Writing executive resume cover letters is challenging enough. Executives may spend a significant amount of time writing their cover letter, only to have a simple mistake cost them the job. It’s easy to focus on the technical details and ensuring you’ve included the most important aspects of your skills and experience in your cover letter. However, you also have to make sure the most common mistakes are avoided. Here are the top three most common executive cover letter mistakes to look for.
Misspelled Words
Typographical errors happen, but you can’t let them happen in an executive bio or cover letter. A misspelled word could demonstrate to an employer your lack of attention to detail. Since your executive cover letter makes the first impression, some employers will assume these types of mistakes will happen in your work as well, and not hire you as a result. It’s not necessarily the fact that you made a typographical error, but not catching the error looks more concerning.
Including Too Much Information
Any cover letter writing service will tell you to keep your executive cover letter short and to the point. Employers aren’t going to spend a lot of time reading a cover letter. If they see a huge block of text on a page, they may not even read the first sentence before tossing it aside. A clear and concise cover letter demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively. Having too much information can be portrayed as having poor communication skills, which isn’t a good trait to have as an executive.
Hard-to-Read Format
The use of white space, bullet points, margins and other formatting technicalities are important. When you look at your executive resume cover letters, you should be looking at a clean page that’s easy to read. Your cover letter represents you, so if you don’t take pride in how it looks, what are you telling an employer? How you represent yourself is usually a reflection of how you will represent the company, so use a cover letter writing service if you’re struggling with how to format yours. Professional Resume Services has helped hundreds of executives write their executive resume cover letters to perfection. Mistakes are easy to make, and not correcting them can be costly for your job prospects. Whether you need to start fresh with a new cover letter, or if you only need to tweak your current one a bit, reach out to us and we will be glad to help you.
When you sit down to write an executive cover letter, you may have many different thoughts running through your mind. Will the hiring manager even read this? Why can’t I simply regurgitate my resume? Aren’t all cover letters the same? The truth is, cover letters are difficult to write when you write them properly. They shouldn’t be the same as your resume, and yes, hiring managers do read the good ones. You just have to make yours stand out from the rest by being appropriately creative in your writing. If this doesn’t seem like your style, here are some tips from a cover letter writing service to help you out.
Distinguish Cover Letters From Resumes
One mistake many executives make is turning their resume into paragraph form and calling it a cover letter. This isn’t the purpose. Your executive cover letter should show more of your personality and creativity, rather than your experiences in the industry. You will likely send in your resume and cover letter at the same time, so no one will want to read the same thing twice.
Be Brief and To The Point
Don’t include more than two or three paragraphs on your executive cover letter. In fact, cover letters closely resemble executive profiles, since they should just be short statements describing your value and what you bring to the table. No hiring manager wants to read a lengthy cover letter.
Showcase Your Ability to Help The Company
As far as the content of your executive cover letter goes, write more about how you can help the company, rather than focusing on your past achievements. You may need to use a cover letter writing service to help iron out the details. It’s easy to talk about how good of an employee you are, but everyone does that. When you demonstrate your knowledge about the company and tie in your experiences, your cover letter will stand out.
Be Creative and Conversational
As an executive, most resumes and cover letters you write are likely cut-and-dry. It doesn’t hurt to be a little creative, at times. Try writing your executive cover letter in more of a conversational tone. Incorporate random facts about your industry or tell a very short story to keep the reader engaged. Professional Resume Services knows the ins-and-outs of a great executive cover letter. We are an executive resume writing service with expertise in resumes, cover letters, networking, LinkedIn profile development and more. If you’re struggling with your cover letter in any way, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
One of the biggest questions for many executives is whether it’s worth bothering with referrals when searching for a new job. Some people feel it’s unnecessary, especially if you have a lot of work experience. However, with the importance of networking in today’s business world, referrals ultimately go hand-in-hand. Even executive resume services will tell you to find the best referrals you can and combine them with networking to accelerate your job hunt. Here are answers to the common question of whether referrals are worth it.
The Right Referrals Can Help
You can’t just ask anyone for a referral and expect them to help you get the job. The best cover letter writing service will suggest to reach out to someone you know and trust, like a former boss, co-worker or simply a professional contact who knows you well. The secret is to not only find referrals you know well, but also find people who have a mutual connection within the industry or company you want to work in. Companies want to hire people who they know or think they know well. Having a mutual connection is the best way to create that spark.
