How Greeting Cards Help You Network

Sometimes doing things the old-fashioned way will get you noticed, respected, and appreciated. While everyone else is sending out emails, you can stand out from the crowd and grow you business network and social network by using greeting cards to make a permanent and lasting impression. This will help you find a new job. The following 7 tips will show you how greeting cards help you network.

1. Send a Note To New Acquaintances

Any time you meet someone new, whether it be a business contact or someone you meet in your personal life, you can show that person how special they are to you by sending them a greeting card via snail mail. It does not need to be fancy. In fact, it would probably make a better impression if you stick to something simple in design but unique.

To really make it something they'll really remember and appreciate, include a short personal note. For example, you could say something like, "I enjoyed meeting you at the XYZ Conference and I thought your ideas were intriguing. I hope we can chat about them again in the future." For a new personal contact, you could say something like, "I enjoyed talking with you the other day at the soccer game. You would be a great asset to our parent organization. I hope you come to the next meeting on Dec 16, 7:00pm. I'd also enjoy getting together for coffee sometime."

2. Send Greeting Cards To Your Clients Or Customers On Special Days

When a client or customer signs up for your mailing list, ask them for their birthday. Then, get into a habit of sending your customers a birthday card. In this instance, it's best if you do not try to sell them anything. Just keep it simple, letting them know that you remembered them on their special day. The same can be true if you happen to learn about one of your clients having a new baby, having a child graduate, getting married, or another special event where you can express your genuine joy for them through a greeting card. They will treasure this!

3. Send Out Greeting Cards For Unannounced Sales

Don't overdo this but occasionally it is nice to send your clients or customers unannounced sales. Make it something truly special and let them know how much you appreciate their continued business. You could also slip an extra coupon into the card for them to give to a friend or family member.

4. Handwrite the Name and Address On the Envelope

These days, our mailboxes are filled with junk mail. Chances are if you print out a "professional" address label, your greeting card and note will just get tossed. However, there is something quite magnetic to the receiver of a card when the name and address on the envelope have been handwritten. Your greeting card will almost assuredly get opened if you do this.

5. Be Sure To Handwrite the Personal Note Too

When they open the greeting card, it will make a very favorable impression if the note inside is highly personalized and handwritten. Take your time and write in your neatest handwriting. It doesn't have to be perfect but do make sure it is legible.

6. Use a Real Stamp and Make It Really Count

Don't use a postage meter to pay for postage or let the post office worker run it through a postage meter either. Instead, take the time to select a nice looking stamp to put on the envelop. Ask the postal worker behind the counter to see the whole collection of stamps they offer and try to pick one that seems the most appropriate for the person to whom you and sending the greeting card.

It is also a good idea to stock up on stamp designs you really like. You could even say in your handwritten personal note, "I picked out the XYZ stamp because..." For example, if you met someone at a city council meeting that might be interested in one or more activities of your nature club, you could select a stamp featuring wildlife or a particular habitat. Likewise, if you met someone who might be interested in joining your sales network, you might select a stamp that that shows a money sign or another financial icon.

7. Make Your Own Cards For an Even More Personalized Touch

Making your own cards does not have to be difficult and you do not need to be an artist! Simply buy some 8x11 inch colored construction paper. Cut each sheet in half and then fold these two halves to make two cards. You can then paste a nice photograph in the center of the front of the card and leave the inside blank for your personal note.

We Wish You Great Success

Try to put the 7 tips above on how greeting cards help you network into action right away. It can help you find a new job, advance your career once you do, and help you in your personal like. Once you develop this habit, you will be amazed at how much it helps you!

10 Things To Do the Day After You're Laid Off

Getting laid off can be a devastating experience. The initial shock may put you in such a bad mental state, it can be hard to figure out what to do. While you get started writing your cover letters and getting your resume updated, there are 10 constructive things you can do the day after you're laid off to get you through the crisis and get your life back on track.

1. Let Go Of Your Negative Emotions

It is natural to be depressed, and even angry, when you get laid off. However, if you wallow in those emotions too long, it will only make matters worse. Go somewhere and scream if you have to, cry your eyes out if you feel like it, and get those negative emotions out of your system as soon as possible. Then, get ready to take the bull by the borns and find solutions to your problem.

