7 Phrases I Never Want to See on Your Cover Letter

7 Phrases I Never Want to See on Your Cover Letter The cover letter is a critical document that makes a good difference in the job application procedure of the applicant. It presents you in a professional manner to the employer and lets the employer know that you are the most desired candidate for the job position for which you have put in your job application. Hence, it is very essential to produce a well written cover letter that will win the attention of the recruiter and thereby, amplify your opportunities of winning the desired job interview. The candidate must ensure that the cover letter is written in an uncomplicated language so that the reader does not have troublesome experiences while interpreting the document. The candidate should plan what points are needed to be included in the cover letter. The best way to do it is to create a basic skeleton of the cover letter. Later, the candidate can add more points and elaborate the letter. Every cover letter should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. At the end of the letter, the candidate should give his gratitude to the recruiter for having read the document. It should be noted that the job title, name and address of the organization, and the personal details of the applicant must be mentioned in a precise and accurate way without any mistake. The candidate should avoid beating around the bush and come right to the point. This will avoid the unnecessary lengthening of the letter and even maintain the curiosity of the employer to read your document. It is beneficial to use the online proofreading tools for making sure that your letter is free from any type of typographical errors, sentence construction errors or spelling mistakes. Most of the applicants are found performing the usual mistakes in their cover letters, especially by adding some phrases which are strictly needed to be eradicated from an ideal cover letter. 7 phrases you need to avoid in your cover letter: To whomsoever it may concern: This is one of the common phrases that the applicants make use of in their cover letters. It is more a generic kind of phrase which is not suitable to be included in the letter. Every letter should be addressed to a specific person. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly mention the name of the individual to whom the letter is addressed. Moreover, such kind of phrases showcase unprofessional attitude to the reader, which creates a spoiled impression on the recruiter Call me at : It is a phrase which most of the candidates use in their cover letters so as to make sure that the employer gives them a call once he/she decides to select them for the job position they have applied for. However, this is not the right way to invite the interview call from the employer through your letter. The candidate should be subtle in his language and ask the employer to call him for further procedures in a more formal and humble manner. For example, You can contact me as per your convenience Yours lovingly: This is a commonly made mistake by the applicants in their cover letters. Such phrases are usually used as a concluding phrase in informal letters and not in formal letters like the cover letter. Since the cover letter is drafted to the recruiter with a purpose of applying for a job, it should be created in a professional way by keeping in mind the formal etiquette of letter writing. Instead of such phrases, you can use yours sincerely, yours respectfully, regards, etc., in your cover letter I want a positive response: This is a too direct and commanding type of phrase which the applicants should avoid using in their cover letters. On the contrary, phrases like I am waiting for an affirmative reply from you or I hope for a positive response can be used by the candidates in their letters. These sentences sound more formal and modest. The purpose behind including these sentences in the document is to receive a reply from the addressee for the job application sent Phrases with I: It is redundant to use phrases starting with the word I. This is another type of common error that most applicants use in their cover letters. Due to constant use of the word I, the reader may lose his interest in reading the letter. In this case, the candidates can try to use different words or start the sentence with any word other than I. Another way to avoid the word I is to change the structure or formation of the sentence in such a way that it does not start with the word I Looking for an interesting job: This is a non specific phrase which does not really tell the employer what exactly is the applicant looking for. While drafting any type of cover letter, the candidate should be very specific and not let the reader keep guessing about it. The candidate should be very clear while mentioning the job title he is applying for; otherwise, it may create confusion in the hiring process. There is also a possibility of the recruiter evaluating the candidate for some other position which the candidate is not looking for. Hence, such phrases should be avoided in the document I feel that: This phrase is considered to be vague in the corporate world. By using such phrases, you tell the reader that you are low in confidence. It shows that you are not sure about what you are talking about. It has to be either I believe or I am confident. As a candidate, you need to be confident and maintain clarity in speech. This will help the recruiter to understand you and reflect you as a sure-footed and steady individual Once you are aware of these 7 cover letter phrases which need to be stringently avoided, you can develop your skills for drafting an idealistic cover letter. Related: How to Make Your Cover Letter Grab the Employer’s Attention. Sandy Dsouza is a freelance author and blogger who is having more than 4 years of experience in the field of writing. She is always eager to share her knowledge on various topics like resume and career development. Connect with her on Twitter to know more about her and also to get new tips and updates from her own experiences. Check out more on resume and cover letter tips at bestsampleresume.com.