Don’t Focus Solely on the Job With Referrals
If you don’t have any mutual connections off the top of your head, you can use a service like LinkedIn to find them. The best resume writing service can help you locate different leads to get started with the process. You just have to remember these potential connections are people, too, and you won’t seem very approachable if you start talking about yourself right off the bat. Instead, take a personable approach and give the person compliments on their profile, accomplishments and anything else you see. You’ll likely get a better response as a result and can talk more about achievements and how they got there before talking about yourself.
Talking to a Hiring Manager About a Referral
When you have a solid referral or two, you’ll have to talk to the hiring manager about them. A cover letter writing service can help you say all the right things about your mutual connection in the cover letter, but it’s up to you once you get an interview. Figure out what common traits you share with your mutual connection. If the hiring manager feels like they are hiring someone they know, you’ll be more likely to get the job. Professional Resume Services has helped executives get the best referrals to expedite their job search. If you’re unsure whether you have the right referrals, or if you need the assistance of executive resume services, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
What Should You Always Incorporate Into Your Cover Letter?
Cover letters are and have always been one of the trickiest parts of the job hunting process. Cover letters are a great way to show potential employers how your skills can benefit the company before they even look at your resume. Many experts wonder just how to approach writing a cover letter, and where the differences between resumes and cover letters really lie. In this blog, we’ll cover exactly how to format your cover letter and what’s worth including to boost your chances of success.
Conciseness
One of the most important things to remember when writing cover letters for resume is that the two shouldn’t be identical! Yes, your cover letter will contain some of the same information found in your resume, but you don’t need or have to include every single facet. Remember: hiring executives only have a few seconds to read your information. It’s best to keep your cover letter short and to the point, so you don’t waste the recruiter’s time and have a higher chance of getting called back.
Talk About the Company
Before you draft the first sentence of your cover letter, you should do ample research about the company you’re looking to work for. Just like your resume, your cover letter should be targeted to the employer. The best way to research the company is to network! Talk to other executives to see how you could contribute to their business and fit into their office culture. You’ll also want to be sure to look into their work within and contributions to the industry, as well as any other companies they compete with. Showing you know quite a bit about their company will prove you’re invested and worth hiring. You may just find something similar to your own work achievements, which you can tie into your cover letter.
Your Strengths
One of the primary functions of resumes and cover letters is to illustrate your strengths and what you have to offer to a company. Be sure to go into these qualities in your cover letter. Talk about your skills and accomplishments you’ve gained throughout your career, what these mean and how they’d make you a valuable member of the company. You should be trying to sell yourself as much as possible. Just don’t overdo it! You don’t want to come off as a braggart, though a bit of boasting is okay. Stick to as much factual information as possible by talking about how you’ve affected the industry, any similar or competitive companies you’ve worked for in the past and your experiences within your chosen field.
Referrals
Knowing someone who may have turned you onto the company will help you immediately catch a hiring executive’s eye. In fact, you may want to point out this fact right away. Networking is and has always been an important part of landing a job. Over your many years of career experience, you’ve undoubtedly amassed a large number of contacts and referrals. Now’s the time to really rely on them! A referral can vouch for you and your ability to be a great addition to the company. You never want to pass up on someone putting in a good word for you. We understand writing cover letters isn’t easy with so much experience under your belt, so we hope this blog will start you off on the right foot. You can always turn to a cover letter writing service for any extra help you may need to get started or sort out any kinks. If you have any questions about your executive cover letter, feel free to get in touch with us!
Could a Temporary Position Really Lead to Full-Time Work?
Holding a temporary job is nothing to be ashamed of, whether it’s an entry level or executive level position. Many people who have trouble finding work turn to staffing agencies to help place them in temporary positions. However, if you play your cards right, a temp job could be permanent before you know it. The reality is some companies may not be in a good position financially to hire a permanent employee, but they might be in a better position several months or a year down the road. Here are some of the benefits of a temporary job and how they might lead to full-time work.