2. See What You Can Temporarily Cut Out

Make a written list of your bills and expenses. See if there is anything you can temporarily eliminate. Perhaps you don't need cable, or at least not premium cable. Cancel subscriptions you could live without. Downgrade your cell phone package. Cut everything you can so you won't have as much going out.

3. Get Really Frugal

This is a time when every penny counts. Cook your food at home and don't eat out. Look for ways to trim your grocery bill. Save on gas money buy not driving the car as much. Don't waste electricity. Turn your heater or air conditioning down to a minimum. Turn the temperature on your hot water tank down.

4. Call a Family Meeting

If you have a spouse and/or kids, call a family meeting and explain the situation. Let them know that you all need to pull together to get through this crisis. Ask them if they can think of ways to save money and/or make money. Ask them to be as frugal as possible.

5. Get Your Resume In Ship Shape

You'll probably want to start looking for a new job so get your resume in order. If there is a career center in your area, go there and ask them to review your resume and offer suggestions. Schedule an appointment for a mock job interview. If they don't offer this in your area, ask some of your family or friends to help you stage a mock interview.

6. Reach Out To All Your Contacts Via Email and Social Media

Use the speed and efficiency of the internet to let all your contacts know that you are looking for work. Specifically ask if they know of any openings now or in the near future. List your skills, accomplishments, and traits that make you a strong job candidate.

7. Check CraigsList 2-3 Times a Day

While you are looking for long-term work, seek out short-term gigs to bring in some money. Even if you have savings, it is best to use as little of it as possible. CraigsList has a special section called "Gigs" where you can find a variety of short-term income opportunities. When you're out of work, a half day temporary job can really help out.

8. Get Creative

There are all sorts of things you can do to make money if you are really motivated to do so. For example, some people collect things off the side of the road on garbage day and resell these items. Some have a garage sale, some sell on CraigsList, and some sell the scrap metal. You could put up fliers for lawn mowing, landscaping, hanging Christmas lights, cleaning out garages, walking dogs, house sitting, running errands, driving people who can't drive, tutoring, sewing, etc. The possibilities are endless so get creative!

9. Consider Starting Your Own Business

This may be your opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade. Take some time to consider starting your own business. Brainstorm about what type of business you might like to start. Ask your family and friends to help you brainstorm too. Even if you find a permanent job, you may want to keep a lucrative side business going.

10. Plant a Garden

You can easily save hundreds of dollars off your grocery bill growing vegetables. Don't worry if you have never done any gardening. You will find it super simple to raise lettuce, herbs, and kale even if all you have is an apartment patio/balcony. Gardening is also a great stress reliever and it gives you time to think things over.

Good luck to you and keep your head up!

Can a Resume Writing Service Write Your Cover Letter?

Many job applicants use a resume writing service to write their resume from scratch or to improve their current resume. I don't see anything wrong with this with one BIG exception. I strongly discourage my clients from using such a service to create their cover letter.

Here's why...

Although most resume writing services offer cover letter creation as an add on service or even throw it in for free, they are almost never exceptionally adept at doing so.

The cover letter is the very first thing a hiring manager is going to see. In fact, many hiring managers don't bother to read all the resumes they get when they have a lot of applications for a single job. They go through the pile and narrow it down based on the cover letter alone.

What does this mean?

The cover letter is often more important than the resume in getting you on the "short list" and getting you the interview.

Creating an exceptional professional resume requires a different skill set than preparing an exceptional cover letter. Yes, the better resume writing services are skilled writers but they are more adept at technical writing than with writing advertising copy.

And... to get on the short list in this competitive job market what you need is exceptional advertising copy. You need marketing language with a call to action. You need language in a 1/2 to 3/4 page cover letter (with lots of white space) to succinctly sell YOU and convince the hiring manager that he or she needs to meet you in person. You need time tested marketing magic.

This is why I always recommend to my clients that they use the cover letter software that I review at the top of this page to create their cover letter, even if they have hired a professional resume writing service. For those who do both and end up with 2 cover letters to compare side by side, they always choose, without exception, the cover letter that is created with this particular software (there is other cover letter creating software out there but I've never found one that worked as well as this one).

Is It Ok To Use a Generic Cover Letter?

A client asked me recently, "Is it ok to use a generic cover letter?"

What do you think? Do you think that cover letters don't really matter and they're just something you slap on  top of your resume?

Absolutely not! In fact, the cover letter can actually be MORE important to getting you the interview.

