Being Professional

LinkedIn Headers need to be eye-catching and relate to your brand.

This week in the Senior Portfolio course we are working on our business systems and expanding our brand. That entails reworking our resumes, cover letters, thank you cards, business cards, and LinkedIn profiles. My resume hadn’t been reworked in two years and was certainly ready for an update. I got lots of good feedback on information worth keeping, adding, and getting rid of. I want to have a great representation of myself and my qualifications on paper for future employers to see. I also want my personality to show through with the logo I provide on the page. 

Another important aspect in seeking a new job is being ready with a well-written cover letter. It’s a great way to send a message to the source of who may be hiring you. A great way to display your professional language and grab the hiring worker’s attention. My class was provided with a great source on the matter of cover letters. It’s an article from Fast Company named, “6 Ways to Write a Cover Letter That Inspires - and Gets You Hired”. As a current student and soon-to-be graduate I am eager to learn on how to go about writing a cover letter in the right way. 

“These letters had to be gracious, clear, compelling, and well-structured.”

-Judith Humphrey

The first thing the writer of the article, Judith Humphrey, states is that the first way to write a cover letter is to Seize the Opportunity. She reveals that having a cover letter in general will serve you well regardless if the employer is strictly asking for one or not. However, there’s more to it than simply having a cover letter, it has to be well-written to truly serve a purpose. The open prompt of a cover letter gives you free range to write a personalized letter. That goes into the second reason which is to Tell Your Story. There are little to no ways to tell an in-depth story about yourself on a resume. The layout is based on your prior experiences and gives you little wiggle room to describe your background. The cover letter is where I get the opportunity to bring everything together and tell the hiring team who I really am and why they should choose me to join their team.

The third tip for hire-ees is to Get Personal and try to create the relationship you want to have with the potential position at the company. It’s important to set the right tone. You want to use excitable phrases, but you want to be careful and not overuse those kinds of phrases.You could be perceived as trying too hard to sell yourself. The fourth tip is to Show Admiration. It’s the best way to reveal to the company how dedicated you are to them. Have you done enough research? Why would you be one of the best fits for this role? You want to tell them what you admire about their company and if you are impressed with what they stand for. A huge addition to the tip is to make sure what you say rings true. 

The fifth tip is to Structure the Letter. You have to put in the time to make sure it’s authentic and well done. If you submit something rushed it will certainly show and that doesn't reflect well in the work world. Fast Company claims you should have three parts to your cover letter: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The sixth and final tip is to Sweat the Details which means you need to crack down on the grammar and punctuation. It’s critical that your language is professional as well as well worded. It says a lot about you to have a crisp letter written and shows that you are careful with the details and are thorough.

Source:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90616761/6-ways-to-write-a-cover-letter-that-inspires-and-gets-you-hired