Sending Your Resume and Cover Letters

When you apply via email, there are a couple of options. You can write your cover letter directly into an email message (the same rules for writing a proper letter and proofing it apply) and attach your resume (a MS Word attachment is best). Or, you... (More)

Cover Letter Help - Writing Errors to Avoid

To ensure you're always using an effective cover letter, let's review the letter's intended purpose. A cover letter primarily connects your resume to an open position. To understand the importance of such a connection, you only need to put yourself... (More)

Easy to Implement Cover Letter Advice

You should put the same effort into your cover letter as you do your resume. By implementing the following easy steps, you will ensure that your cover letter will stand out just as much as your resume.

When Providing References Is a Challenge

Dear Joan: I am updating my resume and need some advice regarding references, should a prospective employer ask for them. I currently work for a 'toxic boss' who would retaliate and make my life miserable if it were known I was looking elsewhere.... (More)

Should I Include My Salary Requirements In My Cover Letter

In most normal cases, you should not include your salary expectation in cover letters unless you have very good reason for doing so. This may be when a recruiter contacts you after seeing your resume somewhere, such as an online job board. In this... (More)

Don't Sing the Job-Hunting Blues

You created the resume. You composed the cover letter. You bought the suit to dress for success. You applied for various job openings and now you wait. You wait for the phone to ring inviting you to interview. You wait to learn of job leads.... (More)

Networking - Does it Still Work?

Networking was the biggest buzz word of the 90's. To get a job or grow a business - all you had to do was network. Bill Gates' initial deal with IBM, in which they bought and added the MS DOS operating system to all their PC's, was a result of... (More)

Stuck in a Job Search Rut

It happens. You get all pumped up to look for a new job, get your resume and cover letter all spruced up and then... nothing. How do you put the excitement back in your job search?

Cover Letter... Don't Sweat It

Writing a cover letter to accompany a resume, for some, can conjure up bad memories from high school or college composition class. With sweaty palms, they reach for the Thesaurus and Dictionary. That feeling of uncertainty begins to cloud their... (More)

10 Reasons You Are Not Getting Interviews

You created the resume. You composed the cover letter. You applied for the job opening and now you wait. Waiting... it's a hard place to be when you desire action in your job search. Want to increase your chances for getting an interview? Make sure... (More)

Cover Letter Blunders and Pitfalls

Heather Eagar discusses the major cover letter blunders and how they can affect your chances of getting hired.

Dealing With Salaries

Joan Lloyd has a series of questions with short, great answers. Her questions cover including salary requirements in cover letters, listing employment for companies that went out of business, and dealing with age on resumes.