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SERIOUSNetWORKINGTMCDROMContentsAmerica’sJobBanknAboutAmerica’sJobBanknServicesAvailableToJobSeekersnHowToRegisterWithAJBnHowToPerformJobSearches:OccupationSearchesnHowToPerformJobSearches:KeywordSearchesnHowToUseTheResumeBuildernFrequentlyAskedQuestionsTheResumenWhat’saResume?nHowToStartWritingnSpecificComponentsofaResumenResumeFormatsn11SignsofaGreatResumenScannableResumesnCreatingElectronicResumesnTheResumeChecklistnActionWordsCoverLettersnHowToWriteaGreatLetternTheCoverLetterChecklistnCommonCoverLetterMistakesTheInterviewnInformationalInterviewsnHowToInterviewEffectivelynTheInterviewStructurenInterviewQuestionsYouShouldExpectCareerFairsJobHunting123456CoverLettersHowtoWriteaGreatLetterYouwillhavemanydifferentformsofcorrespondencewithemployersthroughoutyourjobsearch—informationalinterviewletters,coverletters,thankyounotes,acceptanceoffers,anddeclineletters.Theseformsofcommunicationareacrucialpartofyourresume“marketing”package.Theycommunicateagreatdealaboutyourskills,abilities,andpersonality.Makesureyouareascarefulwiththeselettersasyouarewithyourresume.Adheringtotheuniversalformat,style,andetiquetteofstandardbusinesswritingeliminatestheriskofalienatingpotentialemployers.Employersalsoappreciatetheabilitytocommunicateprofessionally.Beforeyousitdowntowriteyourcoverletter,takeacloserlookattheemployerandtrytodeterminehis/herrequirementsandneeds.Next,planyourletterbyplacingthemostimportantitemsfirst,supportedbyfactsandexamples.Itiscrucialtowritealetterthatdemonstrateshowyourbackground,education,workexperiences,andabilitiescanmeettheneedsoftheemployer.Thisapproachwillhelpyoupersuadethereaderthatyouareagoodmatchforthepositionandthattheyshouldinterviewyou.Remember,yourgoalistoshowyourvaluetotheemployer.Keepthefollowingkeypointsinmindwhenwritingeachletter:nShowyourinterest.Wheneverpossible,researcheachemployer’sorganizationandthenpersonalizetheletter.Whenyouindicatethatyouknowsomethingabouttheorganization,itshowsthatyouareseriouslyinterestedintheemployer.Thisapproachismuchmoreeffectivethansendingouthundredsofidenticalformletters.nHighlightoneortwoofyourmostsignificantaccomplishmentsorabilities.Thisdrawsimmediateattentiontoyourmostimpressiveskills.Italsodemonstratesthatyouareanaboveaveragecandidate,whichincreasesyourchancesofbeingremembered.nBebrief.Thisshowsyouunderstandthevalueofthereader’stime.nBepersuasive.Don’tjustdescribeyourbackground—yourresumetakescareofthat.Beclearaboutyourobjectivesandmaketheemployerwanttotakeacloserlookatyourresume.nUseapositivetone.Thelettershouldbewritteninaveryclearandpositivemanner.Donotadddetailsaboutyourself,yourpastexperiences,oryoureducationthatmaycallattentiontoyourweaknessesorraisequestionsaboutyourconfidenceorabilitytodothejob.nUsepowerfulactionverbs.Byusingtheactivevoice,youwillgrabthereader’sinterestandconveyasenseofenergy.SERIOUSNetWORKINGTM3nOrganizeyourinformationforthereader.Groupsimilaritemstogetherinparagraphsandthenorganizetheparagraphssotheyrelatetoeachotherlogically.Avoidwritingthatlumpstogetherunrelatedinformationwithoutastrongtopicsentence.nAvoidjargonandcliches.Itistemptingtousereadymadephrasessuchas“self-starter,”“provenleadershipskills,”“excellentinterpersonalskills,”butusingtoday’sbuzzwordscansuggestparrotedformulasratherthanoriginalthought.InformationalinterviewrequestlettersConductinginformationalinterviewsisanexcellentwaytoresearchcompaniesandfindoutmoreaboutcareerfieldsandpotentialjobleads.Whenyouwritealetterrequestinganinformationalinterview,makeitclearthatyourpurposeistogetinformationandadvice—nottogetajob.Intheletter,introduceyourselfandwhyyouarewriting.Indicatethatyouwillfollowupwithaphonecalltoarrangeameetingtimeoratelephoneinterviewatatimethatisconvenienttotheemployer.Donotenclosearesume—youarenotaskingforajob.Ifthecontactwassuggestedtoyoubysomeone,makesureyouincludethisinformation.Ifyoudidgetthecontactfromanacquaintance,askhim/herforadviceandcommentsonthebestapproachforaskingfortheinterview.Whenwritingaletterrequestinganinformationinterview,dothefollowing:nIntroduceyourselfandyourpurposeforwriting.nBrieflydescribeyourbackgroundandwhyyouareinterestedinthecontact’sindustry,careerfield,ororganization.nLetthecontactknowupfronthowtheycanhelpyou.nSetatimeframeofwhenyouintendtofollowupbytelephone.nBebriefandprofessional.CoverLettersNeversendaresumewithoutacoverletterunlesstheemployerspecificallystates“nocoverletter.”Thepurposeofyourcoverletteristointroduceyourresumeandhighlightaspectsofyourexperienceandskillsthataremostrelevanttothepositionyouareseeking.Yourcoverletterwillbemuchmoreeffectiveifwrittenforaparticularemployerandposition.Researchingeachemployerandpositionallowsyoutopersonalizetheletteranddrawdirectconnectionsbetweenyourqualificationsandthejobrequirements.Yourlettershouldprovidetheemployerwiththefollowinginformation:nWhyareyouwriting?nWhyareyouinterestedintheorganizationand/orjob?nWhywouldtheemployerbeinterestedinyou?nWhatisyournextstep?Providethereaderwiththeanswerstothesequestionsinthreemainsections:SERIOUSNetWORKINGTM3IntroductionIntroduceyou