How to become a Coverletter Storyteller! Building Your Future Now

How to become a Coverletter Storyteller! Building Your Future Now Your cover letter is a gateway that the reviewer opens up before entering into your resume. It is an important piece of the application because it introduces YOU to potential employers. Therefore it must highlight a major accomplishment as well as experience and skills that came as a result of it. Think of a cover letter as a mini story and you as a story telleryou must capture the readers attention with a strong first sentence and hold them until they get to your name at the bottom of the page. You must showcase the best you, why you should be hired and set the reader up with your impressive resume! You might be thinking: why should I bother with a coverletter? Well, think about it: you may be writing too much in your resume, however some accomplishments havent been highlighted. Thats where the cover letter comes init gives you an amazing opportunity to tell your story about a project or effort that will reflect positively on your skills, talent and experience. Essentially WHY you need to be hired. Becoming a Story-teller Have you ever read a great novel? Do you remember what made it so good? Perhaps the story was engrossing or the characters felt real and engaging! Now think about how those hallmarks of a good story can be applied to your cover letter. It is about telling a story. Think about writers like Stephen King or John Grishamthey arent simply novelists but very popular story tellers of our time and for good reason. They make us believe in their stories and characters. Your cover letter must engage the readerin a few paragraphs it must weave a simple and detailed story about how you built value for a company or organization you have worked for (maybe an exceptional class project if you dont have any work experience yet.) Use keywords related to your industry/job description, as well as strong defining words that add another layer to your storyleadership, strength, value, achieved, created or managed. Formulate a cover letter that makes the hiring manager flip into your resume with a desire to learn more about you and how you can help them succeed on their team! Image: Raw Pixel

How to Use Resume Writing Software

How to Use Resume Writing SoftwareIf you want to know how to make your resume writer more effective, you can consider using resume writing software. There are many different programs that can be purchased for either a small fee or for free on the Internet. You can learn about the most popular software by reading through some of the articles on this site and checking out the reviews from other readers.The goal of a resume writing software developer is to help professionals create great resumes by organizing them in a manner that will best promote your career and allow you to stand out among other job applicants. A good software developer is going to work with you to help you understand how to write an effective resume. He will look at your past experience, education, skills, etc.When you first begin working with a software developer, he is going to be working with an outline of what you are hoping to achieve by creating a resume that will show your abilities and work history. Most sof tware developers will tell you that it is important to research your background. You can find out what other employers are saying about you, or even what others are doing to create a resume that will create a competitive edge in your favor.Most software developers understand that you are always looking for new information. Some developers may have access to company databases that will give you quick access to resumes and cover letters that are well-written and created by people who have specific experience in your field. It may be helpful to find a developer who has access to the resumes and cover letters of all the top employees at your current employer.A good software developer can also offer suggestions that will be useful to you. You should feel comfortable with his or her recommendations, as you will be using their suggestions as well. You may be able to get a free trial for a certain program that will be able to help you in creating a professional resume.In some cases, you may have a list of items that you would like to have included in your resume. The software developer will then go through all of your information and offer suggestions for what could work for you. If you have a question, you can simply ask the developer, or they may be happy to answer any questions you may have.You can also take advantage of some online courses that will help you write a better resume. Most people don't take advantage of this type of help because they do not feel comfortable asking someone for help. You can also get this type of assistance for a fee, but it will be free if you purchase a trial copy of the software.A resume writing software developer will help you in creating the most professional resume possible. It can be difficult to find the right one for you, so it is always a good idea to consult with a software developer before starting. If you do decide to purchase the software, you can always check out the options available online.

