Tag: cover letter
Your cover letter creates a first impression. To create the best possible impression, it needs to be written with passion and excellence.
The cover letter is an introduction letter, which highlights a candidate’s specific skills and talents. Its’ purpose is to give the prospective employer an overall idea of who the candidate is, and quickly describes his or her individual credentials. The cover letter aims to set the writer apart from hundreds of other candidates. Each sentence should make an impact on the reader. The tone of the cover letter should be positive, confident, and concise (the cover letter should be no longer than one page).
In the first paragraph, the candidate should state a reason for writing to the company, the position he/she is applying for, and what attracted him/her to work at the specific company. They can also provide the company with the source; where they learned about the job opening.
In the next couple of short paragraphs, the candidate needs to provide a professional description of who he/she is, and why his/her qualifications match the description of the job opening. As part of the description, the candidates should include a quick synopsis of his/her education, knowledge, experience, and why it is relevant to the job and to the company.
To close, the candidate needs to be assertive and offer a plan to the receiver of the letter, like ‘I will be calling you next Tuesday to discuss the possibility of meeting at the end of next week’. The job seeker also needs to mention that he/she is enclosing his/her resume, and needs to finish the letter by thanking the reader for their time, and for considering her or him for the position.
The job applicant needs to make sure that the cover letter has accurate contact information, including telephone number, cell number, e-mail address, and complete mailing address. He/she needs to sign the cover letter with pride, knowing that he/she did a good job at giving a quick synopsis of his/her credentials to the company.
For more cover letter tips, read these posts:
Cover Letter Tips: The Three Biggest Cover Letter Mistakes
Cover Letter Tips: How to Write a Cover Letter E-mail
Cover Letter Tips: How to Write a Cover Letter that Showcases Your Bilingual Skills
Be sure to check out the new bilingual jobs posted at www.bilingualjobfair.com… your next job could be waiting!
October 15, 2009
Whether you are writing a formal cover letter or a cover letter e-mail, take care to avoid these three common mistakes job applicants make:
1. The first paragraph is not impactful enough to make the reader go to the next paragraph. Don’t start a cover letter with something like “I am currently looking for a position…”. So is everybody else who applies for the job. Instead, think long and hard about your individual traits, experience and attributes. Present your uniqueness to the company right away, in a memorable and professional first paragraph. For example, you can start with something like this: “Out of all of the job openings in the Los Angeles area, the position for marketing manager appealed the most to me because I can create advertising and marketing campaigns and use my experience in both fields. Plus, the opportunity to use my bilingual skills while providing customer service to the Latino community is the most attractive part of the job to me.” Doesn’t that sound more interesting than making a statement that you are ‘looking for a position’?
2. The candidate does not present who they are in the cover letter. This is the most important aspect of the cover letter; to accurately portray who you are to the company, to discuss what sets you apart from the rest of the stack of resumes the company gets each day and to showcase your abilities to the employer. We see a trend these days, in applicants concentrating on applying for many jobs in one day (volume) rather than on individual quality applications to specific companies. As such, many job candidates have ‘generic cover letters’ that they send out for every position, rather than specifically addressing the person they are writing to and tailoring the letter to the specific job opening. The same format and words do not apply to every job opening, and applicants need to take the time to tailor their cover letters to make a good first impression. To learn more about introducing yourself to a company, take a look at the Bilingual Job Search Tips: How to Write an Inquiry E-Mail and ‘Cover Letter Tips: How to Write a Cover Letter E-mail’.
3. The cover letter has incorrect grammar or several words are misspelled in the letter. Simply stated, these days there is no excuse for misspelled words in an inquiry e-mail or in a cover letter, especially when we have spell check on our computers. To be honest, when I receive an e-mail or a cover letter with several misspelled words, I assume that the applicant does not have enough pride in checking his or her work prior to sending it to me, or enough drive to do what’s right. I conclude that I do not want him or her representing my company with the same lack of pride and drive. So before you send it, spell-check it, because it could cost you great opportunities if you don’t.
October 2, 2009
Whether you are sending an e-mail to inquire about or apply for a position, your e-mail needs to complement your resume in style and in print. Make sure it looks like it is a part of your resume, not an afterthought.
Following is an example of a cover letter e-mail you can use that showcases language skills:
Cover Letter E-Mail Sample in Response to a Posted Job Opening
To: E-mail address specified in the job description, or the email address of a specific person in the company (Remember, check spelling!)
Subject: The job title in the advertisement and/or the job reference number (Be sure to CAPITALIZE THE JOB TITLE!)
