Dear Job-Seeker:

If a one-page cover letter is good, a two-page letter is even better? Absolutely not. Employers are busy professionals who have just a moment or two to look over your cover letter—so it’s important to make your point—on one page.

How To Say A LOT in a LITTLE Space

It’s not as difficult as it seems. Less really is more—when it comes to crafting a cover letter that’s a direct hit. It’s a simple matter of focusing your time and attention on the essentials—the items an employer is most interested in. Here’s how you can do just that.

Use these SEVEN magical KEYS to unlock a successful Cover Letter

1. Create three paragraphs on one page. First, state the job you want. Second, list your qualifications. And third, clearly and directly ASK for the opportunity to be interviewed for the job.

2. Limit each paragraph to three or four well-written sentences.

3. Leave generous margins so there’s plenty of white space and be sure to double space between paragraphs.

4. Help the reader see at a glance what you wish to say by using numbers or bullets.

5. Bold-face the first sentence of each paragraph to capture attention.

6. Read through to catch errors, then print it out for one final edit.

7. Remember, a one-page carefully-crafted cover letter has the best chance of hitting the “Bull’s-Eye!”

Imagine how the employer will feel when he opens your cover letter­­––a simple, clearly worded letter that contains only necessary information and directly asks for the job interview as well.

Unlock The Golden Door

There you have it. SEVEN KEYS to a successful cover letter that will motivate any employer to read yours from beginning to end, then reach for the phone and call you for an interview that could very well lead to being hired for the job you’ve been dreaming of.

Pick up these keys today and unlock your future with an amazing cover letter!

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.” Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your “instant” cover letter today. “In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!”

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Dear Job Seeker:

When you’re hungry for a sandwich you step up to the deli counter and ask for it. If you’re in the market for a new car, you go to a dealership and ask to see the model you’re interested in. And if you spot a book you’d like to buy, you ask the clerk to ring up your purchase. ASKING is the first key to getting what you want. Asking effectively is the second and most important key. Yet many job hunters forget this essential key when it comes to an interview for the job they’re eager to fill.

FOUR Little-Known Secrets To Asking For The Job Interview In Your Cover Letter

1. GRAB the hiring manager’s attention with a great HEADLINE written in Bold Title Caps just above the greeting in your cover letter. I Am Asking For The Opportunity To Interview For The Position Of [Insert Job Title here}.

2. LIST your qualifications in the beginning of your letter.
Your description of the position of sales manager suits me perfectly. I've been recognized for all the attributes you mentioned. But I'm also interested in finding out your expectations for the person you hire. I'd be happy to come to your office for an in-person meeting. Meanwhile, following are some of the responsibilities I've had over the past three years. (Follow this with bullet points or a numbered list).

3. STATE a meeting time in your final paragraph.
Can we schedule an interview within the next two weeks? I'm available any afternoon between 1:00 and 5:00. I will arrive prepared and ready to listen and to answer any questions you may have. What works best for you.

4. COMMUNICATE your enthusiasm at the end of your letter.
I'm eager to meet you in person to discuss my qualifications and to hear what you have to say. [Insert Company Name Here] is at the top of my list of companies I’d like to work for. You can reach me any time on my cell phone: 555-555-5555.

Let go of waiting and hoping. These four secrets when applied strategically will land you more interviews that bring results! Take charge of your career today by asking for (and getting) what you want.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.” Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your “instant” cover letter today. “In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!”

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I have some confessions to make. I’m a Hiring Manager. I can hire you. But I can also decide not to hire you. And for every person I hire, twenty hopeful contenders are left by the wayside. You need to understand that the job search process is not designed for your benefit–it benefits me and my company. But you still have to work within that process. We’re very picky about whom we eventually hire. We are making an extremely large investment in our entry level training and want to make sure we hire only the best. And there are certain things that I do to weed out and exclude those who don’t fit our precise criteria. This is my public confession.

We were at your campus, but you might not have even known we were there. We always ask for “closed interviews” when we come to campus, which means that we preselect who we meet with. How do we decide who to meet with? We talk to your professors. Remember that professor in your major that you couldn’t stand, but you had to take two classes with to graduate? Well, you were not on his list of top students when I spoke with him. We also reviewed the booklet of resumes that the Career Placement Center provided to us, but since you never got your resume to them, you weren’t in the booklet.

We found several more there who rounded out our campus schedule. Good resumes. Good grades. Good experience. Sure, there are some schools that require us to conduct at least AB of our interviews as “open slots.” We’ll meet with you. But if you have less than a 3.0 GPA, we will not even consider you. If you lack any tangible work experience or significant class project experience, you’re out.

