We all know recruiters use social media to screen candidates on a daily basis. But how are they doing this? The good folks down at Reppler recently conducted a survey of 300 professionals who are involved in the hiring process at their company to understand the use of social networks for screening job applicants. The…
Applying for a job is actually selling yourself for that particular position. There would be many other candidates who would try to grab that particular opportunity, but you need to distinguish yourself from the others in a way that the employer feels that you are the best candidate for the said position. For this, it is important for the applicant to write a resume cover letter, and send it along with the resume.
The resume gives the employer the details of the applicant’s academics and work experience. However, the employer, if reads the complete resume, he/she would need at least 10 minutes to know everything about you. On the other hand, if you write a cover letter that summarizes your resume in a way that the employer gets a complete idea of your qualification and expertise in less than 5 minutes, is more impactful, and would lead to a positive decision in your case. The letter is aimed at simplifying the reader’s task, but if not written correctly it would rather weaken your resume as well.
1. Overuse of ‘I’
The cover letter is aimed at presenting your skills and potential and communicating to the employer of how you fit in the organizational needs. Over stressing on ‘I’, would make your letter look like an autobiography. Mention what the employer wants, and then answer how you satisfy the same.
2. Weak Opening:
Beginning a cover letter is a task of responsibility. The beginning of the letter creates your first impression. This should thus be very impressive, and to the point. For example,
a. Please consider my application for the post of Sales Team Lead – this is a very weak beginning. It does not differentiate you.
b. The advertisement read that you need a Talented and Target Oriented Sales Team Lead, and I believe that I match this requirement – this is a better beginning as it says how you meet the organizational needs.
More on your opening at How To Start Your Cover Letter with a Bang!
3. Do not fail to highlight your USP:
USP – Unique Selling Proposition is all that your cover letter is about. It must strongly present yourself, and present your key skills that distinguish yourself. Never fail to highlight these points. In absence of this, your letter is like any other normal application letter. Write these USP’s in sync with the employer’s requirement stated in the advertisement, to make your letter more powerful.
4. Long letters:
Long letters are the biggest disaster. A cover letter is aimed to save the employer’s time, and put forth your best in a precise manner. If the applicant writes a long letter that goes on for more than a page, the purpose of the letter is compromised with, and is deviated from its aim.
Further reading at 5 Rules To Keep Your Cover Letter Simple and Effective.
5. Repeating your resume:
While applying for the job and writing this letter, you are writing about yourself. You do not need to copy anything from the resume. You must know what you possess, and present it in a way that puts forth the best of you. If you start copying everything from your resume, it might create a bad impression on the employer and make your letter very boring. The letter should interest the employer to read your resume, and if it has exactly the same information as in your resume, it becomes monotonous.
These are some basic cover letter disasters that should be avoided. These mistakes fail to create the impression you wanted to, via your cover letter.
Being a professional Resume writer and an advisor on how to make the job applications more impactful, Arion Barry has developed unique expertise in writing of
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How to Act When Headhunters Call You
For many individuals, the prospect of being approached by a headhunter could be a terrifying one. For a start, the experience is an unannounced one – more often than not the headhunter will call a potential candidate out of the blue. Due to this, the timing may not be perfect – oftentimes the headhunter will…
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How Working Without Pay Pays Off
Volunteering is getting a good rep for being a great way to network. Putting down a year or two of volunteering experience shows HR staff that you’re a team player who cares about others. It doesn’t really matter if you tutored groups of inner city youth or sat by yourself and updated database spreadsheets—volunteering is equal to caring about people. If it is a real experience and you can talk about it enthusiastically, you’re more than a leg up past the competition.
Non-profits are in need of volunteers. Perhaps people haven’t caught on, or maybe it’s because only those that actually do care are able to keep it up. Whatever the reason, there’s a need to be filled and more than a little to be gained out of stepping up to be that person.
Want to save the rainforest or Bengal tigers?
Whether you’re interested in saving animals, people or the earth, there’s a non-profit out there for you. However, if you’re looking to work in a no-kill pet shelter, be prepared for possible waiting lists since they’re some of the most popular places for students.
If you’re wondering what to do with your newfound humanitarianism, there are a few ways to choose the non-profit that’s right for you. The first place to look is your career services department. If you’re a recent graduate, don’t hesitate to call them. If they can’t assist you, they’ll certainly point you in the right direction. But likely, they’ve seen countless volunteering opportunities run across their desk and haven’t had enough students to fill them.
Even if you’re attending an online university, you should still check with your career services department. They’ll be in touch with national charities or may be able to match you up with a general non-profit theme based on your major, skills and talents. They may also be able to suggest roles that you could fill within local organizations.