Mr. or Mrs.______ (or use Director of Human Resources for ______ the Name of Company),
Today I saw your position of ‘English as a Second Language teacher’ at Coastal Carolina Community College advertised on the Daily News web site. I received my undergraduate degree in Education in 1989 and my Master’s degree in Education in 1992. I have been teaching at both the high school and community college level for the past twenty years. I have recently relocated to this area and feel my background is a solid fit for the position you have available.
In addition to the fact that I have taught for twenty years, I am bilingual myself. I have volunteered in the community where I am from, and have participated in outreach programs to increase the numbers of foreign students attending the community college. I love what I do, and would like the opportunity to sit down with you for an interview. My contact information is listed below.
Your time and consideration is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Complete Address
Phone number
Cell number
E-mail Address
Keep in mind that the cover letter e-mail can be your first step in the door. Before sending your cover letter e-mail, you can have someone else proofread your e-mail, to make sure that you are making a good impression and differentiating your credentials and experience from those of other potential candidates. For more advice on writing a cover letter e-mail, read this post.
October 1, 2009
Here are some tips for writing a cover letter e-mail to a company that has advertised a job opening and requested applications via e-mail.
1. Tailor your e-mail to the the specific company and the specific position you are applying for. Do some homework on the company you are targeting. Learn all you can about who they are, what they are trying to achieve, who comprises their customer base, what their products or services are, and who their competitors are. That way, your e-mail can more specifically describe how your skills help them meet their goals. (For suggestions, check out some sample cover letter paragraphs here and here.)
2. Be sure to follow the employer’s directions for sending your information. List the position you are applying for in the subject line of the e-mail, and include a reference code if directed. If the employer allows you to attach your resume, do so.
3. Pay attention to detail. Make sure to include all of your contact information within the body of the e-mail. Check your spelling and grammar. Then, send a copy of the e-mail to yourself first, to make sure the formatting works. If everything looks good, send it on to the employer.
4. Be proactive, follow up, and stay positive! Don’t forget to thank the employer for their time and consideration in reviewing your documents. And ask for an interview. This is your chance to tell them you are eagerly waiting to hear from them in order to set up an interview.
September 29, 2009
Question: The company I want to work for has a bilingual customer service position open and that they need someone who speaks Spanish. I am totally fluent and the job description is exactly what I am looking for! The job post instructs candidates to apply by e-mail. Do I need a cover letter when applying this way? Is it less formal? Or should I just send over my resume?
Answer: Yes, you need to send an email in place of a formal cover letter! Your e-mail should enlighten the reader to the same points and should be just as well-written as a formal cover letter. (For tips on writing a formal cover letter that showcases your bilingual skills, read this post, this post and this post.) Your goal is the same: get the employer to be intrigued by you and to eagerly read your resume. What you have to say in this e-mail can be the deciding factor between you and an equally qualified candidate who might be the next resume in line.
Don’t just send your resume! The cover letter e-mail reveals much more to the employer than a resume alone does. The resume tells your history, your experience, and your past achievements. The cover letter e-mail provides you the opportunity to pinpoint how you can use all of this experience to fulfill what this company needs and to meet their goals. It should confirm that you are the right person for the job; the one person they have been looking for.
Check back for tips for writing a cover letter e-mail.
September 25, 2009
Here are some tips for writing an e-mail to a company inquiring about possible job openings when no openings have been advertised.
1. Address the email to a specific person. Use the internet or personal contacts to find out who does the hiring and to learn their email address. Or just make a quick phone call to the employer and find out. Don’t address the letter to “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”. When you do this, it says that you have not taken the time to do your homework. It indicates that you are just sending emails and resumes out to numerous employers and hoping one will stick. It does not look as if you have a high level of interest in this particular company.
2. Start your email off with an interesting sentence. For example, “My ten years of experience in _____ makes me an excellent match for a position in your _____ department.” Then be sure to mention how you became bilingual, such as, “I lived in Argentina for twelve years and am fluent in Spanish and English.” You can get more suggestions for how to do this by reading How to Write a Cover Letter that Showcases Your Bilingual Skills.
3. Make sure that your email is as well written as a formal cover letter would be. Make sure there are no misspelled words and that you have used proper grammar. Use your spell-check! Your goal is to encourage the employer to eagerly read your resume next. Use a conversational but professional tone.
Next we will discuss sending a cover letter e-mail for a specific job opening.
September 24, 2009
Remember, when writing a cover letter that highlights your bilingual skills, as demonstrated by the cover letter examples I posted last week, it is important to present the advantages of how being bilingual would benefit the specific company and field, while showcasing your individual knowledge. In my examples, I tried to showcase my understanding of the Hispanic market; a market that provides brand loyalty and likes a personal connection, as well as personal service. That’s why I brought those points up in my sample cover letter paragraphs; to showcase my knowledge.
