Cover letters; Do this, not that part 2

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

As a hiring manager I never see the cover letter the candidate sends. Our HR department sends only the resumes to me.  When I did get them I must admit I often only gave them a brief glance. Even though I don’t pay much attention to cover letters, many managers do review them as carefully as your resume. Give your cover letter the same time and attention as your resume.  Some things to avoid when putting together your cover letter:

Don’t do this:

• Don’t use the same cover letter for every job. It will be easy to tell you are using a form letter.  Customize the letter for each job.
• Don’t use humor.  You want to professional. This is not the time for off beat gimmicks. You want to stand out for your skills and experience.   Jokes and humor have no place as a first introduction to your potential employer.
• Don’t focus on yourself.  Focus on what you will do for the company. Pick key words from the job posting and highlight how your skills and experience are a fit for the position.
• Don’t ramble on and on. Keep the cover letter concise. The letter is to introduce you to the organization. Leave them wanting to know more about you.

The cover letter is your introduction to a potential employer, even if it is only seen by employees in the human resources department.  Never skip this important document.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation