How to Write an Interview Winning Resume and Cover Letter

How to Write an Interview Winning Resume and Cover LetterHow to Write an Interview Winning Resume and Cover LetterAre you ready to apply for a job? For most professional positions, youll need to do more than fill out a job application or email a resume. Its not enough to just send in your titelbild letter and resume - you need to make sure the two documents have been written in such a way that theyll get you an interview. After all, winning an interview is your main goal when you apply for a job. If you take the time totailor your resumefor each job you apply for, and you write atargeted cover letterthat shows the employer why youre a strong match for the job, you will increase the odds of getting selected for an interview. Its worth investing the time to show the hiring manager that youve got the qualifications they are looking for. Heres how to match your qualifications to the jobby following a few simple steps. Ready to get started? Below you will find writing tips for your resume , cover letter, and curriculum vitae, as well as sample resumes, cover letters, and thank-you letters. Plus, have a glance at some great advice for every step of your job application, including tips for crafting all your job search correspondence. Taken together, this information will empower you to write an interview-winning cover letter and resume that will impress the employer. How to Write Effective Resumes and Cover Letters Step One Resumes and Cover Letter Writing GuideAs you get started, this guide will introduce you to the steps and stages required to write effective resumes and cover letters, including worksheets, resume samples, cover letters samples, skills lists, content and appearance suggestions, and a proofreading checklist.Step Two Review Resume, Cover Letter, and CV SamplesThroughout your job search and subsequent career, you will need to be able to write job-related letters, resumes, and summaries. Review our collection of free sample resumes, cover letters, cu rriculum vitae (CVs), resignation letters, thank-you letters, letters to accept or decline a new job, and more career-related letters.Getting a glimpse of these examples will help you craft your own successful letters and resume. Use the samples as a starting point for your own job-hunting communications. Step Three Know What Resume and Cover Letter Mistakes to AvoidA typo or a grammatical error in a cover letter, a resume, or in a job application can be enough to knock you out of contention for a job. Here are some of the most common errors job applicants make and how to avoid them.Step Four Write Your ResumeLearn how to write a perfect resume for your job search, with this step-by-step guide for creating a professional resume.Step Five Check Out Professional Resume-Writing ResourcesDo you need one-on-one resume help? Writing a resume is hard work and its important to get help, or at least have your resume reviewed, before you send it to employers. Heres more information on where t o find free or low-cost resume writing help. Step Six Craft Your Cover LetterDiscover how to write an effective cover letter find details on the different fonts of cover letters and how to format them. Plus, see samples of every type of cover letter. How to Write a Curriculum Vitae If you are applying to international jobs or to positions in academia or in the research, scientific, or medical industry sectors, you may be required to submit a curriculum vitae (also known as a CV). Here is why, when, and how to write a curriculum vitae (also known as a CV). Find out if you should be using a CV to apply for jobs instead of a resume. How to Write Supplemental Job Search Correspondence Do you want to inquire about a job opening? Are you unsure how to accept or decline a position? Need to send a networking letter? Get tips on sending these types of professional letters and other job search correspondence. How to Write Thank-You Letters Find out when you need to send a thank-yo u letter, and what details to include in your note. Browse through sample thank-you letters and other job search correspondence. How to Prepare Job Applications and Portfolios Job Applications Here is everything you need to know to complete an employment application, including how to apply for jobs online, via email, and in person. Includes samples, examples, and advice on the best way to apply.Portfolios An online portfolio provides a way to reveal your credentials to the world. It allows you to package the best evidence of your candidacy for employment such as your resume, artwork, reports, lesson plans, transcripts, certifications, articles, letters, and more. How to Acquire and Present References Find out how to provide references if youre asked for them, as well as how to request that someone be a reference for you. Read answers to frequently asked questions about reference checks, and find sample reference and recommendation letters.

