When you submit a resume to a potential employer, what do you do to distinguish yourself from the other candidates for the position? Most people use a cover letter although I have seen and heard of applicants attaching a post-it note. That’s a gutsy move. It may not always work, but it has worked in at least one case.

Why did the post-it note work? Because it was different. It was out of the ordinary and attention-grabbing. But it wasn’t the post-it note that sealed the deal. It was what the applicant wrote on the post-it note. The message. The content.

And that’s what I’m going to focus on today. Simply submitting a cover letter with your resume isn’t enough to get you an interview. Your cover letter has to be attention-grabbing. It has to be unique.

With that in mind, here are 4 essential characteristics of a good cover letter:

1. Personal, yet professional – Your resume is where you list your professional qualifications for the position to which you are applying. In your cover letter, you can get a little more personal. Not too personal, but let your personality shine through.
2. Fill the holes in your resume – No resume is perfect. A potential employer will have questions. Your cover letter should briefly cover any glaring holes in your resume. Explain them in such a way that it makes sense to the interviewer so that she picks up the phone and calls you in for the interview.
3. Introduces you to your employer – The interviewer will read your cover letter before he reads your resume. That’s your first opportunity to catch his attention. Make a big splash. If your resume does its job, the interviewer will move quickly to the resume.
4. Shows your interest in the position – A resume might be good for several jobs you want to apply for. A cover letter will apply only to one job. It should be customized for the position to which you are applying. Let the interviewer know you are really interested in that position.

A good cover letter gets your foot in the door. The resume keeps that door open. After an interviewer has read them both, he should call you in for an interview. If that happens, you know they’ve done a good job.

Everyone needs a resume. However, not everyone is very good at building a very good resume and get overwhelmed. It can be boring trying to get it just right and it never seems to be right. That’s where a professional can help.

Professional resume writers can sit down with you and discuss your resume needs. They can then build an excellent professional resume that will reflect your jobs skills the most.

Yes, there is a cost involved, but you have spent many years cultivating your job skills and expertise. But, with so many looking for jobs in today’s world, it would be in your best interest to invest in yourself so you won’t get lost in the shuffle.

Because resume writing is what they do, they will be able to create your professional resume into something that will stand out from the crowd and get you noticed.

It’s not the same as it was several years ago and a generic resume was all you needed. Today, however, potential employers are looking for that “thing” that will set that particular resume apart from the others. If they don’t see it, the resume gets tossed aside.

Doing research on the internet will give you multiple resources in which to find a resume writer and possible job openings in various venues.

It can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider investing in yourself. It is the most important thing you can do to make a change for 2012.

There was a time when job seekers only had to be concerned about background and reference checks. That seemed intrusive enough. Now comes along social media and the possible damage it can do to your job search.

Almost everyone is on social media sites now, which is great. People can connect now like they never have before. But, here is a big BUT, potential employers can see this as well during the hiring process. When building a personal brand, this will all become a part of that brand as well.

Potential employers will do a Gooogle search of your name to find out more about you. This is not illegal and is becoming more popular with employers. This is an excellent way for them to really know who they are interviewing.

Some things you can do to prevent your personal life from spilling into the interview process is:

• Remove anything on social media sites that may not picture you in a good light. Photos, comments and personal views. You can set your profile to private so they will only see basic information about you. It might not be a good idea if they see you with a drink in your hand in a bar or something.
• Update all business social media sites with an updated resume, pertinent business information and a tasteful photo.
• Do not use silly email addresses like “want2chat” or “prowler” or something to that effect. You will want an email address that is much more professional.
• Do the same type of search on potential employers. Use sites like LinkedIn to see what type of business they are, what they are talking about and who works there. This gives you excellent leverage during the interview process as they will be impressed with your questions and statements about the company. They will know you have done your homework.

If you are not sure what is going to pop up about you or how to prevent it, there are always companies that can help you clean your act up. They can search through a lot of venues to make sure that nothing embarrassing will affect your job search.

Networking does not always mean social networking. While social networking is good, it’s better to add a personal touch to it by utilizing informational interviews.

An informational interview is where you, as the job seeker, asks for a meeting with someone in charge of a particular company. You are, in essence, interviewing them, not for a job but for information. It’s used to ask questions about the company, advice, and to build on any leads that are presented during the interview process.

Many executives use this approach to build a network of business associates so that they can be kept informed of any new developments and/or job openings that they otherwise might not hear about.

Of course, job interview protocol is still expected during these interviews and includes:

• Research the company well so that you will have informed questions going into the interview.
• Set a date and time that is convenient to the person you are interviewing. Remember they are only helping you and are very busy
• Arrive on time and dress appropriately. This is not the time to be fashionably late.
• Have business cards and be sure to hand one out after introductions.
• Be prepared to end the interview at the scheduled time. If they aren’t ready, then keep going.
• Pay the tab if you are meeting somewhere for coffee or lunch.
• Have a thank you card ready so that you can give it to them as you part.

You never know who or where that awesome job will come from. Who knows, it just may come as a result of an informational interview. They may be so impressed by you and your skills, a new position may very well be created for you. It’s been known to happen.

At the end of the day, you will be proud of yourself because you have realized you really are good at what you do. And, you have built an ever-widening circle of contacts and job search resources that will be there to help you in the future.

If you are not getting calls for interviews, you may need to review the documents and information employers are receiving from you. Those things are what employers are basing their decisions upon regarding which candidates they will hire. Usually, if you are not getting interviews, there are red flags deterring employers from considering you.

These are the resume red flags of death:

1. Gaps in your work history. Really, a few months do not matter, but more than six months is considered significant. If you can show on your resume that you were doing something during this time such as freelance work or furthering your education, you will be better off.

2. Lack of career progression. Career progression is not necessarily expected in all career fields, but in many it is expected that as the years go by, you will attain more important status by job title with increasing responsibilities. If the progression is not there, employers could assume your work is not worthy of promotion to higher levels or that you lack ambition.

3. You were formerly a business owner. One would assume that with all the capabilities required by an owner this would be a plus to your resume, but not necessarily. The reason you are no longer an owner is the issue. An alternative job title for unsuccessful ventures would be Manager or Operations Manager, and if asked why you became unemployed, you can simply state that the business closed.

4. Career changer without experience or education in the new field. Employers may think you are grabbing at straws, desperate for any job you can get or that you lack direction. The reason for the career change is best addressed in your cover letter and should show a genuine interest in the new career field and reasons why the employer should choose you over experienced or educated applicants. Don’t forget to throw in volunteer and hobby experience if appropriate.

5. Lack of clear direction. You are a jack-of-all trades but master of none. You have worked in many industries or many different types of positions that do not relate to one another. Employers look for candidates who have a real interest in their job industry and may question yours.

6. Multiple jobs of short duration. Employers call this “job hopping” and assume you will also leave them quickly, wasting the time they spent searching for, interviewing, and training you. The best type of resume format for this circumstance is a functional resume. However, when employers receive functional resumes, they often wonder what an applicant may be hiding. If you were freelancing or a contractor, list all companies or persons for whom you worked under one section with your freelance or contractor job title as the heading.

7. You never completed a high school diploma or a GED. Employers presume this is evidence of lack of ambition or laziness. If you did not complete high school, leave the education section off your resume completely.

Go through your resume carefully looking for red flags, and decide whether you need to have some re-vamping done. Then continue your job search with renewed energy and hope. Your new job is out there. It’s time to claim it.