Do you think that someone who is applying to be an office manager should use the same generic cover letter as someone else applying for a teaching position?

NO! of course not! Your cover letter should be very specifically tailored not only to the type of position you are apply for but for the specific place you are applying as well.

The cover letter software that I review at the top of this page is programmed to produce industry specific keywords in addition to the marketing magic that will get the hiring managers attention. It will also ask you the right questions to help tailor it to the specific place you are applying.

We are in a really competitive job market - more competitive than it has been in decades. Hiring managers get so many applications they just aren't able to review every resume so they do the next best thing - they read all the cover letters first. If you submit a generic cover letter, I'm afraid you are drastically cutting down your chances that you will be called for an interview. Check out the software and see if you think it could help you. I know it has helped many of my clients.

An Interview Tip That WIll Help Land You the Job

Once you've used your cover letter to get your foot in the door and gotten the interview, you are more than 90% on your way to getting the job. However, you will still need to beat out a few other candidates. Here is an interview tip that make you go right to the top of the hiring committee's list.

Arrive at the interview at least 20 minutes early and spend some time looking at the various plaques and awards on the walls. Most companies are involved in committee projects or friendly competitions with other companies. Some companies have some staff that do volunteer work on behalf of the company. You will usually find some mention of this hanging on the walls. Even if it's not prominently displayed, you may be able to find it if you look hard enough. You may also be able to find this type of information by searching through the archives of the local newspaper, especially if they are involved in community projects. Trust me, it is well worth the effort to find this information.

During the interview, ask questions about these activities and tell them that you would love to become involved in these activities. You may be able to even suggest a special skill that you might have that could help them with these activities. Don't assume that the company you are interviewing with is ALL about making money. After all, these are human beings. Companies usually take great pride in the community work they do and in their bowling leagues or baseball teams where they compete with other companies. Your interest will not only show them that you are a team player but it will also allow you to chat with them in a slightly less formal way which "humanizes" you. It gives you the opportunity to make a personal connection and, like I've said before, people hire people they like - even if not consciously, they do so subconsciously.

Good luck and don't forget to check out the cover letter help software.

Should I Use a More Creative Font In My Cover Letter If I'm Applying For a Creative Job?

I get quite a few clients who are applying for graphic design jobs and they often ask, "Should I use a more creative font on my cover letter if I'm in a creative field?" and "Should I use a more creative font on my resume?" Sometimes they ask questions like, "Should I stick with a professional but boring font like Times New Romain or Arial or can I use something more interesting?"

The short answer is "no." You should always stick with a more traditional professional font in your cover letter and resume. Yes, I know it's "boring" but boring will help get you the job in this case.This is true for two reasons:

First, even if you are applying for a creative job, your application packet will likely be reviewed by "business types" who may not appreciate your "creativity" shown by a non-traditional font. You can always include samples of your creative work to show your creativity. If you do so, be sure to mention this on your cover letter. Keep in mind this is how you will likely be expected to deal with clients too. In a business letter to a client, you would almost always use a traditional font even if you are performing creative services for them.

Second, you need to keep the goal of the cover letter (and resume) in mind. You want those reviewing your application to notice you and select you for the interview out of all the other applicants. These days potential employers get so many applications, they have to scan through them very quickly. You want your cover letter to be very easily read at a glance. In other words, the purpose of the cover letter is to entice them to want to look deeper - to want to see samples of your work and talk with you in person. The purpose of the cover letter is NOT to show off your creative skills. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Now, if you want a perfectly worded and perfectly formatted cover letter, I highly recommend this software.

What To Do If They Say Don't Submit a Cover Letter?

Although still not in the majority, some companies require that all job applications be submitted electronically. In some of these cases, they specifically state that they do NOT want a cover letter included. Several of my clients at the job center have complained that this does not allow them to use the secret cover letter weapon we have discovered.

However, I want you to know that you can still use the secret cover letter trick in these cases. In fact, you can use it in 2 different ways:

1. Go ahead and use the cover letter help software I review at the top of this page to create a cover letter. Next, take this cover letter and modify it slightly and then use it to send a personal message directly to the hiring manager or another person at the company that will be influential in the hiring decision. Remember, the software creates perfectly worded marketing phrases specifically designed to entice those reading your cover letter to want to meet you and invite you in for an interview. This can work just as well (maybe better) in a personal email as in an "official" cover letter.

