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Cover Letter Writing for Job Seekers Without Experience

resume-cover-letter-tipsJob searching without much work experience can be frustrating. Employers will say that experience is needed to get a job, but without a job how is there a way to get experience? Overcoming this paradox is critical to launching a career.   Getting to the interview, gives a job seeker a chance to show their attitude, enthusiasm, work ethic, communications skills, willingness to learn, and knowledge of the company and role. The right combination can possibly land the job. To get the interview, a great cover letter can help enormously in the job search.

 

The focus of this kind of cover letter is to prove that your personal qualities and characteristics are a good fit with the requirements of the job and also that they will make a positive contribution to the organization or business.

  1. In the first paragraph, clearly introduce yourself. Introduce who you are, mention what job you’re applying for and say how you discovered the opportunity. If you have connections with anyone in the company, mention their name in this paragraph, for example, if you know a classmate who interned for the organization.
  1. In the second paragraph, respond to the requirements of the job. It’s time to take about your relevant skills and accomplishments and how they relate to the job posting. Use the buzzwords in the job listing and incorporate them into this part of the letter. Leverage any experience including volunteer work, internships, part-time jobs you have had, including babysitting. Your hobbies and interests may also be relevant. Make sure you spend time learning about the company from their website, social media and blogs. Your goal is to make your experiences meet the challenges required by the company and presented in the job description. You also want to make it clear why your job skills fit the particular company to which you are applying.
  1. In the third paragraph, describe your best qualities and how they make you a great fit for the job. Describe a strong work ethic, how you work well with others, your communication skills, your creativity, your problem solving skills or any other exemplary qualities. And don’t just say you have those qualities, give a short, but real-life example that demonstrates those specific qualities. For example, describe how you formed a team and motivated them to raise money for a cause. Make sure the skills you are showing off match the job.
  1. In the fourth paragraph, conclude with a call to action. The goal is to get the job interview. Your lasting impression should be confident, upbeat, and encouraging- so the hiring manager wants to get in touch with you. Add a follow up: “I will phone you on Tuesday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m.”
  1. Pay attention to format. Put a header at the top of the document including your contact information and a shortened URL for your LinkedIn account. The sign-off can be formal, like “Sincerely,” or something warmer, like “All the best.” Make the salutation formal like “Dear Ms. Capone” or “To whom it may concern.” Cover letters can be in the body of an email with the résumé as an attachment. Or the letter can be sent as a PDF attachment. Saving it as a PDF will ensure the formatting of your cover letter doesn’t change once it’s downloaded by the recipient.
  1. Proofread carefully! And get someone to recheck it for you.

Edit the Work Note: All job seekers should have a LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have one, make sure you create one. On your profile, you can give a more in-depth description of your skills. LinkedIn can also be a great place to discover whether you know someone connected to the company where you want to work.

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14 TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT RESUME

The average resume gets read in 10 seconds. So, often, this is all the time you have to make a great first impression on a potential employer. Put your best foot forward and make those seconds count.

Here are some tips in helping you get started in creating a successful resume and securing a job.

  1. Be concise. A resume should be one to two pages. Provide all the necessary information; however, don’t make it longer than it needs to be. The shorter the resume, the better.
  2. Keep typography traditional and consistent. Consider a font like Times New Roman or Arial in an 11 to 12 point type size. You can use different size type for your name and your previous companies, but don’t use too many styles and sizes.
  3. Avoid industry and technical jargon. The first person reading your resume, like the HR manager, may not understand all your industry’s terms. Spell out any acronyms that are not easily understood by all.
  4. Use reverse chronological order when listing employment.
  5. Put the most important information first. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first where they are more likely to be read.
  6. Create your resume in Word. Word documents can be viewed on most computers.
  7. Use bullet points and short sentences. The main selling points of your resume should be easy to scan and see.
  8. Tailor your keywords. Many employers use automated systems to identify qualified candidates. Make sure the keywords from the job description are mirrored in your resume.
  9. Use action verbs. Words like managed, organized, led and planned will make your resume stand out.
  10. Avoid the first person pronoun.  This information is superfluous.
  11. Include numbers, statistics and percentages. Be specific about how you increased profit by 20%, how you came under budget by 15%, and how you managed a $10MM budget.
  12. Avoid unnecessary information. You don’t need to include statements like, “References available upon request,” “Objectives,” or anything that may be controversial like age, religion or political affiliation.
  13. Proofread, proofread, proofread. One small typo can decrease your chances of getting hired.
  14. Consider getting professional help. If you are having a hard time creating your resume or just need another set of eyes, consider a company like Edit The Work.

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10 THINGS TO DO WHEN WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY

The college application essay can help a student stand out from the crowd, and improve a student’s chances for admission.

The college essay tells the admissions committee how and why one student is different from all the others. Essays give students the opportunity to express themselves, something that grades and test scores alone can’t do.

While there is no exact formula for the perfect admission essay, here are some tips to consider when trying to make a lasting impression:

  1. Write about yourself. The admissions committee is looking to learn about you—your achievements, your obstacles, your goals, your passions, your personality, your values, and your character. If you are asked to write about an influential person, the college wants to know his or her influence on you. Whatever topic you choose to center your essay around, make sure you shine through.
  2. Focus on one facet of yourself. Admissions committees are looking for an in-depth essay. Pick one project, one activity, or one passion. Cover too many topics in your essay, and you’ll end up with a list. The magic is in the details.
  3. Tell a good story. Demonstrate how you are compassionate—don’t just tell readers you are. If you had a difficulty, don’t give the admissions committee a list of complaints. Tell them how you overcame them.
  4. Keep it real. If you speak from the heart, it will show, and your essay will flow more easily. Choosing something you’ve experienced will also give you the vivid and specific details needed in your essay.
  5. Present yourself in the best light. Always think about what information you want colleges to know and use when evaluating your application. Don’t share anything that doesn’t make you sound good, unless you absolutely have to, or you can turn it around to show the positive.
  6. Leverage your native culture, traditions, and experiences. If you’re an international applicant, Native American, or otherwise non-traditional student, don’t try to “Americanize” or “mainstream” your application. Schools are looking for diversity. The goal is to stand out and not appear to be like all the other applicants.
  7. Copy-and-paste carefully. Sure, it’s easier to tailor one essay for many schools than to write each one from scratch. However, read each essay over carefully, like it’s the first one you wrote. Almost every admission officer can tell tales of students who accidentally wrote how excited they were by the opportunities offered at another school.
  8. Spend time on your essay. The admission committee is looking to see what you can do given the time to brainstorm, rewrite, and polish. They are looking to see what topic you chose and what you did with it. An essay won’t help you if it’s sloppy and uninformative.
  9. Check your grammar and spelling. You can write conversationally, but the grammar and spelling still need to be correct. And don’t solely rely on your computer’s spell-checker. Often times, the wrong word (spelled correctly) can slip by.
  10. Show the essay to someone who can give you objective feedback. Sometimes you can get too close to the essay and be unable to see it clearly. Other people can often tell if there isn’t enough being revealed, or your essay rambles, or if the humor is falling flat, or if you’re not making the impression you’d want to. Remember, this essay is going to someone who doesn’t know you and is going to be making a big decision based on what they’ll learn from it.

For help with writing your college essay, contact Edit The Work.

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