12 Professional Email Etiquette Guidelines

12 Professional Email Etiquette Guidelines Many people now use email as a primary way of communicating with friends, family, co-workers and others who are important to each of us for different reasons. You may be contacting someone about employment, a business venture, following up with customer service or emailing instead of using the telephone. Personal emails sent between friends and family should be treated differently than professional email correspondence. Understand the audience you’re communicating with will determine how casual you can be. Keep the reason for your email clear and concise, especially when using this medium to contact businesses and your co-workers. Forwarding emails to show perceived productivity is never a good idea. Don’t turn business emails into a chat. If you go back and forth with the same person twice, pick up the phone or open a chat window. Email is admissible evidence in court. Do not write anything that you would be afraid to be released to the public From a business perspective many of us have little or no experience as authors or writers. Those who write well are often pressed for time and tend to exclude information from the email enabling them to quickly proceed to the next task. As a result, emails are often sent that exhibit poor use of grammar or punctuation; incorrect spelling; and incomplete, outdated, or conflicting information. There’s an expectation that emails are read, understood and action is taken based on the information contained in the email. Emails are legal documents. An unedited email is not only a reflection of your professionalism, it can also be used against you in court. For example, if you were turning down a proposal and instead of saying you will not be accepting it, you said you will be accepting it (forgetting the not) you could be held accountable. Everything that comes out of your computer is something that can come back to haunt you if you dont take care and attention to really mean what you say and say what you mean. Some of these etiquette suggestions might seem obvious. With apologies to The Golden Rule, ‘email others as you’d like to be emailed.’ These are some guidelines. Not all need to be followed for every audience, as the person emailing you can determine which rule fits best. 12 Guidelines: Return emails within the same timeframe you return phone calls. This may not always be realistic but people want to know you’ve received their correspondence. Include the action you require of the recipient in the email subject line. For example, “Response required or FYI only’ Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. Use capital letters sparingly, if at all, because ‘tone’ can’t also be detected in an email. Use an appropriate font and point size. Write in a positive tone. Avoid negative words and blaming statements as much as possible. When sending an attachment mention what’s being attached and make sure it’s sent. If you realize you forgot to send it, re-send with an apology Deliver the news upfront, whether in a subject line or within the first sentence if possible. Very few people have time to read stories. Think about what you’re writing before you hit the ‘send’ button. Read your message twice and see if the email makes sense. Calm down before responding to a message that offends you. As much as possible avoid ‘reply all’ when emailing. Do not send huge attachments with emails. It’s better to upload on a shared network resource and send people a link. That way messages dont get stuck or clog up business systems Make sure the proper recipients are on the email and make sure you get the names right (don’t write Keith when you mean Kenneth). If things become heated, misunderstandings will probably occur. There are times a phone call may be needed to smooth things over. Everyone has received an email which has angered them. Write your responses and save them as drafts. Let some time go by and open the message again and read it carefully and edit it. This does two things. You get to vent, even if it only to yourself. By sending out a revised and calmer email, things are kept on a professional and constructive level. It’s important to respect everyone’s time. Never send an email that you wouldn’t expect your entire professional and personal network to see. Just because you think something’s important, doesn’t necessarily mean that your email has the same sense of urgency for the person you’re emailing. It’s also important to not include text messaging emoticons and phrases like ‘LOL’ as they can make your message too personal. You never know who will see the email you send. Common professional courtesy and etiquette should never go out of style. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Related: How to Create a Professional Email Signature.

