Career Tip: Ask and You May Receive…

Always end your cover letter, just like any marketing letter, by asking for the sale.  In this case you want to ask for an interview.  Consider using something like “Please contact me at your earliest convenience concerning the Sales Executive position at ABC Company.”  You not only requested an interview, you personalized with the specific job title and company name.  Let them know you want the position and that you pay attention to the details.  To your job search success!

Cover Letter Tip

Most cover letter introductions seem to start with “To Whom It May Concern,”  “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear HR.”  There are better ways to introduce your letter and avoid boring the reader or worse yet, insulting them with the wrong title.  First, try to find the name of a person in the advertisement.  With a name you have an immediate personal connection and it shows you truly read the job announcement.   If you cannot locate a name, you can use “Dear Ladies and Gentlemen” or “Greetings,” and although these are general, they rarely offend anyone.  There are times when the ad identifies an area of the company, like the HR Department, but there will often be a name associated with that department in the ad itself.  Read your job announcements carefully, not only for information to tailor a resume or cover letter, but to provide a specific name or department when available and show your attention to detail.  To your job search success!