My goal was to let the company reading the cover letter understand clearly that I have a desire to help them conquer the Hispanic market and that I have the extra understanding and skills to get it done. That should always be your goal; to match the responsibilities of the position with your experience and with your knowledge… and being bilingual is certainly an advantage you have to offer to any company. Bring it up. It’s important in the global business world we live in.
September 21, 2009
Here is another cover letter example using a different business scenario in which you can explain how your bilingual skills would be beneficial to the company where you are applying. As with yesterday’s example, you will be able to see in the sample paragraph below how I showcased the fact that I am bilingual – along with my individual knowledge of the Hispanic market.
This example is for a sales or customer service position at an insurance company. Again, I’m going to include a paragraph in the cover letter about the fact that I’m bilingual and bring up some of my Hispanic market experience and knowledge.
Sample paragraph: “Today I am applying for the bilingual sales/customer service position at ____ (insurance company name) because I see the need to provide the Spanish population with more insurance knowledge and with more choices. My goal would be to have a more personal connection with your clients and to service them in their own language, to create more brand loyalty. I can write, read and speak Spanish and English fluently, and would like an opportunity to meet and discuss your Hispanic market plans in more detail. I believe that I can be an asset to ____ (insurance company name).”
September 18, 2009
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of showcasing your bilingual skills to prospective employers in your cover letter (Cover Letter Tips: How to Write a Cover Letter that Showcases Your Bilingual Skills). Today I want to give you a cover letter example that demonstrates an actual business scenario, in which you can explain how being bilingual is advantageous to the company where you are applying. You will be able to see, in the sample paragraph below, how I showcased the fact that I am bilingual – along with my individual knowledge of the Hispanic market.
This example is for a bilingual sales or customer service position at a wireless company. I am going to dedicate a paragraph in the cover letter to being bilingual and to my Hispanic market experience. I will also mention some research and specific knowledge about the market. Of course, you can tailor it to your specific skills and knowledge.
Sample paragraph: “By being totally fluent in Spanish and in English, I can communicate with the company’s management as well as with the company’s clients. I understand that the Hispanic community outspends the non-Hispanic in cell phone usage; that over 65% have cell phones, and that brand loyalty is very high among Latinos, especially if they have received good personal service from a company. That is why being bilingual can be beneficial to _____ (wireless company name) and that is why I would love to become part of the team; to develop the company’s Hispanic market to the next level.”
September 17, 2009
If you are bilingual, you might want to designate a paragraph in your cover letter to specifically highlight your bilingual skills. Here’s how to do it:
Cover letter tips for showcasing your bilingual skills if you have work experience: Provide two brief business experiences, in which being bilingual helped you in your previous company.
Example 1: You can say something like “Being bilingual and being able to write, read and speak fluently in English and in Spanish has been beneficial to my current employer, especially when we had business visitors from countries in South America and when the company was looking to purchase a plant in Ecuador. In both instances, I was able to help my company communicate better.” These extra skills and examples can set you apart from the other job candidates. Read my post titled The Advantages of Being Bilingual for more thoughts on this.
Example 2: If you are fluent, let’s say in English and Spanish, you can tell the prospective employer that research shows that Hispanics like to speak their own language when purchasing a product or service, especially if they are in stage 1 or 2 of learning English (see my post The Five Stages of Becoming Bilingual for more on this) and that you can help them connect more with their customers – because you can communicate in English with management and in Spanish with the clients. Please notice that in this particular case, you are bringing up your additional knowledge of the company’s clientele and you also mentioned a research study.
Cover letter tips for showcasing your bilingual skills if you don’t have work experience yet: Provide a personal experience in which being bilingual helped you assist someone, or helped you as a volunteer with an organization, or during your internship.
Describe your personal experience: You can designate a paragraph in your cover letter to your bilingual skills, and how knowing two languages can help the specific company. You can say something like: “When volunteering at the clinic, I was able to translate between the patients and the nurses, and the rest of the medical staff, and can help your company in the same capacity.” In other words, because you lack the experience, you can bring in your volunteer work and how you’ve been able to help as a volunteer. Here, you can also mention how you were able to help a company or an organization during your internship.
Remember, the cover letter is an introduction letter of who you are to a prospective company. You need to showcase an array of your personal skills, including your bilingual skills, because they can set you apart from other candidates.
Check back tomorrow for more cover letter tips, including sample cover letters that highlight bilingual skills.
September 16, 2009