Why LinkedIn is Important Even if Youre Not Currently Job Hunting

Why LinkedIn is Important… Even if Youre Not Currently Job Hunting Many of the clients and colleagues we work with are blessed with successful careersalthough some are in transition. Theyve achieved amazing results in their jobs and dont plan on making a move for at least the near future. So whenever we bring up LinkedIn and how they should really consider sprucing up their profile, they kind of look at us and say, Why would I need that? And its a fair question. If youre not looking for a job is there any reason to be on LinkedIn? How will LinkedIn help me further my career? And what can I do to get started if Im completely new to LinkedIn? Lets get started! LinkedIn is the Professionals Online Identity Most people think of LinkedIn as a job networking site, when its really so much more. For millions of professionals, its their online identitywhether they planned it that way or not. The first thing I do when working with a new client, hiring a new employee, or investigating a new partnership is to Google that persons name. And guess what often shows up near the top of the results? Thats right, your LinkedIn profile. To demonstrate I Googled myself, and sure enough my LinkedIn profile was the first thing that popped up. Whats shocking is that out of LinkedIns over 150 million users, half of them dont even have a completed profile. Yet your LinkedIn profile is quite likely one of the first things to show up on a Google search. People Google other people for all kinds of reasons outside of just hiring them. Do you really want an incomplete LinkedIn profile representing you? If you are an executive, director, or manager this is a great way to leverage your personal branding and to be an example to the teams you lead. Whos Finding Me On LinkedIn Anyways? Have you ever been contacted on LinkedIn with an opportunity, job prospect, or recommendation? If not is that something you would like? To show you whats possible, here are just a few of the opportunities that were brought my way because of LinkedIn. Even without actively job searching, Im hit with several opportunities, jobs, and connections without much effort on my part. In this economy, having a passive stream of opportunities is extremely valuable for any professional, whether its job related or not. And in case youre wondering, well how good can those opportunities even be? Heres some fascinating statistics about the users of LinkedIn. Average Age: 41 Average Household Income: $109,708 95% of users are college grads 49% of users are business decision makers As you can see, LinkedIn isnt just a place for recent college grads looking for their first job. Its a network worth connecting with. Maybe you havent been directly contacted through LinkedIn yet, but thats okay. LinkedIn makes it easy for you to see who is checking out your profile. When you go to LinkedIn and click profile, youll see on the right a spot where it says how many people have viewed your profile in the last x days. Clicking on that will show you a list of people who have come to check out your profile. What can you learn from looking at this list? Look at the industries of the people reading your profile. Are they relevant or odd? If youre a marketer but accountants keep popping up on your views then maybe theres some optimization you can do to attract the kinds of people you want looking at your profile. How often are you showing up in search? You never know who is looking for your skill set but cant find you because your profile isnt optimized well. LinkedIns GroupsQuite Possibly the Best Way to Network Without Networking Another special part of LinkedIn even if you arent job searching is their groups. There is literally a group for any industry, interest, or hobby on LinkedIn. If you have a question, you can get it answered quickly and for free from people who know what theyre doing. If you enjoy helping others and sharing your wisdom, LinkedIn makes that possible here as well. Posting helpful articles and contributing to the discussions happening on these pages can quickly make you a stand out expert in your field. And as youre doing this, youre making valuable connections you would have missed otherwise. So Whats the Best Way to Get Started? Hopefully Ive been able to help you see the value of LinkedIn and motivated you enough to at least get started. Getting a profile set up is simple and LinkedIn does a fantastic job of walking you through the process for making your profile complete. Once you are logged in LinkedIn will make suggestions for where your profile may have some gaps. These could be things such as recommendations, education, projects, etc. Do your best to get your profile to 100% since that will also give you better chances for being found in LinkedIns search.