2. The software is designed to generate key industry specific vocabulary. You can create the cover letter using the software and then make sure that these industry specific words and phrases are included in the resume and other materials that require you submit electronically. Remember, companies often use programs to scan and rank applications. It would be really advantageous to include the industry keywords and key phrases generated by the software in your electronic submission to help your application will rank at the top of the list.

Woman Wins $50,000 While Seaching For a Job!

Yesterday, I was listening to the NPR show, "Talk of the Nation."  They were talking about people who had been out of work for a very long time and how they finally found work (yes, there is hope I promise). One woman they interviewed said that she decided to go on the TV game show, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" to make some money to tide her over while she kept searching for a job. She ended up winning $50,000 and she used this information to answer the question, "What have you been doing since your last job?" in the job interview. How's THAT for an interesting answer! It landed her the job by the way.

Well, while I loved hearing her story, I can tell you that most job seekers are not so lucky. In fact, according to several statistical studies, the odds of actually getting a job goes down significantly each month you remain unemployed. After 6 months, it becomes extremely difficult to land a job. On this same talk show, they reported that many employers actually advertise job listings that openly state that only employed people should apply. Only one state, New York, has made this practice illegal but I personally hope that all the other states will follow suit. I believe this is another type of discrimination that should not be tolerated. Many employers assume that there must be something wrong with a job candidate if they haven't had a job for a while. However, this just isn't true and you CAN turn it around I promise - I know because I work in a job center.

So what is the answer if you have been unemployed for a long time? How DO you get a job under these dire circumstances? What can you change that will make the difference?

I have good news for you - in fact, great news for you. I have worked with many job candidates that have been desperately searching for a job for more than 6 months with no luck (even if they are willing to take a big pay cut) that HAVE turned it around. Through working with these fine individuals, I have discovered that the single most effective change you can make is a radical change to your cover letter - a complete do over. Submitting a totally unique custom cover letter that contains persuasive marketing language that makes those reviewing the applications want to meet you can easily increase your odds 1000% or more. This is no exaggeration. I have seen it work many times.

I've worked with job candidates that were never called in for an interview suddenly start getting called in for interview after interview as soon as they changed their cover letter. Once you start getting called in for interviews, the odds of getting the job improve drastically. If you want to read how I discovered this originally and why I think it works so well,  you can read my post, "Cover Letter Templates - Should I Use them?"

Most people can not write the kind of cover letter I'm referring to but this software (which I review at the top of this page) produces really impressive perfectly worded and very unique cover letters in just a few minutes. Literally all you do is answer some questions and then hit a button. I can't even begin to tell you how happy it is has made many of my clients. It really does make a big difference. You can go here and review it for yourself.

Good luck to you - I'm sure your luck will change soon.

Cover Letter Templates - Should I Use Them?

Almost every new client that comes into my office that already has a job application prepared has included a cover letter that is a modified version of a cover letter template they found somewhere, usually on the internet or in a book.

Using a cover letter template does have the advantage of being able to easily and quickly create a cover letter than sounds professional. It also has the advantage of showing you a format that looks professional.

However, is sounding and looking professional enough to make the right impression?

Short answer: No, definitely not. You should not use cover letter templates in my opinion which is based on my experience helping my clients... let me explain...

Early on working in a job center, I found an obvious trend that remained a mystery to me (and my colleagues) for a long while but I finally figured it out....

The trend I was seeing was that for many jobs, candidates that were obviously LESS qualified were getting called for interviews over candidates who were obviously MORE qualified... and... they the obviously less qualified candidates were often getting hired over the obviously more qualified candidates. I just did not make sense at first and it happened so often I became very determined to find out why. In fact, it was such a mystery to me I started following up and calling the hiring managers at the various companies and I reviewed and re-reviewed the applications of both the successful and unsuccessful candidates. I also interviewed again many of the job applicants to determine if I could find any factors that might not show up on the applications.

In general, here is what I found....

First, I had initially suspected that this apparent mystery might be explained by who knew who, i.e. perhaps less qualified candidates were getting the interviews and jobs because of who they knew or perhaps who their family and/or friends knew. Surprisingly, this seemed to matter in only a very few cases so it was definitely not what was causing the general trend.