Where to find the volunteering role for you
Websites like Volunteer Match can also help you identify your talents and where they would be best used at. They’re a great resource, but there are typically local ones as well that are easily accessible. And it’s a good idea to talk to your local United Way or even your local library to tap into a network of non-profits.
If you think you’re unable to volunteer because of monetary concerns, contact your local chapter of AmeriCorps, an umbrella program that houses different chapters. Each chapter has a focus and may work with many different agencies or may be dedicated to just one non-profit. Those who serve with AmeriCorps get a monthly living stipend and an education reward upon successful completion of their term. If you’re not certain you can stick with something, AmeriCorps probably isn’t the right avenue for you, since the education award is a large motivator for most people. It can be used toward loans or directly sent to colleges.
You still have to sell yourself (just not as hard)
When you go to contact a non-profit, be prepared to sell yourself. They may take anyone to hand out food at a pantry, but if you want to apply your major and be more useful (as well as more marketable), you’re going to have to prove you’re worth the training and the responsibility. It’s the volunteer opportunities that line up with your major that are going to be the most useful.
If you can show that you’re going to be an asset, there are organizations that will be willing to give you opportunities to gain the experience that you need showcased on your resume. If you go in with a nonchalant, ‘I’m just here to fill my time’ attitude, you’re going to be scrubbing up vehicles or mopping the floors. Just like any form of work, you want to show optimism and initiative.
Volunteering not for you? Check out 3 Hot Tips to Finding the Job You Love instead!
Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. He divides his time among work, writing and family life. He writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University and has a keen interest in business blogging and social media.
The downturn of the economy has created an increase in personal stress levels both at home and in the workplace. Employees are consistently being asked to do more with less and corporations large and small continue to turn to layoffs as a means to remain viable.
At the same time, the United States has continued to see an increase in workplace violence. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 564 work-related homicides occurred each year in the United States from 2004 to 2008. Now more than ever, employees want to feel safe and secure in the workplace — and free from fear of their coworkers.
Experts recommend using pre-employment screening as a workplace violence preventive measure, but many companies are still not committed. Companies cite delays in the hiring process — as well as the cost of screening — as the largest deterrents to pre-employment screening.
Pre-employment screening company, HireRight, estimates the typical cost of a comprehensive pre-screening packages ranging anywhere from $30 to $100. The length to complete the screen and provide the results to the employer can take as little as a day to up to week (or more).
Although the costs and delays may seem steep, the issues that arise from failure to pre-screen can be fatal. Here are four additional reasons pre-employment screening is a must:
1. Reduced potential for employee theft
Candidates with criminal backgrounds are less likely to apply to organizations with rigorous pre-employment screening processes. Those who do apply with criminal backgrounds will be discovered up front by the employer, providing the opportunity to re-evaluate if the candidate’s fit with the job and the company.
2. Discourage fraud
While only a small percentage of worker’s compensation claims are fraudulent, a much larger percentage (nearly 25 percent) are exaggerated. Worker’s Compensation records are public, thereby creating opportunities for potential to filter out potential fraudulent employees. Additionally, screening candidates allows an employer to ensure the validity of the information provided on the resume.
3. Reduce liability for negligent hiring
Organizations that fail to conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening, thereby failing to protect their employees, can be subject to costly lawsuits. In 2007, a truck driver for a hazardous waste company in Texas caused an accident leading to a man’s death. A jury awarded the man’s estate more than 20 million dollars because the company failed to adequately check the employee’s driving record.
4. To comply with applicable state laws
Many states have laws requiring employers in certain industries to complete pre-employment checks. Examples of industries may include: childcare facilities, healthcare organizations, transportation, and gaming.
What incidents can you think of where conducting a pre-employment screen may have prevented a case of fraud, violence, or theft?
For the jobseeker perspective, check out 7 Reasons Employers Will Hire You!
Robert Petti is the Founder and CEO of Resoomay, a cloud-based pre-screening tool that improves the job search process for recruiters and applicants. Connect with him and Resoomay on Twitter.
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How to Sell Yourself at a Job Interview
If you are looking to get back in the workforce or feel now is the time to switch jobs, it is important to polish up your interviewing skills in order to put yourself in the best position possible to attain what job you want. When going on your interview, your appearance and means of communication…
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Professionalism in the Workplace
True professionalism is an interesting phenomenon and seems to be vanishing as an office worker art. And it’s not just the fault of recent college graduates who are new to the workplace. If new workers don’t see professionalism in action it’s not likely that they’ll pick it up by accident or osmosis. Being professional doesn’t…