Get Ahead of the Competition

  Career Development  

You know how much competition there is out there right now. Everyone is competing for that next career step in a fluctuating job market. It can make any job seeker feel as though they are fighting a losing battle. One way to push yourself out into the lead is to make your resume concise and to the point, targeted for each job. That means illustrating in your cover letter how you fit the company's requirements for the position and being very about your experience in each position you have held.

Cover Letter Format

Simplicity is the best policy when writing your cover letter. As much as I appreciate a statement about your professional goals and where you see yourself in five years, at this stage in the game the reader is really trying to establish if you are a potential fit for the opportunity. That means that during the briefest of glances, the reader first asks themselves "Is this person a good technical fit?" You need to try and answer that question for them as quickly and as frankly as possible.

An excellent format for this is to begin your cover letter with a statement of introduction. Keep it brief and to the point. Consider listing what your current position is and what prompted you to apply for this particular position. Avoid using excuses about your current employment or employer's situation and instead focus on the positive aspects of the …

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