Second, other factors that you might think would be the top factors on who got called in for the interview: the quality of the resumes, the amount of work experience, education and special training, the quality of references, etc did NOT seem to matter as much as you might think. I don't mean to say they don't matter at all because of course they do to some degree but they don't seem to matter anywhere near as much as the conventional wisdom would indicate. I say this because I saw a large number of exceptions where the very best candidate that would shine above all the others in all or most of the factors listed above would not even get called in for an interview where another candidate who was obviously less qualified based on the factors listed above would get called in for an interview and even often get hired.

Third, after a while I finally figured out that the factor that actually seemed to be making the biggest difference was the lowly cover letter that most people didn't put much thought into except to make it sound and look professional (i.e. a modified template).... AND FURTHERMORE... it was NOT necessarily the most "professional" sounding cover letter that that was winning the most interviews. It tended to be cover letters that were totally unique and were not modeled after a template - totally different. It tended to be cover letters that did a good job in somehow "marketing" the candidate and enticing those that were reviewing the applications to want to meet them in a person. Of course, actually getting invited in for an interview is more than 90% of the battle most of the time! You essentially get your foot in the door and it's not all that difficult to get hired at that point.

Here's the key to what I found: Hiring managers and others reviewing these applications are often so inundated with applications, especially now is this incredibly tight job market, they simply don't have time to review carefully each and every resume, call all the references, etc for every candidate. Most of the time, they reduce narrow down the applications by reading the cover letters. If they are really intrigued by the cover letter, then they often just pick up the phone and invite you in immediately (sometimes even unofficially BEFORE the formal interviews), or at the least, they will review the rest of your application more carefully if they like your cover letter.

I have used this software to help many of my clients create a totally unique cover letter that also contains the marketing language needed to entice the hiring manager to call them in for an interview.  Almost no one can write in a style that will produce a more effective cover letter than what this software can produce in a matter of minutes. Sometimes we customize these letters a bit more but we get the "magical" marketing language by using this software. I should note that the software is designed to incorporate the appropriate "buzz words" for each major job industry. I also like how easy it is to use this software. I have tried other software but I've found this to produce the highest quality and most effective cover letters. You can check out this software for yourself by clicking here. My "mini-review" is found at the top of this page.

Good luck to you. I know how tough it can be but just you just need to persevere!

7 Cover Letter Tips That Will Get You Hired! (plus a valuable bonus)

Hi! Hope you're enjoying the summer weather! - and yes, I am well aware that you'd be able to enjoy it more if you could just get hired, right?Well,  help is on the way.... just keep reading...

I originally published a slightly different version of the article below for syndication in ezines, online newsletters, and other websites but it has gotten such a good response I thought I'd post it here as well. I'm also going to give you guys a bonus tip at the end that was not in the original article. So, here's actually 8 cover letter tips, not 7, that will get you hired (remember, these are tips that I have found to be very helpful to my clients in a job center):

You Need To Focus On Getting the Interview, NOT On Getting Hired

When most people write their cover letter, they have in their mind the goal of getting the job. They forget that applying for a job is 2 step process. You first have to get an interview in order to get a job. When the hiring manager reads your cover letter, they are focused on who to bring in for an interview, not who to hire, so that should be your focus too. I can't emphasize the importance of this enough.

You Should Specifically Ask For the Interview

It is well known in business that one of the most effective ways to increase sales is to actually ask for sales. You can apply this strategy to your cover letter as well. If you specifically ask for the interview in your letter, this will drastically increase your odds of actually getting the interview. Notice I didn't say ask for the job. Of course, this has to be done with finesse to be effective (read the bonus tip to learn how to do this).

You Should Definitely Keep It Short and Sweet

Don't be long-winded and don't try to cram in too many details. You want the hiring manager to notice you and invite you in for the interview - that's all - end of letter. You can give them more details in the interview. Yes, I know it can be difficult to be succinct and almost painful to edit out certain things... BUT if you really want to get hired, your cover letter needs to be short and sweet.

How Does Your Cover Letter Look When You Squint Your Eyes?

Beyond what it actually says, you want your letter to be as visually pleasing as possible. Think of your letter as a piece of abstract artwork and blur out the words as you look at it. How does it look? Remember, white space can be really important in how your cover letter appears visually. How are the blocks of text laid out? Is there any way to move them around and make them more visually appealing? You may need to play around with the formatting and borders.

Will They Want To Ask You Out For a Beer After Reading Your Cover Letter?

