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The 9% Trap - Why Blooper
Forgiveness is Hard to Find
Did you know that your chances of
facing a full time, professional career interviewer is as low as 9%? Professional interviewers
are more likely to forgive some trivial cover letter oversights because they are trained to separate the wheat from the chafe.
That leaves up to 91% of
interviewers who may miss the wheat (substance) because you left too much chafe (mistakes).
Ignore some minor detail such as
mixing the wrong fonts and some interviewer, more interested in form than content, may turn your cover letter into a shredder’s delight.
6 Easy Steps to Use This
Cover Letter Checklist For Instant Feedback
1) Print out this article. Then place it next to your cover letter and…
2) Read
each checklist question. If your cover letter passes, put a check mark at the beginning of the question.
3) Not
sure? Leave it for later. No check mark.
4) You
found a booboo? I suggest yellow highlighting the entire question.
5) Read
through the entire list before making any corrections. This should give you an idea of how much
work you have. Ask yourself, “Is there pattern to the bloopers?” Are they causing confusion, loss of clarity?
6) Now,
go back and correct each question.
Repeat steps 2 thru 6 until you sit smugly with your “finalized”
cover letter in hand.
You must recheck your
checklist after making any correction in your cover letter because you may have introduced a new “bug” or loss of clarity.
Once your checklist is clean, that’s it! Then…
Don’t forget to answer
the last question! Your cover letter may just be ready for publication.
Big
Tip:
No list is complete. As you read the checklist, do other
questions come to mind? Should one popup, write it down NOW; before you forget. This is critical.
Do not move to the next question until you have done so. Questions which you think you’ll remember can drive you to crazy when trying to
recall them later.
Note:
While some checklist questions seem repetitious, on closer inspection, details vary. It’s
all about details. Some oversights are inexcusable and even worse. Overlooking mistakes and being forgiven is at the discretion of your
interviewer. Do you feel lucky? Do you like gambling with your career?
Cover letter
checklist...
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