Use Your Blogger Status to Promote Your Brand at Conferences - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Use Your Blogger Status to Promote Your Brand at Conferences - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career This week, Im an official blogger at the World Innovation Forum in New York City. To tell you the truth, Im really excitednot only because the conference has some pretty awesome speakers and because Ill get to meet people from a top innovation consultancybut also because this is a great, great opportunity to promote my personal brand. Making the most of opportunity Now, I agree it sounds funny that Im approaching my Official Blogger status as a way to get my name out there. But, its actually a great opportunity for several reasons: Reason 1: Being an Official Blogger instantly turns you into a semi-celebrity.  There wont be too many of you, and youre likely to be set apart in some way.  You could have BLOGGER on your name tag, or you could be sitting in a special section.  This is great because it sets you apart.  Youre no longer one of the many anonymous conference attendees youre one of THE BLOGGERS! Reason 2: Youll get special access to Bigwigs at the conference.  Whether its an exclusive interview, or a couple follow-up questions following a presentation, your official status gives you an excuse to get to know important people in your field.  And since youre a BLOGGER and will be writing about them, you can ask penetrating questions and get their contact information to follow up later. Reason 3: Blogging about the conference will drive lots of new people to your blog! Conference attendees will want to see what the bloggers are saying about the conference, both to see what they missed and as a refresher. Conference presenters will be interested in what youre saying about them and will come over to your blog for a peek.  And, people who couldnt make the conference will stop by to see what theyre missing. As you can see, blogging at a conference actually has the potential to bring great visibility to your personal brand. The key to taking advantage of that potential is to come prepared to throw everything you have into making a great impression to everyone who is exposed to you at the conference. Benefit your personal brand Heres what I recommend for making sure you get the most personal brand benefit as possible from the conference: Make sure you come prepared. Be ready to explain what youre doing as an official blogger, and why youre qualified to do it.  It doesnt hurt if you conveniently have a business card handy with the name of your blog on it so people dont have to wrack their minds trying to remember exactly how they can find your blog later.  (Get their card in return, by the way!) Know who the speakers are, and have some interesting questions you can ask them, or an angle you can write about. Throwing everything together haphazardly wont endear you to either the speakers, the conference organizers, or the attendees.  Be ready to prove you know your stuff. Make sure you create great content in your own distinctive way. Be very informative, and dont be afraid to put your own unique spin on the events youre writing about. After all, if youre invited there as a blogger, the organizers already like your style. Just make sure that style doesnt disappear into a boring recount of the conference! Finally, spend a lot of your time using your status as an official blogger to meet as many interesting people as possible and then write them a short friendly note after the conference to remind them to take a look at your blog. While most people dont think of being personal branding as the best part of being an official blogger for a conference (usually, the potential free entry is the major appeal), its actually a great opportunity.  If you get the change to be an official blogger, dont let a chance to catapult your brand slip through your fingers! Author: Katie Konrath writes about “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped” at getFreshMinds.com, a top innovation blog.

The Many Ways to Use Your Writing Skills

The Many Ways to Use Your Writing SkillsWriting a newsletter is very different from writing a regular article. The following tips can help you get started in the right direction when it comes to writing a newsletter. Regardless, of the type of article or information you choose to include in the newsletter, the bottom line is that you will need to provide a first-rate content. That is what will make the difference between a newsletter that people like and one that people read and then give up on quickly.The first thing you must do to have a successful newsletter is to put into place a format that makes the content easy to understand. While a lot of websites offer formats that you can use to write a newsletter, there are many websites that have templates that you can use to create your own template. You will find this to be the most beneficial route to take for creating a professional looking newsletter.The next step in your journey to having a newsletter that people love to read is to begin with a first class writing style. It is very important that you choose a writing style that will not only impress your readers but one that you can truly understand and that is based on knowledge and skill. It is not enough that you know how to write a newsletter because your readers will need to know that you are able to deliver quality information.Once you have your newsletter written, it is important that you monitor it for errors. You should not feel as though you have to proofread every word of your newsletter. However, if there are things that are unclear or something about the content does not look right, it is necessary to address these issues before you publish the newsletter.There is a good chance that once you begin to write a newsletter, you will want to make it more than just a simple piece of writing. You may want to devote some time to adding some additional content to your newsletter, such as an informational article, another newsletter or even a review of an article that you have written. Each of these efforts will add a little more value to your resume.One additional writing effort that you may want to make while working on your newsletter is to add an author's bio or author resource box at the end of each article. This can be an extra way to give people something to look forward to and a little extra information. In addition, this can help to make your resume stand out from the others in your field.If you have some extra writing talent, you can also use this writing tool to supplement your resume by adding some additional skill to your resume. For example, you may decide to write a biography of a famous person that you know. You may decide to do this by including this piece of content on your website.All of these ways to use the writing skills you have to add some extra skill to your resume and to your job application. Using these tips to work on your resume can help you get more interviews and help you land your dream job. Remember, no matter what you do, the most important skill to add to your resume is a second writing ability.

