Job Cover Letter Tips

Writing job cover letters has long been a very difficult task for a lot of people. Some people just write any old thing down, whack into the mail and send it off - genuinely thinking "it'll be OK." It won't be OK, but they generally only get one chance and that's it. Job application over in the first round. These people need some job cover letter tips, for sure.

There is absoutely no shame at all in getting help with your cover letter and the rest of your job application. None at all. Everyone needs a little help now and then. Ask your local plumber (Joe) if he can help you with your computer problems. Just get the help you need when you need it and be glad you got it.

We have also seen so much arrogance from people applying for various jobs. These people think they are God's gift to employers. They just do not realize how silly they are making themselves look - but they are so full of themselves they cannot see any further than their own ego. If arrogance and ignorance were an important part of any job application, we would be advocating it. Job cover letter tips are for this type of person, too.

We are not saying this nastily in any way. It is just that many people take everything they read in the papers and on the Internet and believe it to be true. There is an awful lot of good information and tips & tricks on the MSN Careers web site. It is a mine of information, but at Hollybrook Marketing we don't always agree with it. Some of that info is dished out by people that haven't actually done it themselves, but believe it to be the right thing to do.

It is not too difficult to check on anyone's background and previous work history. For the arrogant people, you are much likely to get a different story to the one they are trying to get you to believe.

Job Cover Letter Tips - 1.  Be Honest & Truthful

Be honest and truthful in your cover letter about your qualifications. Do not come across as arrogant, or a know all. Use your words wisely.

Our How to Write a Job Cover Letter guide will advise you on all of this.

One of our favorite Job Cover Letter Tips (from other people) that we see quite a lot is the follow-up challenge. We call it a challenge because we have often challenged people to prove to us that it is the right thing to do. It isn't, and often it will be detrimental to your chances. We believe in follow-ups but far more subtly, and trust us, there are some real good ways of doing it, too.

Stop and think long and hard about your follow-up strategy. Most follow-ups tend to occur after an interview has taken place - but the strategy for the job cover letter follow-up below is exactly the same and can be applied to both areas.

Job Cover Letter Tips - 2.  Should We Follow Up?

Should we follow-up or not? Some career advising big shots say YES, others like us, say NO - or at least stop and think about it. The first thing we should think about is the person who will be conducting the job application process. One person usually takes care of the process - sifting through the cover letters, selecting the ones she likes the sound of, and deciding who she would like to interview. We know nothing of that person and how she views things.

Some people maintain that by following-up after your cover letter has been sent in, or after your interview, is a good thing and will keep you in the mind of the interviewer. Others us, including us at Hollybrook Marketing,  believe that this may be a little "insulting" to the person organising the hiring process. Are we implying that they may have forgotten about us? Do they need reminding about us? Will following up make us more impressive or visible to the person?

We advocate NO to follow-ups unless you have been asked to follow-up, or were advised you would be contacted in two weeks and after three weeks you have heard nothing. These two criteria would be acceptable to us. Following-up in any other scenario might be detrimental to your application. We know of four such people that followed up - even though follow-ups were not advised - and were discarded from the selection process. Do it at your peril!

We have a more comprehensive section on follow-ups in our "How to Write a Job Cover Letter" guide which will further advise you on follow-ups.

Job Cover Letter Tips - 3.  Stay Consistent in your Format.

Is that you retain the same format throughout and keep things consistent. Keep the typeface (font) the same throughout. Do not use color whatsoever, and if you absolutely have to, then use a shade gray - perhaps 75% black. Always keep white space between paragraphs - as on this page - it is much easier to read. Also stay business-minded when writing your cover letter. Don't forget! The job your are applying for might entail business writing and official business documentation. If it does, then your cover letter will be judged with scrutiny for spelling and grammar content.

Job Cover Letter Tips - 4.  Be Natural - Don't Try Too Hard To

One of the biggest errors we find when people apply for a new job via their cover letters, is that they try too hard to impress the reader or the company to whom they are applying. Slight exaggerations you may get away with, but that is about as far as you take it. Your cover letter and your qualifications should be spot on in honesty and truthfulness. No exceptions. If you try a little BS or a little bragging, you will be found out - generally to your detriment. In other words, you won't get the job. There are tons of job cover letter tips in our how to write a job cover letter guide.

Our How to Write a Job Cover Letter guide will take you through the whole process - all in baby steps, so to speak. We cover everything including formatting, how to say this or that, how to do pretty much everything required in any type of cover letter.

No longer do you need to worry about writing a job covering letter. Our brand new How to Write a Job Cover Letter guide will:

• Teach you the skills you need to write those job covering letters.
  
• Teach you Job Cover Letter Tips and Tricks that few people know.
  
• Show you how to impress the HR department with your cover letter.
  
• Show you what to include in your letter, and what NOT to include.
  
• Show you how to use the right words at the right time in your letter.

This guide will help you get an unfair advantage over your competition.

You will be amazed at what you will learn, and very quickly you will be able to put a real nice Job Covering Letter together to put you head and shoulders above your competition in the interview line.

Knowing how to write a job covering letter is probably the most important part of the whole job application process. Remember, you only get one crack at applying for a job. You cannot stop and start over. Once your letter is in, it's in and you will be initially judged on your job covering letter. Our new guide will give you all the confidence you need for your letter. We have lots of job cover letter tips, too.

Click the box below to learn more about this guide that will help you when you are next faced with Writing a Covering Letter for a Job. 

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Hollybrook Marketing