In a job search, you’ll need to research a prospective company at least two separate times (but most likely more): (1) when you’re applying for the position (writing your cover letter especially!) and (2) when you’re preparing for an interview. (Bonus: (3) before either of these, when you reach out to talk with someone there […]
I love that so many interviews happen at coffee shops. Not only is it wildly entertaining, but it gives me plenty of useful information to share with you. During my most recent eavesdropping session, I got some tips on how to make yourself an appealing candidate, even when you lack experience. A young man showed […]
Bridget here. So I work with Stacey behind-the-scenes on social media, editing, writing, and design projects. You haven’t heard from me much, but I recently applied for a job as a proofreader, and the interviewer told me she really liked my cover letter. How often does that happen? I was sure it had everything to […]
At a recent breakfast meeting with HR professionals, as we waited with coffee in hand for the program to start, I asked the recruiters and hiring managers sitting at my table about their perspectives on cover letters. Here’s what I learned: If there’s something that needs to be explained—perhaps a gap in employment or why […]
The standard three-paragraph format for writing a LinkedIn summary is (1) describe what you do, (2) share a few attributes, and (3) have a call to action (“I’m looking for a new role…” or “Feel free to connect with me…”). I encourage more personality in LinkedIn profiles. Especially because increasingly hiring managers and recruiters use […]
In talking with a couple of hiring managers this week, we got on the topic of marketing materials. I heard the good, the bad and the ugly. The good? A cover letter from an under-qualified candidate that landed him an interview. You see, he’d done his homework and realized that his background in construction operations […]
Recently, I did a webinar on how to write a great cover letter. It’s been a frequently requested webinar topic – I think intuitively people know that the style of cover letters has changed, but they need some guidelines or suggestions for content. If you missed it you can watch the webinar here or I’ll […]
Nothing thrills me more than when I’m working with a client and they exclaim “Hold on. Let me write that down. That’s the perfect way to say that.” I love nailing something – whether it be with words or timing. It isn’t that I have something special with words. I just listen carefully and intuitively. […]
There’s been an interesting thread in one of my LinkedIn groups about a cover letter (The Daily Muse: 7/16/12) written by a recent grad promoting himself. Lots of professionals weighing in on whether they’d interview him based on the cover letter. My unscientific analysis — 70% turned off, 30% intrigued. The style is cheesy and […]