Summary Sunday Do Your Job Search The Right Way

Summary Sunday Do Your Job Search The Right Way Job search has changed a lot over the years. If you havent done it in awhile or are having problems securing and interview, you need to update your strategies. This is why I created Summary Sunday and share my most popular tweeted posts here every Sunday! Get the information you need to compete in todays job search! Job Search The Right Way The 5 Ways Employers Prefer to Fill a Position by Bob McIntosh, CPRW  | Things Career Related When you understand this logic, it will help you compete for the job differently (stop rushing to the job boards!) Why You Need to Know the Psychology of a Recruiter  by Chris Fields | Career Cloud Seriously folks, you need to understand how recruiters work! Get in their head. Chris also includes  5 things you  can do to make a recruiter love you (or at least pay attention to you!) Online Visibility and Personal Branding How To: The Job Seeker’s Attention-Getting Email Signature by Jacob Share | JobMob This classic post will arm you with the information you must include in your email signature! Twitter How Twitter Networking Can Pave the Way to Your Next Job | Undercover Recruiter Learn how to network with these two types of people on Twitter: People who work at the company to which you are applying. People who are influential in your field. Interview 22 Interview Questions Thatll Get You The Real Inside Scoop On Company Culture by The Muse | Forbes Interviewing isnt about answering questions. It is about asking questions. Learn what questions to ask to gain valuable knowledge about your future employer. The Holidays Are Here Never fear, people still land jobs between now and January. Job-Hunt.org has compiled 101  of the best holiday job search tips in this eBook, free for a limited time! Get your copy today!

LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search Careers

LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search Careers For five years, LinkedIns Top Voice lists have featured people who are at the forefront of their area of expertise. LinkedIns Top Voices lists highlight professionals in a variety of industries and regions who are building communities and starting thoughtful conversations on LinkedIn through their articles, posts, videos and comments. These are the people you should be following to get inspired and stay informed. I am honored that LinkedIn has nominated me as one of their 10 Top Voices in Job Search Careers this year. You can read the full list of 10 job search and career voices here. Also, be sure to check out the other Top Voices lists that cover a full range of industries. Influencers Data Science Analytics Finance Economy Education Technology Sales Retail Marketing Social Media Entrepreneurship Small Business Software Development Plus Global regions Following people on LinkedIn is almost as good as connecting. Especially if you dont know the person. Let me explain some reasons why you want to follow people on LinkedIn. Benefits of Following on LinkedIn 1. When you follow someone on LinkedIn, you can see their posts (status updates).   These posts are where they share wisdom, ideas or information. As a follower, you have the opportunity to ask questions or engage with the person posting. But it isnt just the person you are following that you can engage with. You can engage with anyone who leaves a comment. All you need to do is tag them when you leave a comment. This is how communities form and this is definitely a form of networking. 2. Following improves what you see on LinkedIn When you follow people, hashtags, and company pages on LinkedIn, it fills your LinkedIn home feed with information that is relevant and interesting to you. And this makes you more likely to log in and USE the LinkedIn platform. You can further train the LinkedIn algorithm by reacting (selecting like, celebrate, love, insightful, curious) to the posts that interest you the most (or you want to see more of). See Ed Hans #LinkedIn Tip of The Day here. 3. Being active on LinkedIn helps you show up in search results When you engage with what people post on LinkedIn and share your own status updates on LinkedIn, it helps your profile show up in search results. So if you arent active on LinkedIn, here are 25 ideas to inspire you. Thank You I have many people to thank for making the list of Top Voices, and you are one of them! You as a reader, subscriber, follower, commenter, friend or colleague. Thank you for listening and engaging! As our world continues to change, we also much adjust and grow. I intend to! Thank you also to the LinkedIn Editors, including Andrew Seaman, for recognizing my work in LinkedIn Top Voice in job search and careers field! I am truly honored.