3 More Personal Branding Predictions for 2011 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

3 More Personal Branding Predictions for 2011 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Recently, Dan Schawbel released his seven personal branding predictions for 2011. Among them: Your online personal brand will be consolidated Soft skills become more important than hard skills As the economy gets better, the war for talent ignites Social networks will become completely ineffective for one-to-many marketing efforts Personal brands have more responsibilities Social media becomes widely used in the workplace People establishing their online brands earlier in life I’d add three others: Marketing your online brand will be increasingly important as more jobs open Online reputation management will continue to be important for both individuals and companies Mobile tools will influence the future of personal branding Marketing your online brand This was a difficult year for job seekers. Recent college graduates and seasoned professionals alike were struggling and competing for the small number of available jobs in the market. However, an important lesson came out of the intense competition: You need to know how to market (and brand) yourself effectively in order to stand out in a tough market. Many job seekers in 2010 learned this the hard wayâ€"spending months unemployed and wondering if they’d ever find work. In 2011, I predict that many job seekers will realize the importance of marketing themselves (and not just in marketing-related industries). Creating and maintaining a personal brand is much like marketing a company or productâ€"except that product is you. Monitoring your reputation online With the job market looking up in 2011, both employers and candidates will continue watching their brands closely on the Internet. People will want more in-depth brand monitoring solutions as they strive to create a positive online impression of themselves or their company. Two up-and-coming solutions for job seekers: Vizibility MyWebCareer Mobile applications websites Mobile Internet, e-mail, and applications are already popularâ€"but they’ll continue to grow over the next year as more people purchase smart phones and unlimited cell phone plans. Personal branding applications and solutions will become more widely available to a variety of providers and cell phone models. What are your predictions for personal branding this coming year? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

Top 5 Writing Careers for Young Girls

Top 5 Writing Careers for Young Girls By now it is a common sentiment that publishing and other related industries have taken a big hit in the last decade. As the world stopped purchasing books in favor of slick more-eco friendly tablets, laptops and cellphones, the writing community has had to adapt. While in the past a career as a novelist was every English majors dream, technological advances have facilitated a shift and expansion in the professional field of writing. As a result we have compiled a list of some of the most sought-after and lucrative writing careers for young women today. Scriptwriter The success of once unknown writer, director and actress Lena Dunham, the creator of the hit HBO show Girls, is a prime example of how the entertainment field offers unique writing careers for young women. Only in her mid-20s Dunham has had the ability and creative freedom to allow her stories and observations to become a reality on a huge and lucrative platform. Though its important to keep in mind that Dunhams success it not the norm, she at one time was a young writer who funded and created her own work without studio backing. Script writing is something that takes years to get good at. However, with a lot of practice, constructive feedback, and a little luck, you could enjoy a successful career as an entertainment scriptwriter for movies, films and radio. Blogger Successful female lifestyle, fashion and mommy hood bloggers have become an increasingly large and prolific part of the writing community. Typically bloggers are not regarded as being the literary equals of more conventional writers such reporters and novelists. However, dont turn your nose up just yet! Blogging has become a great writing career that allows young female writers to cultivate an online presence, while also providing an inexpensive platform to launch a writers professional career. Bloggers can present whatever version of themselves they choose, and create a following from admirers who really respect that bloggers writing style and interests. The fact that its so easy to start a blog doesnt hurt either! Instead of tirelessly searching for a publisher, publicist or other middleman to get their work distributed to the public, bloggers take matters into their own hands. Bloggers typically make their revenue from ad sales, corporate sponsors and lucrative business opportunities that can arise due to the brand/image that the blog has helped a writer cultivate. Freelance Academic Writer For some, writing is all about self-expression. For others, writing is the task of researching and synthesizing complex concepts into the written form in order to present a conclusionabout the evidence presented. If you find yourself in the latter group, freelance academic writing may be the right career for you. Academic writers typically prescribe to the more traditional conventions of formal writing. Academic writing spans across all fields of academic study. However, for the most part all types of academic writing utilize the thesis statement format in order to present concise informative articles that are utilized and presented in academic settings. Academic writing isnt for everyone, it requires advanced research skills, knowledge of the wide variety of citation formats, as well as an advanced degree. However, if you loved writing research papers in college, or youve always been a fan of footnote citations, freelance academic writing may be the right job for you. Digital Copywriter Ever wondered who writes the advertisements and web content on your favorite websites? Do you make a game out of spotting typos and grammatical errors when your browsing the internet? Then a career as a digital copywriter might be the perfect job for you! Digital copywriters are the writers who draft all of the writing that you see on the Internet. Their job functions can range from creating product descriptions, advertisements, landing pages and an all other web content for official websites. The great thing about digital copywriting is that given technological advances, many digital copywriters can work from home instead of having to go into the office. This is especially an advantage for stay at home moms looking to have a remote career. So, the opportunities for those who love wording is ample. What would your choice be? About the Author: Jane Copland is a passionate PR manager at ThePensters.com â€" the community of freelance academic writers. She’s into writing, technology and psychology.