Why Your LinkedIn Invitation Was Rejected - The Muse

Why Your LinkedIn Invitation Was Rejected - The MuseWhy Your LinkedIn Invitation Was Rejected Theres been some debate over how to use LinkedIn. Some suggest connecting with only people you know and work with, while others encourage inviting people to your network the same way you would with Twitter- in other words, adding anyone and everyone. No matter which philosophy you follow, theres one hurdle youll always have to overcome getting people to accept.Obviously, we all know to scrap the generic Id like to connect with you message and send a personalized invite. (Right?) But even that doesnt guarantee that a LinkedIn invite will be accepted. Here are a few more reasons you might not be getting the connections you want- and what to do instead. 1. Your Message Lacks Meaningful IntentionWhat is the difference between these two LinkedIn invites?I attended your workshop on entrepreneurship last week and would like to connect with you on LinkedIn.It was a pleasure chatting with you about entrepreneurship after your workshop last week, and Id love to keep in touch.Its a really minor difference, but the second one feels easier to accept because its clear what the person extending the invitation wants. The first invitation is just a little too open-ended. Its not clear why the person wants to connect, and that makes it harder for someone to accept this invite. Make sure your invite has a straightforward and, ideally, mutually beneficial reason for connecting. 2. Youre Selling SomethingThere is one caveat to the previous rule of thumb for LinkedIn invites. While you do want to include why you are interested in connecting, you definitely dont want to include in your LinkedIn invite whatever it is that youre selling or pitching. Theres just something off-putting about being sold to during one of the very first interactions you have with someone. So, dont do it. The LinkedIn invite is just not the place.3. Your LinkedIn Profile Is IncompleteSo, now that your LinkedIn invit e is all faux pas free, its time to have a look at your profile. It looks almost suspicious if youre actively adding contacts on LinkedIn but havent made the effort to show who you are on your actual LinkedIn profile. If you have no photo, sparse experience, only a few connections, and no signs of interaction from others (like recommendations or endorsements), its definitely less likely that people will accept your invitation to connect. They simply wont know who you are. To be safe, put in the effort and build up your profile. Here are some tips on how. 4. They Never Check LinkedInOf course, there are a couple reasons that you might not get connected with someone that have nothing to do with you or the invitation you write, and theyre definitely worth noting. LinkedIn keeps growing, and even though many people have a LinkedIn profile, not everyone checks it as frequently as they probably should. The person youre trying to connect with might very well be open to connecting but just doesnt use LinkedIn as often as you do. Dont take it personally. Going back full circle, you could also just have a different philosophy on how to use LinkedIn from the person you hope to connect with. Some people only use LinkedIn to connect with people theyve had experience working with professionally and will reject invites from anyone else. This is one of those things you cant do anything about. Do what you can and make sure your LinkedIn invite doesnt feel sales-y while still explaining what youre looking for. I know it sounds more effortful than it needs to be, but its worth it. After all, when it comes to your career, theres nothing more valuable than your network. Photo of envelope courtesy of Shutterstock.

Salary Negotiation Tips How to Follow Up When Youve Heard Nothing

Salary Negotiation Tips How to Follow Up When Youve Heard NothingSalary Negotiation Tips How to Follow Up When Youve Heard NothingGet clarity on a potential job offer by making sure the next move is up to you.Q I interviewed three months ago with two potential employers, each a president of a company under a larger corporation. At the time, it had not been decided whether each would hire one new employee, or whether one person would be a shared resource in the territory. About two weeks later, they e-mailed me to say they were leaning towards a single hire, that it would be me, and asked me to send my salary requirements. I called to discuss (yes, I welches a bit embarrassed by the figure, though I know it is reasonable) and they reiterated the additional compensation (mileage expenses, bonuses, etc.). Since then I have heard nothing.I followed up with an e-mail and a voicemail about a month after that, but have heard nothing. Now what? The position is one for which I am ideally suit ed and we had an excellent interview. It does not appear they have hired anyone else as the position is still posted on their Web site. They know many of my professional contacts and spoke to some of them both before and after the interview. I dont want to become a pest, but the wait is killing me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.A There are two times when you have real leverage to ask for clarity about a job offer. The first is at the end of a discussion where they have not yet made an offer, but they ask you about your salary requirements. Your response should be, is this an appropriate time to be discussing salary? What I mean is, can we get together on compensation only when you are ready to go forward on hiring for this position?The second opportunity to get leverage is to make sure that the next step in the hiring process is always up to you. That would sound like, One of the important things in a position like thie one weve discussed is clear and timely communica tion. In the job search process itself, precise communication is often neglected. Id like to get off to a good start by telling you that I will be responsible, fully responsible, for maintaining communication with you. When would you like to me to connect with you again?The trick is to always make sure the ball is in your court. If you have a definite time and method of communication, when you call or send an e-mail youre seen as responsible. The same actions without an agreement of whos going to call whom next, sounds like nagging.Even if they say Dont call us, well call you, you can still put the ball in your court. Say to them, I can appreciate that you would like to work on your own timetable - I will take full responsibility to make sure that we dont lose communication with each other. Could we agree on a date we can use as a failsafe date? That is, if I dont hear from you by that date I can take that as a sign that its my job to get back in communication with you?