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How to Eliminate 65 Cover Letter Loose
Ends©
By Charles Ethos
It’s no secret that one
key to successful cover letters is to strategically checking for loose ends in your so called “finished” cover letter. Can you afford to do
any less in an uncertain job market? Can you afford loose ends?
A Cover Letter
Strategy
Is your cover letter an eye-popping, first page to your interview seeking package?
When your envelope is opened, is it the first item that catches
the employer’s eyes?
If the employer reaches into your envelope or dumps the envelope
content on the desktop, will your cover letter be read first?
TIP:
Paperclip the content of your envelope to keep the order of your letters intact. Why use a
paperclip? It’s easy to remove and doesn’t leave holes.
TIP:
Add a blank piece of matching stationary on the back of your paper clipped cover
letter/resume package. Should your envelope be opened upside down, the employer, looking for immediate content, has to turn your letter
package over, placing your cover letter on top for immediate viewing.
Why You Need a Cover
Letter Checklist? To Avoid Unforgivable Bloopers.
As legend has it, each Christmas, Santa checks his list twice to
see who was naughty or nice. No room for mistakes. Never deliver the Ferrari™ to the 6 year old
and the Tonka Toy™ to dad. (Unless Santa is stops at my house)
The moral of the
story? Let’s be honest, if you don’t check you cover letter twice (or more) and
you glitch, will you get respect? An interview? Not likely.
Any Questions?
Your cover letter
checklist is a tool to help you catch obvious or uncover subtle errors of acts of omission or commission.
“Did I really write that? (bad info?)
“Where is it?” (missing info?)
Huh? (confusing info?)
Why a Better Checklist is
Madness
Typical, a well organized checklist can turn you into mindless,
inattentive zombie, where one question predictably leads into the next. When the mind anticipates, it tends to loose its edge. Ever see a
mistake and zoom right by it? Not until it comes back to bite you. Should a friend point out your lapse, wouldn’t you wonder why you missed
the obvious? In looking for random errors, don’t be lulled to sleep.
Purpose of This
Checklist
My cover letter checklist is intended to jolt you, to disrupt
your comfort zone, to dislodge you logic, to make you think beyond the list. No rhyme. No pattern.
Why?
Cover letter mistakes tend to creep in at random, thoughtlessly.
If this touches your ego, I am not sorry if brainstorming this checklist helps you to get an interview. :)
Remember,
forget correcting a checklist item, or forget to remedy an issue, kiss your interview
goodbye! Sloppy does not sell!
The 9% Trap...
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