How to Ensure Your eCommerce Website Can Compete With Amazon CareerMetis.com

How to Ensure Your eCommerce Website Can Compete With Amazon In an age of startup companies and entrepreneurs on every corner, eCommerce sites are both a standard necessity for businesses and an area of very high competition. With giants like Amazon dominating sales all over the world, it can feel like a losing battle to try to funnel traffic and sales into your independent business.Understanding what these companies have done right, wrong, and how you can optimize your business to take advantage of both of these can help you move towards eCommerce website success.What Amazon Does Well, and What it Doesn’tevalWhether it is supplementing a physical store, or functioning as the base of operations for an online business, Amazon and other large corporate retailers is an immediate concern when it comes to evaluating the competition. This is understandable, as the eCommerce giant has control of almost half of online sales worldwide, and it can be challenging to feel as if you have any chance of competing against them.It’s important to remember t hat while Amazon has many advantages, but they also have their weaknesses when competing with independent businesses, even in eCommerce.A large part of Amazon’s strength lies in how far they have managed to extend their product reach and marketing. They can supply more products to more people in more places, and deliver them faster than most other websites, especially as they have shifted to offering one day or same-day shipping with Primeaccounts in 2019. These advantages make them a formidable adversary in the eCommerce world, but it is vital to recognize the areas in which Amazon has not excelled.Over the last few years, there has been continuing speculation about Amazon’s customer service, as many portions of it have been automated or have been found unsatisfactory by users. The apparent emphasis on keeping the cost that Amazon incurs from customer service interactions low has become very apparent, and the lack of human touch is being noticed throughout the company’s infra structure. This trend towards automation is a factor being considered in the issue of stolen artwork being sold on Amazon’s site.With an apparent lack of remorse on the part of the company, the ongoing shift away from human contact and involvement is a long-standing sore point for Amazon and many other large online retailers. These ongoing customer interaction issues can be used as a roadmap for where independent companies can focus their efforts and exceed Amazon.Find Your eCommerce NicheAs noted above, Amazon owns almost half of all U.S. online retail sales, and this alone can be incredibly intimidating when first looking into building an eCommerce sitethat has to compete with the online giant. The critical thing to remember is that Amazon has cast a wide net with a massive inventory, something that you, presumably, are not doing.Instead of trying to match Amazon’s vast range of products, find a specific niche you can serve. Someone may go to Amazon to order a new set of paint s, but what if they are looking for locally sourced supplies?evalOr, if they want to ensure their materials are all-natural? While they may be able to find what they are looking for eventually, by narrowing your focus from supplying all artists with supplies, you can focus on building an online business that supplies a specific set of painters with a set of priorities that you both support and can personally identify with.Defining your focus area is the first step in competing with Amazon, and it will help inform all areas of your eCommerce world, from layout to banner style to marketing. It will also help you allocate your budget and resources in more effective ways.By narrowing your focus, you are not only better defining the group of people that you want to market to, but ensuring that those advertisements and marketing strategies you create for them are more effective.The marketing strategy may sound intimidating, but even small businesses have resources for learning and employi ng marketing tactics. Learning these tactics will then let your audience know that you are ready and willing to help. Whether it is hiring a new web designer or having your current eCommerce expert search out some additional education, investing in targeted marketing can be the first step in establishing an excellent user experience.Craft Your Online User ExperienceevalLike its inventory, large retailers have aimed for mass-market user experience, and while this often works, there are many pitfalls that you can learn from.The user experience of eCommerce is just as crucial for online businesses as to how you display a product and whether or not the floor is mopped when a customer walks into a brick-and-mortar store. User experience is another area where having a distinct idea of who your target clientele is will help you