The best way to learn how to end a cover letter, is to learn how to begin a cover letter effectively. Many people glance over the importance of a cover letter, thinking that an employer will do the same, when this simply isn’t the case. Depending on the type of employer, they may even value the cover letter over the value of the resume. How to begin, and how to close a cover letter are essential aspects of your next application. Let’s think about how… Why is a cover letter so important? A cover letter is important because it is essentially a demonstration of fit, relative to any position. The fact of the matter is that when you see a position you are interested in, you might be thinking to yourself, “of course I can do that!” The same thing can’t be said for an employer when they finally take a look at your application. Your cover letter is an expository document, meant to guide a hiring manager to the most important parts of your resume. Should I create a separate cover letter for … [Read more...] about How to End a Cover Letter – Close It the Right Way!
Your Job Search
Feel Overqualified for a Job? How to Adjust Your Resume
It's one thing to receive a job application rejection letter because you don't possess the skills and/or experience for the open position. It's quite another thing for a prospective employer to reject your resume because you're overqualified. The job market is full of highly qualified applicants and many of the applicants attempt to secure employment for positions that do not come close to matching their levels of expertise. If you feel overqualified for a job, you need to learn how to adjust your resume to match the level of expertise required for the open position. Education Should Be Elementary You certainly don't want to promote the education section of your resume by writing "I graduated 6th grade," but you do want to minimize educational accomplishments if you feel overqualified for a job and need to adjust your resume. Let's assume you just graduated college and the tight job market has you changing your entry-level employment goal of working as an accountant for a large … [Read more...] about Feel Overqualified for a Job? How to Adjust Your Resume
Five Ways Job Hunting Has Changed Since You Last Looked
The world has changed so much over the past 10 years as more of our lives have been transferred from offline routines to online duties -- that includes job hunting. There are few of us who have not ordered shopping online, caught up on TV shows or used a social network. A consequence of this shift to the digital is how we apply for new jobs. Go back ten or twenty years, and the weekly or monthly newspaper, the job centre and even the local newsagent’s announcement board was the main source of jobs. Now the world of searching for a new job is a mixture of online job boards, social media and browsing potential websites. E-mails have taken the place of postal applications as the recruitment process has been slimmed down. … [Read more...] about Five Ways Job Hunting Has Changed Since You Last Looked
37 Job Websites You Might Have Missed
Seek and ye shall find? Not necessarily, as any job seeker knows. But if you’re just looking on job websites and search engines like Monster, Career Builder, Indeed, and SimplyHired, you might not be seeking as hard, or as smart, as you can. Just as being a specialist in a field typically pays off with a higher salary, turning to a specialized job search site might just pay off in finding that job. To that end, here are 37 niche job search engines you just might have overlooked. Digital and tech jobs Application engineers, database administrators, programmers and others seeking digital and tech jobs will find plenty of sites to help in that search: Dice.com is not only a leading site for tech job searches but offers tech news, advice and talent communities to bring like-minded techies together. Jobs.Mashable.com offers jobs for every tech segment including designers, developers, marketers, programmers and bloggers. Careers.StackOverflow.com is another leading site for … [Read more...] about 37 Job Websites You Might Have Missed
Is My Credit Score a Job Search Issue?
You have it all you think, that great resume, the snappy new business clothes for the interview, and a killer smile...but could something you aren't even aware of be sabotaging your job search? Many job seekers aren't aware that their credit score could be keeping them from the job of their dreams. Here are some things to be wary of: Finance-related Job Searches If you are applying to any area of the financial market, such as stock broker, banking teller, or analyst, you can be assured that the hiring manager is going to take a look at your credit background. If you've had bankruptcies or are always late paying your bills, they'll believe you're at a higher risk around their currency. … [Read more...] about Is My Credit Score a Job Search Issue?
Is My Cover Letter Holding Me Back?
Your cover letter acts as your first impression on a prospective employer, making it an important part of your application. While many people polish their resumes before sending them off, the cover letter is often overlooked or hastily written -- reducing the chance of landing the job. Here are a few cover letter mistakes that can get your application tossed in the "No" pile: 1. Forgetting to Proofread Spelling and grammar errors are a surefire way to get your application put at the bottom of the pile. Your word processing program's built-in spell checker can help find some problems, but don't rely on it for a final polish. You need to double- and triple-check your cover letter for errors, reading it aloud to catch mistakes you might miss while skimming. Have a friend or colleague with excellent spelling and grammar skills go over your letter before you send it out. … [Read more...] about Is My Cover Letter Holding Me Back?
How to Boost Your Resume
Employers can read up to a hundred resumes a day and it can be a very tedious job. Looking at a bunch of resumes that all look the same, which all apply for the same job and use the same CV jargon - this could bore anyone. If after 15 seconds the employer is bored of reading your resume, they will stop reading it and move on to the next. So they key is to make sure your resume grabs their attention within seconds of them glancing at it. Graduate Recruitment Bureau offers some easy tips on how to boost your CV to make yours stand out and get you that job: Proofread The most simple of all the steps, but easily forgotten. Always make sure to proofread your resume, because as soon as an employer spots a grammatical error or a spelling mistake, it’s game over. Your resume will immediately be ignored as it shows carelessness and unprofessionalism. Proofread several times and get a family member or friend to read it to check for any mistakes too, just to be on the safe side. … [Read more...] about How to Boost Your Resume
Just How Do I Go About Finding a Job?
Long gone are the days of walking into an establishment after seeing a hiring poster on the window and securing a job. Today, hardly anyone takes applications at the retail establishment or office. With the advancement of online forms and job websites, many companies are putting their jobs online to get a wider pool of applicants. If you are one of the 86 percent of people looking for a new employment opportunity, here are some tips on getting a job: Get Social To really tap into the largest pool of job availabilities, you are going to have to use social media. … [Read more...] about Just How Do I Go About Finding a Job?
How to Write a Perfect Prospective Letter
If you have taken the time to write and polish your resume to perfection when looking for a job, doesn't your prospective letter deserve the same level of attention? Many job seekers overlook this necessary step and end up receiving fewer requests for interviews than if they had taken the time to writing adding more detail than simply stating that they are interested in applying for a particular position. The following tips will help you make your prospective letter stand out from the rest and distinguish you from the pack as a stellar candidate. 1. Keep your letter relatively short. Four or five paragraphs should be enough to get your message across. You will need to plan for an introductory paragraph, three paragraphs in the body of the letter, and a concluding one. 2. Do include the name of a mutual contact if you have one. If you know someone in the company or told about the position by someone the hiring manager knows, mention this in the opening paragraph. Seeing the name will … [Read more...] about How to Write a Perfect Prospective Letter
Graduation: “What do I do now?”
Graduation can be a time of mixed emotions for students. On one hand, you’ve graduating after years of hard work and the world of work seems like a welcoming prospect after living on a student loan, but on the other hand, graduation signals the end of an era in your life which can bring up some troubling uncertainties. But it’s important to remember that every graduate’s path is different and that the road to that dream job is never going to be comparable to the paths which other graduates take towards getting their first employed role. If you’ve just graduated or if you’re currently studying towards graduation, here are some tips to stay focused and motivated towards that dream job goal: Don’t be afraid of part-time work Most graduates don’t walk straight into work. It’s a fact of life that you’re going to have to work hard to be employed and this starts the minute you graduate. But don’t be afraid of a part-time or full-time job to keep you going while you search for a job. One … [Read more...] about Graduation: “What do I do now?”