Four Topics to Avoid in your Cover Letter

Cover letters are important. They’re a chance to show an employer how you’re different from other jobseekers in your field. They’re a way to showcase your communication skills. They’re the employer’s first impression of you.  There’s lots of potential for either consideration or rejection via your cover letter. So let’s take advice from Jerome Young’s [...]

No Need for Buzzwords in Your Resume

This morning I wrote about Kerry Sandberg Scott’s advice to NOT customize your resume to each job. Well she thoughtfully followed it up by disputing another urban legend: the need for buzzwords in your resume in order for it to get seen. Here’s why she says that’s not true: Most companies don’t use applicant tracking [...]

Customize Your Cover Letter – But Not Your Resume

Are you spending hours customizing your resume to each job opening you apply for? That must be time consuming. Well Kerry Sandberg Scott wrote another spot-on post we can all learn from. She thinks it’s crazy to customize your resume to each job. After all, your experience is the same so what do you need [...]

6 Reasons to Write a Cover Letter

When application instructions say, “To apply please send resume and cover letter to…” you should really send both. And here’s why. Brianna Raymond at Pongo Resume wrote a great post with 6 reasons why you should include a cover letter. Here are 3: “It shows that you’re serious about the opportunity” – Taking the time [...]

How to Introduce Yourself to a Recruiter

Imagine you’re desperate for a job, and want to contact the recruiter directly, but don’t know what to say… Well Abby Schwarz has sharp advice for how to and how not to introduce yourself to a recruiter. Here are a few: Do NOT ask what they can do for you. DO first ask if they [...]

How to Differentiate Yourself from the Crowd

How can you stand among hundreds of other job candidates? The simple answer: Be the most qualified. But that’s hard to determine and not always possible. So Kerry Sandberg Scott has another tip: Mail a hard copy of your resume and cover letter to the employer. Make sure you follow directions by first applying through the [...]

How to Stand Out In Your Job Search

Expert Jason Seiden has 5 tips on how research can help you find your next job. Here are three: Influence the position description – Every person does a job differently. So show the hiring manager what you can do for them, and help them define what the position requirements should be with you in place. [...]