You Gain Valuable Experience
When you are a temporary employee, you not only gain experience, but also the specific experience for the company you’re working for. Once you have a few months of experience under your belt, you can consider hiring the best resume writing service to brush up your resume. It’s possible you’ll be interviewed for a full-time position at your temp job. At the least, you’ll have valuable experience to add to your resume.
Don’t Act Like a Temporary Employee
The biggest mistake temps make is acting like they are only going to be at the job for a few months. Instead, show interest in the company and the work you’re doing and get involved as much as you can. If you act like you’re a full-time employee, it will make more sense for the company to bring you on full-time when they’re able to. Once you’re ready, acover letter writing service can help you make sure you look as good on paper as you do in person from a professional standpoint.
Network as Much as Possible
Networking is especially beneficial if you want your temporary executive job to become permanent. With the help of anexecutive resume writer, you can craft the perfect resume to hand out to the right people once you get acquainted with the company you’re working for. Depending on the size of the organization, you can talk to people from different departments to get your name out there. You may not be interested in the work other departments do, but you never know who you will meet in the process.
Do More Than What’s Asked
Being a temporary employee is tough because you don’t want to overstep your boundaries. However, there’s nothing wrong with going above and beyond the work you’re supposed to do. Being engaged with your work and asking questions about systems and processes will show you care about the job and will likely give you consideration when the company is looking for a full-time employee. The best resume writing service can only help you if you have the experience to back it up.
Cover Letter 101: Targeting Your Executive Cover Letter
Most recruiters look at a cover letter to screen for applicants before they even consider looking at a resume. You can’t understate the importance of targeting your executive cover letter, rather than just making a generic one. You’re not going to stand out if yours looks like everyone else’s and doesn’t really say anything pertaining to the job you want. Writing a great targeted cover letter takes some practice, and you may even consider a cover letter writing service to help you get started. Here are a few different things to keep in mind when writing yours.
Utilize Connections
Hopefully you’ve found the job you’re applying for by way of networking. If so, mention the person you connected with in the first sentence of the cover letter. You have to find a way to relate with the recruiter in cover letters for resumes, and there’s no better way to do it than to talk about something or someone they are familiar with. Talk about how you know the connection, where you met, what you heard about the job and, most importantly, why you and your connection think you are a good fit.
Why Do You Want This Job?
You have to learn about the company you’re applying for before you can write about why you want the job. When you mention statistics or facts about their company, they’ll know you did your research and are legitimately interested in working for them. Let them know what appeals to you about the job and the company specifically. Finally, one of the keys to good cover letters for resumes is specifically mentioning how you will contribute to the company’s growth.
Let Them Know Your Skills
Although having the proper education is critical to getting a job, the ultimate decision will come down to whether you have the right experience or not. Most of your skills will be present on your resume, but it doesn’t hurt to put a couple in your cover letter as well. As long as you tailor the skills to what the company needs, you can make it an effective cover letter. Again, just remember the more information you put about their company and how your skills match their needs, the better off you will be.
Constructing the perfect resumes that get you hired isn’t easy to do, but when you’ve mastered the art, you’ll be in better position to land your executive dream job. Some people have the misconception that the cover letter is designed to summarize your resume in a couple of paragraphs, but that’s actually not true. Your resume is about you, and the cover letter is about the company you’re applying for and how you will contribute.
It takes time and a lot of practice to get good at targeting your cover letter. If you have any questions or need any assistance along the way, just remember we are right here to help you, so get in touch with us at any time!
While no one intentionally wants to sell themselves short, it is unfortunately a common aspect of human behavior. This isn’t always the result of low self-esteem. Sometimes this happens as a result of developing bad habits and getting stuck in them for too long. Case in point: your resume. Quite a few people struggle with their job search for months, only to visit professional resume writers and learn their resume is the majority of the problem! Your resume is supposed to help your chances of finding work, not hinder it! Here are a few ways you can help yourself.
Don’t View Your Accomplishments Through the Wrong Lens
Many people think of their accomplishments from previous jobs as being the general responsibilities associated with them. This is not only false, but downplays your own unique skills tremendously. Never list your basic duties under your accomplishments! Rather, think about what you did for the position that no one else could.
Think about what impact you left upon the previous companies you’ve worked for and anything you’ve received commendation for. This is worth mentioning. It provides potential employers with an excellent picture of what kind of employee you’ll be and why you’re worth bringing aboard over everyone else looking for the same position.
