your desired result – job interviews.  Write messages that shine with your personality, desire and passion in the job being offered.  Here are three best examples.

1. I have researched (company name) and am excited about this opportunity. I would love the chance to interview for this position and am available at your earliest convenience. If possible, can we schedule a meeting in the next two weeks?
2. I would like the chance in person, to discuss the specific reasons why I believe I am the applicant you are looking for. If you will grant me an interview for (job title), I can be reached at 1234-5678.
3. I am excited about the possibility of a personal interview to further discuss my qualifications with you. I am immediately available and can be reached at 5555-5555. I will follow up with a phone call as well to make sure you have received my application.

Be sure to add one of these paragraphs at the end of your next cover letter. You’re going to motivate more and more hiring managers to call you up for interviews. Imagine your letter without such interview requests, you’ll be just waiting for your phone to ring, day after day. 

CONCLUSION: Write a POWERFUL message to ASK for the interview will motivate the hiring manager to give you a call.

Resume Cover Letters - Mini Course Day 6

 

  

Resume Cover Letter - Mini Course Day 5

Focus on the particular employer’s needs and explain specifically why you are the right person

One of the major objectives of a resume cover letter is to tell the hiring manager that you are the right person.  You are such a perfect match that the hiring manager picks up a phone and call you for an interview.  To make this happen, here are the things you need to observe.

Remember in Day 2 we talked about an Attention Grabbing Headline?  If you wrote this headline - Three reasons why I believe I may be the candidate you are searching for regarding the position of [job title] – be sure you provide answers to what these three reasons are.

Here’s how we can do it.

Recruitment ad requires:  industry passion, attention to details, team work:

Your cover letter states:

I have a real passion for this industry. I am a hard worker and my attention to detail is one of my best qualities. I enjoy team work and have proven to be a productive team member.

Recruitment ad requires:  global vision, dedication and communication skills:

Your cover letter states:

• I developed interpersonal and communication skills critical to a consulting position
• My dedication, ability to quickly master new tasks, and drive to succeed
• My global vision gained from MNC experience

It doesn’t matter you use paragraph or bullets.  But you must provide the three reasons why you think you are the perfect match. 

Proactive Approach

If you are proactively approaching a company, please include ‘3 WHYs’ on your cover letter: Why banking (or any other industry you are applying); Why HSBC (or name of the company you are approaching), Why you. Show your passion in that business and how you can contribute to the company.

More Writing Tips

As our resume cover letter has to be short, do keep it brief.  Try not to re-write your experiences which are mostly captured in you resume. A better strategy is to summarize your USP (unique selling point), in other words, how your best strength would add value to the role you are applying. You may also include capabilities that were not stated in your resume, such as how your people skills contributed to your success; how you achieve results through team work. 

Please also try to avoid over selling.  Though cover letter is a sales tool, but we still don’t want to make it too aggressive, such as ‘hey, I’m here, hire me.’ An appropriate tone is very important.

Don’t enjoy writing?  You may check out Jimmy Sweeney’s Amazing Cover Letter writing tool which could help you craft the right wordings in the right tone in just 3 minutes.

CONCLUSION: State specifically why you are the right fit for the position being offered.

Resume Cover Letters - Mini Course Day 5