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Default Essential tips for job & internship

How to Write a Cover Letter

“A cover letter allows you to personalize your resume when it is mailed to prospective employers in response to advertisements or to inquire about possible interviews.”

The letter's main purpose is to advertise your strengths and assets in a way that would interest employers in interviewing you. It is also useful in that it can save valuable time by enabling you to visit only the most promising prospects or helping you avoid places where there is no interest in you as a prospective employee.

To attract the reader's ATTENTION, the cover letter must look good and be easy to read. Use of quality 8 1/2" X 11" paper, correct English, spelling, spacing, paragraphing, margins and above all, flawless typing is a must. Address it to a particular person by name, making sure that the spelling and title of the individual are correct. The person addressed should hold an influential position in the company. A good cover letter is not too long, so try to limit yours to only part of a single page.

The first paragraph should arouse the reader's INTEREST. This can be done by stating some particular knowledge you have of the reader's business, by a comment on some "timely" issue relating to the company's operation or by an impersonal statement of some outstanding fact relating to your ability that would probably appeal to the employer.

The body of the cover letter should make the employer DESIRE to interview you by explaining what you can do for his/her company. Put yourself in the employer's position as you write and present facts that will both be interesting and accurately describe your assets and qualifications. Your prospective employer will be interested in your ability to make and/or save money, to conserve time, to effectively assume and discharge responsibility and to produce results more rapidly and economically than anyone else. Do not stress your bad points, such as lack of experience or unemployment.

The last paragraph should request ACTION. Ask directly for an interview stating specific times and dates when you will call to arrange an interview. In all circumstances be courteous but use a direct approach.
The letter should end with the formal salutation, "Sincerely yours." Below the salutation, type your name and then add your signature. Remember the use of AIDA (ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, ACTION) will result in a cover letter that is both pleasing to read and effective.



Cover Letter Outline

Your Address
City, State, Zip
Date
(Ms. or Mr.) Personnel Manager
Name of Company
Company Address
City, State, Zip
Dear (Ms. or Mr.) Hiring:
Your opening paragraph should arouse interest on the part of the reader. Tell the employer why you are writing the letter. Do not say in the first paragraph that you are looking for a job. Give information to show your specific interest in the company.

Your middle paragraphs should create desire. Give details of your background that will show the reader why one should consider you as a candidate. Be as specific as possible about the kind of a job you want. Don't make the reader try to guess what you would be interested in.

Refer the reader to your general qualifications on your enclosed resume or other material. Use as much space as you need to tell your story but keep it brief and to the point.

In your closing paragraph you ask for action. Ask for an appointment suggesting a time when you will contact the individual. You may now list your dates of availability.

Sincerely yours,

[Your Signature]

Type your name here



Sample Cover Letter

349-Jahnagir Street
Lahore, Pak. 54500
January 19, 2005
Dr. Muhammad Ahmad
Punjab University
P.O. Box 746
Lahore, Pak. 54500

Dear Dr. Ahmad:

I am presently a Cooperative Education student in the Punjab University Hellay College of Commerce. I have had experiences in programming in Pascal, FORTRAN, "C" language and am familiar with the DEC-VAX System. As a native of Pakistan, I know that my language skills would prove useful to your company. I would be most interested in obtaining a cooperative education assignment with Punjab University for the summer and fall 2005.

I am currently completing a course in computer electronics and am working on a project revising a system for radio communications. Additionally, I am working at a local Radio Shack franchise selling electronic equipment. As you can see, my course work and experience would be appropriate in your environment.

My resume is enclosed for your review and consideration. I will telephone you during the week of June 3rd to discuss the possibility of setting up an interview. I will be available for full-time cooperative education employment from June 25, 2005 through December 31, 2005.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely yours,

[Signature]

Naeem Saleem.






Your Guide to Resume Writing


This guide on resume writing covers the following topics

1. What is a resume?
2. How to prepare an effective resume?
3. Resume Checkup
4. Sample Resume
5. Using your online degrees


What is a resume?
Resumes are what people use to get jobs, right?

Wrong!

A resume is a one or two page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience. Your resume's purpose is to get your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does not exclude you from consideration.

To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review, summarize, and present your experiences and achievements on one page. Unless you have considerable experience, you don't need two pages. Outline your achievements briefly and concisely.

Your resume is your ticket to an interview where you can sell yourself!


How to Prepare an Effective Resume

1. Resume Essentials
Before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience and extracurricular activities. This will make it easier to prepare a thorough resume.

2. The Content of Your Resume
Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web site address
All your contact information should go at the top of your resume.

Avoid nicknames.

Use a permanent address. Use your parents' address, a friend's address, or the address you plan to use after graduation.

Use a permanent telephone number and include the area code. If you have an answering machine, record a neutral greeting.

Add your e-mail address. Many employers will find it useful. (Note: Choose an e-mail address that sounds professional.)

Include your web site address only if the web page reflects your professional ambitions.

Objective or Summary
An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.

Be specific about the job you want. For example: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.

Tailor your objective to each employer you target/every job you seek.

Education
New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. Alumni can list it after the work experience section.

Your most recent educational information is listed first.

Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution attended, minor/concentration.

Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0.

Mention academic honors.

Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of work that has taught you skills. Use action words to describe your job duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order—that is, put your last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job. Include:

Title of position,
Name of organization
Location of work (town, state)
Dates of employment
Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

Other information
A staff member at your career services office can advise you on other information to add to your resume. You may want to add:

Key or special skills or competencies.
Leadership experience in volunteer organizations.
Participation in sports.

References
Ask people if they are willing to serve as references before you give their names to a potential employer.
Do not include your reference information on your resume. You may note at the bottom of your resume: "References furnished on request."

3. Resume Checkup
You've written your resume. It's time to have it reviewed and critiqued by a career counselor. You can also take the following steps to ensure quality:

Content:

Run a spell check on your computer before anyone sees your resume.
Get a friend (an English major would do nicely) to do a grammar review.
Ask another friend to proofread. The more people who see your resume, the more likely that misspelled words and awkward phrases will be seen (and corrected).

Design:
These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into an employer's data base.

• Use white or off-white paper.
• Use 8-1/2- x 11-inch paper.
• Print on one side of the paper.
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
• Use nondecorative typefaces.
• Choose one typeface and stick to it.
• Avoid italics, script, and underlined words.
• Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics, or shading.
• Do not fold or staple your resume.
• If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope.


Sample Resume


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