People hire people they like. Yes, it REALLY IS this simple! This is true even when they try to be "objective." In reality, no one really is completely objective, no matter how hard they try to be. They may be doing it subconsciously but the hiring manager will hire the person they like the most 99% of the time. If you come across as a likable person, someone they might like to have a beer with (or maybe a cup of joe), your odds of being hired improve drastically. Again though, conveying this in your succinct cover letter will take some finesse and you may need some help in the writing of your cover letter to get this point across without actually saying it.

You Should NEVER EVER Use a Cover Letter Template!

Again, I work in a job center and the vast majority of job seekers that come through my door that have been struggling to find a job pulled a cover letter template off the net or from a book and then modified it. This is a big mistake I assure you!! While this may get you a "professional" sounding cover letter, "professional" (at least what's in those templates) is NOT what you need to get the interview. In our testing, unique letters beat templates virtually every time. In fact, when I work with someone who is has been looking for work unsuccessfully for months, it often only takes this one change to their application to start getting interviews. In fact, this is the most important thing I've learned working with my clients - and it's the thing that has made the most difference to the most people.

Do You Understand the Magic of Marketing?

You can have the best product in the world but if it isn't marketed well, it will never sell well. When you are applying for a job, you need to think of yourself as the product. One of the most effective ways to sell yourself is by using time-tested marketing phrases in your letter that will push all the right psychological buttons. You also need some marketing mojo throughout and some finesse.

It's Probably Better If You Don't Write the Cover Letter Yourself

The vast majority of job candidates can not write the kind of cover letter I describe above. This doesn't mean you aren't the best person for the job. It just means you you don't have the ability to write the best possible cover letter that is going to market you in a way that they can see that. Getting help with your cover letter is probably the most important thing you can do to give yourself very best chance possible to get the job you want.

For a REALLY Easy and Effective Solution, You Should Use This Software

In working with my clients I have discovered this software - it is by far the easiest method I have found for creating the perfect cover letter that will market you well. It was developed by a true marketing genius. This guy gets paid a fortune just to write one page of sales copy - he's known throughout the marketing world as a wizard with words and is in very high demand. With this software, you can get his help without having to spend a fortune.  You can go here and get more details. It is the best cover letter help I have seen on the market anywhere and I've reviewed and tested MANY products. In addition to creating a really great cover letter, this software is super simple to use. You simply answer a few questions and then click a button... and yes, it is set up to be tailored for each job industry and will create a cover letter that is UNIQUE to you and you alone (these are the questions I get asked most often). Many of my clients have created a cover letter using this software and we have seen tremendous success with it.

Is Your Cover Letter Focused On the Wrong Thing?

Working in a job center, I read a lot of cover letters. Most of them seem to focus on wrong thing and I can truthfully say that the vast majority of job applicants would help their chances a lot if they would just ask for help on their cover letter.

Now, most experts will tell you that you are making a mistake if you focus on listing your accomplishments in your cover letter, no matter how good they are. They tell you to shift this focus to what you can offer to them. I don't disagree with the latter being better than the first but I have a very different take on what you should focus on in your cover letter - and my take is based on experience helping real clients in a job center.

Here's the bottom line. Both strategies above focus on getting hired when you should instead be submitting a cover letter that will inspire those reading it to invite you in for the interview.

That bears repeating and rephrasing:

In your cover letter, you should focus on getting an interview - NOT on getting the job - and to do this you need help.

Getting called for an interview is more than 90% of the battle - and you can't get the job if you don't first get the interview for 99% of all jobs. Let your cover letter serve as your first impression that gets you noticed and liked enough for them to want to meet you in person. Your cover letter needs charisma and charm. You need to come across as a dynamic person they just have to meet.

You need marketing language to accomplish this. You need succinct marketing language that draws them in with just a few sentences. To do this, I can't recommend highly enough this software. It has worked so well for so many of my clients I know it can help you too. It will definitely give you an "unfair advantage."

Cover Letter Help Is On the Way

I work at a career center where I help people in their job search. One of the most important things I've learned is that it's the cover letter, not the resume, that is the single most important factor to getting called for an interview. Therefore, I concentrate much of my effort doing everything I can to give job applicants cover letter help. Recruiters, HR personnel, and business managers all get so many resumes they have to very quickly go through the stack and make some super quick decisions to create two piles. The bigger pile consists of the discards. The smaller pile consists of the resumes that were accompanied by really GREAT cover letters that caught their attention. Notice I said great cover letters, not good cover letters, and not even very good cover letters. You must have a GREAT cover letter to compete well these days and that is nearly impossible to write on your own. Even people who are very smart and very well educated can't write a cover letter in a style that is going to motivate most hiring managers to call them in for an interview. In fact, most educated people usually write rather boring cover letters that are sure to get their resume thrown into the discard pile.