Adopt More Efficient Means of Looking for Work
If you’re looking at specific companies to work for, simply filling out their online job application won’t do you any favors. You have to hit them where it counts! It’s easier than you think to find out who’s in charge of hiring at your desired workplace. All it takes, in fact, is a bit of googling!
You can then contact them by email. What should you put in this email? A cover letter appealing to the company and its needs is a great place to start! Before you start penning this email, be sure to look carefully over the job listing you’ve found for a second time. You’ll want to be sure to hit a majority of the points featured on it. Remember you can always turn to a cover letter writing service for help with this task.
Keep Your Skills in Mind
Skills are becoming more important than ever to today’s job market, meaning you’ll have to have a clear idea of what your individual skills are and how they can apply to your industry of choice. If you aren’t sure what these skills are, you run the risk of marketing yourself inefficiently to employers and being passed over for a valuable opportunity. Too many job seekers are unable to properly identify what qualifies as a skill. Luckily, you can rely on top rated resume writing services to help you hash out the best way to frame your skill set.
At Professional Resume Services, we believe you deserve the best job available for your level of expertise and experience. This is why we work closely with job seekers to ensure their resume adequately reflects their potential as employees and appeals to industry recruiters. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to help improve your resume and display your full potential!
Navigating today’s demanding and ever-changing job market is tough—no matter what age you are. If you’re 50 or over, however, learning the ropes can be even more of a challenge. It’s highly likely that it’s been years upon years since you last searched for a job, and the market has changed tenfold since you were in this position.How do you navigate this strange new territory?How do you reach out to the people you want to hire you?Just what is the key to writing resumes that get you hired in today’s world?We have a few tips on things to avoid to help make your search easier.
Personal Stagnation
Regardless of age, it never hurts to learn new things—information, viewpoints and especially skills. Think about the skill set you have now. How well does it sync up with the job listings you’ve seen this decade? Are there any skills you’ve seen that have stumped you, or that you know you have no idea how to perform? Don’t let this become a detriment to you and hurt your chances of getting hired!While you’re searching for a new career, it would serve you well to start looking into expanding your skill set by taking some adult educational classes. If you aren’t good with computers and other electronic devices, now is the time to learn. If you need to be familiar with a certain kind of software to qualify for the positions you’re seeking out, consider seeing if your nearest learning center has classes for it. A Lacking LinkedIn
You’ve very likely heard of LinkedIn at some point during your professional career. It’s a business-oriented social networking site and has become increasingly important in recent years. Most professionals today use it to network with other people in their industry, meaning if you don’t have a LinkedIn account of your own, you’ll want to invest some good old time and effort into putting one together and keeping it active and updated.You never know who might notice you on LinkedIn, especially since so many of today’s hiring managers use the site to find potential candidates. If you can’t make heads or tails of LinkedIn, you can even hire a professional LinkedIn profile writer to lend you a hand. Ego Trouble
Because you’ve been in the workforce for so long, especially as a senior-level professional, you’ve racked up a lot of accomplishments. While this is certainly commendable and even worth acknowledgment, you should keep in mind that by looking for new work, you’re much closer to square one than it may seem. Be humble about your skills, and don’t limit yourself as far as the positions you can acquire. Similarly, you don’t want to be too meek and cheat yourself out of a great position. Simply communicate, connect with every fellow professional you meet and don’t let your personal opinions get in the way of your search.
And don’t forget you can always rely on a professional resume writing service for help with your job search and to help you maneuver through today’s job market!
Writing executive resume cover letters is challenging enough. Executives may spend a significant amount of time writing their cover letter, only to have a simple mistake cost them the job. It’s easy to focus on the technical details and ensuring you’ve included the most important aspects of your skills and experience in your cover letter. However, you also have to make sure the most common mistakes are avoided. Here are the top three most common executive cover letter mistakes to look for.
Navigating today’s demanding and ever-changing job market is tough—no matter what age you are. If you’re 50 or over, however, learning the ropes can be even more of a challenge. It’s highly likely that it’s been years upon years since you last searched for a job, and the market has changed tenfold since you were in this position.How do you navigate this strange new territory?How do you reach out to the people you want to hire you?Just what is the key to writing