When I meet with you in the waiting room for our on-campus meeting, I’m looking for one thing: a great attitude. If you don’t have the attitude, nothing else matters. Grades, experience, extracurriculars, nothing else can make up for a lacking in the attitude category.

It’s what I will judge you on most quickly. And it’s what you need to establish firmly and strongly in the first few minutes of the interview. In fact, if you’re good, you’ll probably establish it during our walk back to our interview location. Ah, yes, that silent walk. I probably won’t say much as we walk back. I’ll give you a quick opener, such as “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today” just to see where you’ll take it. A cocky, “No problemo!” response won’t score any points with me. “The pleasure is mine. In fact, I’ve really been looking forward to meeting with you after reading your company’s annual report. Very impressive!” Very impressive indeed. Points scored and tallied. You have just taken the early lead.

When we get back to our interview location, I need to spend a concentrated twenty to thirty minutes toward one simple objective: deciding if this is someone who we would have an interest in potentially hiring. Someone we are interested in enough to consider bringing back to our company site for final interviews. I’ll look for your eye contact. Your body language. Your expressions. And all the non-verbals that communicate far above what you are actually speaking. Are you confident in yourself? Are you able to communicate at a professional level? Are you a winner? Or a loser?

I’ll ask you questions that are designed to put you at ease, to help break down the artificial barrier that often exists. I want you to be comfortable, but not too comfortable. I need to get through to the real you. If I feel you’re just putting on a show, that I can’t get through the outer veneer, you won’t make it to the next step. I want to know who you really are. I’ll do it by asking a series of structured “closed/open questions,” such as: “Are you a creative person?” (Almost everyone answers “Yes”), then asking, “In what way?” or “Can you give me some specific examples of personal creativity?”

This is where the actors stumble and fall. At the end of the interview, I score you on the A-S-P scale: Appearance, Skills, and Personality. You have to rank a 1 or 2 in each category (you’ll be ranked on a scale of 5, 1 being top 10%, 2 being next 20%, 3 being the middle 40%, 4 being the next 20% and 5 being the bottom 10%). If I’m interested in you, I will offer you my card, our company annual report, and further information about our entry level training program. You won’t even have to ask for it.

At the end of the day, I’ll review my notes and decide which students (if any) to bring back to the company for further interviews. Usually it’s only one or two out of an on-campus schedule of ten to fifteen. Sometimes it’s more, but sometimes no one from that college makes the cut. I will personally call those I am interested in to make the arrangements, including setting up the airfare, car rental, and hotel.

The rejects will get a “Dear John/Jane” letter with my digitized computer-generated signature. There are just too many to personally sign. Plus, it’s not a very enjoyable activity to send out letters telling people they failed.

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Here’s your chance to do what few other job hunters do––write two powerful cover letters that will put you in front of the pack. You might be wondering what this is all about. A cover letter’s a cover letter, isn’t it? Now am I telling you there are various flavors? That’s exactly what I’m saying. With millions of people looking for jobs each year, you need to try something new. Forget vanilla letters. Let’s go for rocky road and praline chip.

#1: Networking Cover Letter
The networking cover letter helps you reach out to the people in your life who can help you the most––family members, friends, neighbors, associates, and professional men and women. They can assist you in making contacts you might never be able to make on your own. Ask them for employment leads, referrals from their circle of influence, advice, knowledge, and even personal introductions.

To achieve these leads, start with a master list of everyone you can think of. Take out those old business cards you stuffed in a pocket or drawer. Look at association rosters, church directories, e-mail address books, any and all groups you are affiliated with. Then send your networking cover letter to each person on the list, asking for help. This will take some time to accomplish but it will pay off, I promise you that. The more people who know about you and what you need and want, the greater the results.

Networking Cover Letter Tips:

• Limit your letter to one page.
• List your abilities and strengths.
• Ask for job leads and referrals.
• Clip your resume to the cover letter.
• Send a thank you note to those who respond.

#2: The All-In-One Resume Cover Letter

The resume cover letter combines the best of a cover letter and resume in one. This letter is an ideal tool to catch the interest of recruiters, headhunters, and agencies where brevity and speed are essential.

Condense the essentials from your resume and put them in a bulleted list within the letter itself. Strive for one page. This powerful document helps you gain attention, make your point, and ask for what you want.

So why wait another minute? Step up to the task of landing that dream job with these two letters that will increase your ‘net’ worth: the networking cover letter and an all-in-one resume cover letter.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets.” Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your “instant” cover letter today. “In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!”

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