Most of the large companies have already downsized a good deal and they're looking for ways to downsize some more. The small to medium businesses really can't afford to hire more people because of how uncertain the future economy is now. They are in therefore in a holding pattern and that means they are not hiring. That means that there are way more people applying for jobs than there are open job positions. The job market has gotten so tight it is scary in fact. At the career center, I see people all the time who are used to living a very nice lifestyle not even being able to buy groceries for their children.

If you want to compete in this extremely competitive job market, you'd be a fool not to take every step you can to give yourself an advantage. You've got to be in the top 1% of the job applicants if you want to guarantee you'll get a job in this tight market.  I highly recommend obtaining a really good cover letter software package that can help you write a killer cover letter.  Click here for the package I recommend above all the others. It will give you better cover letter help than most professional job coaches. That's why I recommend it to all my clients. The reason it is so good is it was developed by a guru of marketing whose job was to write sales copy designed to maximize profit by motivating people to buy products and services. He is the king of successfully motivating people to a specific action such as buying a certain product or getting the hiring manager to call you in for an interview. He is in high demand because his sales letters perform better than any others in the industry. He just has a way with words that a powerful almost hypnotic effect on people. It's marketing magic. He has applied this extraordinary ability to his cover letter software. This software is so powerful I have seen it produce amazing results. I've worked with many people who were not getting any response at all from sending in their resumes and cover letters. Then, they get this software and use it to generate a cover letter that knocks it out of the park. Voila. All of a sudden, they start getting invited to interview for jobs. They say money can't buy happiness. Well, for $39.95 I've seen this cover letter software send people shrieking for joy. If you are job hunting, I'm sure it could provide cover letter help for you too.

Cover Letter Help - How To Find Out Who To Address It To

Another post that surprised me on a recent survey of a job board was this:

Now this guy needed cover letter help!

He had found out about a job online and was planning to submit his resume. He knew it was better to address a cover letter to a specific person, rather than the generic "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear HR Manager." He was desperately trying to find out the name of the person by searching the website online but couldn't find it. Several other people on the board chimed in and suggested he try certain online business databases to find out who he could email.

This was quite a lengthy discussion and I was quite amused that this "tech generation" didn't see the obvious...

Pick up the phone, the old fashioned phone, and dial and make friends with the person or persons on the other end of the line. Secretaries, administrative assistants, and office managers are often the real powerhouses, the engines, of businesses and organizations. They hold the key to everything and help everything flow along smoothly. Show them the respect they deserve, be kind, have a sense of humor, be patient, and you will get all the information you need... including who to address your cover letter to. Hope this helped. Be sure to check out this incredible tool to help create a totally unique cover letter.

Good luck to you all in your job hunting.

Cover Letter Help - Should I Include a Cover Letter With My Resume?

I was reading through an online job discussion board recently and I came across a few threads I just couldn't believe. People were actually asking, "Should I include a cover letter with my resume?"

At first, I couldn't believe job seekers would actually ask a question that has what I consider to be such an obvious answer. However, the more I read I realized these poor stressed out job seekers had been reading the advice of others on the net who were actually advocating for NOT sending a cover letter with your resume.

What bone headed so called expert started this round of really bad advice, who knows!

I just want to warn you that if you see this suggestion, ignore it! The cover letter is usually the first thing most employers look at when reviewing resumes and many won't even read your resume if you don't include one of they don't like what they see in the cover letter. The cover letter is an essential part of any job application. Do not omit this important step. In fact, you should spend time customizing your cover letter for each application. The only exception would be in the employer explicitly states not to send a cover letter in the job advertisement. However, this should be very rare and the only time I can think of is if they are asking you to submit it online and they are running it through some automated software to check for keywords. Even then though, you can use the body of your email as a cover letter of sorts... just abbreviate it a little.

You most definitely need a cover letter, in fact you need a cover letter that is going to set you apart from other applicants. It is actually MORE important than your resume. Check out this site for a tool that will help you create a very unique and professional cover letter. It has really helped my clients get more interviews.