compete.Brick-and-mortar businesses that have expanded to include an online presence have the opportunity to expand an already solid relationship that they have bui lt with their customers. Creating an eCommerce experience that coincides with the experience you provide in-person can be instrumental in retaining and expanding your clientele.One of Amazon’s disadvantages is that to find something specific, customers still have to dig through pages upon pages of things that they aren’t looking for, and suggestions for unrelated items. Make sure that your product categories are clearly marked and easily navigable, that you have a smooth checkout procedure, and that customers can quickly locate a way to contact your customer service department directly.Another major challenge in the user experience for large corporations is that if something goes wrong, or even if there is just a question that customers can’t answer themselves, it can be challenging to get in contact with a flesh-and-blood person. This lack of connection can often cause customers to feel like they aren’t cared for, that the company isn’t interested in their experience on a n individual level. Your customers must have direct and easy access to you for support to let the value of personalized customer service shine through.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comPersonalize Your Customer ServiceAmazon has many things going for it. Its inventory is unmatched, and it can deliver most items in two days, some even the same day that they are ordered. But as an online giant, their customer service is somewhere where clients have universally suffered. In this case, whether you primarily respond to your customers through email, phone, or live chat, a direct connection with your clientele is a crucial area where you have the chance to excel past the reach of Amazon.Where large companies have to focus on servicing as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, you have the opportunity to tailor your customer service experience to your particular clientele and to each individual customer.Once you have found your niche market and have crafted your website, it is time to co nsider your customers’ interactions when they need to contact you directly. Backing up streamlined, enjoyable user experience with excellent customer service that is smooth and personalized will make you stand out as an online retailer. It is this ability to craft a personal connection with your clientele that will put you above and beyond.Research has shown thatthe main reason that customers stop using a company is that they believe that the company doesn’t care about them, something that is often caused by a lack of direct personal connection and timely complaint resolution.evalCustomer service is your chance to retain customers and show them that you are not a faceless corporation and they are not an anonymous customer. Focus on having a small team of people who are invested in your company’s vision available to answer customer service inquiries, and who are able to use technology to connect with your clients directly. This can translate to any area of your business, from y our shipping practices to your email responses, and will not only help you retain customers but will give your established client base something to rave about to their own network.Be Conscious of Your CultureMany businesses boast a positive office culture that champions work-life balance, or any number of buzzwords that they feel will attract a millennial workforce that is interested in working for smaller companies over the larger competitors.In order to attract and retain employees who believe in your company, and who will provide the type of experience to your clients that will keep them coming back, you should be conscious of the choices that are made in establishing the personality of your company. It is rooted not only in marketing and business strategies but made visible through causes you support, your customer policies, and the culture that pervades your workplace. With the current saturation of eCommerce, shoppers can choose a different company if they disagree with their business practices or the causes that they support.As Amazon has grown, so has the scrutiny around the causes they support, their methods of manufacturing, and their treatment of employees. That scrutiny has caused many people to look for other eCommerce alternatives that are in line with their ethical concerns. By being transparent about the culture of your business, you can appeal to the desire of consumers to support organizations that align with their own economic and ethical consumption goals.Additionally, by defining your customer base, narrowing your focus, ensuring the quality user experience, and developing a relationship of honest communication with your customer base, you are poised to build a business that will compete against Amazon and other e-commerce giants.eval