Amazing Cover Letter Creator - One Key Factor That Makes It Work

I forgot to mention before one key factor that makes "Amazing Cover Letter Creator" it work so well. One of the questions it asks you is what type of profession. This can be education, insurance business, office management, etc, etc... The key here is that Jim Sweeney has built into his cover letter software program the essential keywords and key phrases that are used in each industry and then he beautifully merges these keywords with his own marketing magic words which of course is the recipe for making the hiring manager go, "WOW, I've really got to get this person in here for an interview!"

Cover Letter Help - Don't Lose Sight of the Primary Goal

Working in a career center, a common problem that I see is that people get so distracted by all the things it takes to create a resume, they lose sight of the primary goal. Now, can you figure out what the primary goal is? Is it creating the best resume possible? Well, it shouldn't be. While it's true it should be a strong secondary goal, it should not be the primary goal. Is the primary goal to apply for as many jobs as possible? Well, there again, that is a great secondary goal but it should not be the primary goal. The PRIMARY GOAL should be to land the interview and ultimately the job. Everything you do, whether it be working on your resume, networking, hunting for jobs online, reading helpful articles, etc, etc... everything you do should be centered around this primary goal.

Let me explain something. Right now, you may be focused on applying for as many jobs as you can. On the surface, this may seem like the smartest thing to do. You may be thinking that the more jobs you apply to, the higher chance you have of getting a job overall. But think about it this way. Let's say for each job you apply, you have a 1% chance of actually getting the job. The more jobs you apply to, you can multiply each application you submit by 1 to get your overall percent chance of getting some kind of job. So, if you apply for a 100 jobs, you would have a 100% chance of getting a job. Hey, it's REALLY HARD to apply for 100 jobs and do it well each and every time!! What if you work smarter, not harder? What if you do something that will increase your odds for each job you apply? Let's say you could raise your odds for every application to an average of 20% instead of 1%. Think about it. You'd only have to apply for 5 jobs to arrive at a 100% chance that you'd get a job overall!! Doesn't this seem easier to do?

But wait a minute...

How are you going to increase your odds of getting a job by 20 times? That's a huge increase... but guess what, it's very doable.

I'm about to reveal to you a secret weapon you can use to increase your odds of getting a job for any job application by 20% or more. It all has to do with cover letters.  Yes, a one page document could literally change the rest of your life.

Many people just slap together a cover letter from some cover letter template they find. They just don't realize how important a cover letter is to the job application. This is a BIG mistake. Another high percentage of job hunters actually work really hard trying to craft the perfect cover letter. The problem is no matter how much they fret and sweat over it, they are just not the kind of writer that can put together the perfect magic combination of words that is going to motivate a hiring manager to pick up the phone and call them them in for an interview. The fact is that very few of us have that kind of magic.

If you fall into either of the categories of people above (more than 99% of all the job seekers I've worked with do), you need cover letter help. Now, you could go out and hire a professional cover letter writer to help you but not only would that be really expensive, it would be quite a gamble. It takes a really special talent for writing to create the kind of copy you need to motivate the hiring manager to invite you for an interview. Frankly, most professional career consultants don't have this gift. They may be good at what they do but what we are looking for here is AWESOME. In today's very competitive job market, good just doesn't work any more. You have to have an awesome cover letter.

So, what is the best solution to this problem? Read on...

The best solution to get the kind of cover letter help you need is to use software created by one of the rare few people I describe above that has that special gift for words - words that motivate people to do what you want them to do. Jimmy Sweeney is one of these exceptional people, and lucky for you, he has, with a team of programmers, injected his special marketing magic into his cover letter writing software. This software is called Amazing Cover Letter Creator - and boy does it live up to its name, it is AMAZING. I have personally reviewed multiple software packages all claiming to create great cover letters. The truth is I have found a few others that create good cover letters, i.e. cover letters that aren't so bad they'd get laughed at but not good enough to really stand out and get you chosen for the interview. I've found only one piece of software that creates AWESOME cover letters that I guarantee will get noticed and help you achieve your primary goal - to get called in for interviews and land the job. That software is Jimmy Sweeney's Amazing Cover Letter Creator, created by the marketing mastermind himself. If you are really serious about getting a job and you don't want to just spin your wheels for months, you need to get this software now and put it to good use.