Dear Job-Seeker: Just as Goldilocks was suspicious of the big bad wolf, be wary of the big bad word! You know the kind. Pursuant. Heretofore. Credence and all their contagious cousins! Unless you keep your guard up, these little pests will infest your cover letters like termites in a wood pile! Don't let them. Remember, employers are regular folks--just like you and me. They don't want to carry around a ten-pound dictionary in order to get through what should be a clear and concise cover letter. Decide today that you will communicate with your potential employer as though you were two friends sitting over a cup of coffee. Everyday language, a touch of humor, and specific details about what you can do for the company and why you're the one for the job will take you further than any five-dollar word you heard on a national spelling bee! Not only is such writing a waste of your time, the result is totally ineffective. The hiring manager is likely to read one sentence, then toss the letter into the trash--your hopes and dreams with it. Don't let that be your fate. Take charge of your cover letter now. Choose words anyone can recognize and understand and write in a friendly manner that will bring your unique personality to the page. Try this: I am so impressed with your company. After visiting your web site and 'meeting' you and other employees through your profiles, I thought to myself, this is the company for me. I am a hard worker and I take pride in paying attention to details. Please give me an opportunity to talk with you about what I can bring to (company name) for the position of (name the job). I already have a list of ideas I'm eager to share with you. I look forward to hearing from you, and then meeting you in person. Toss this: "Pursuant to said resume attached, I have compiled and codified a list of attributes, and carefully analyzed the characteristics necessary to extrapolate my purpose and penchant for the kind of work you articulated with extreme verbosity on your web site under the item, "Available Positions." That said, I ask your kind permission to garner a private conference with you so I might bring to your attention... At this point, if he gets that far, the employer will shred the letter as well as any thought of contacting you for an interview. HOW TO COMBAT BIG BAD WORD-ITIS: Read your cover letter aloud. The moment you hear, feel, or say a word or phrase that twists your tongue and fogs your brain, take it out. Rewrite until the words and sentences roll off your tongue and you feel yourself smiling. Hey this sounds good! Display your passion for the position and clearly ASK for the job interview. I'm rooting for you! Clear concise language is so rare in the business world today, that those who can master it will land the interview of their dreams--and the job that's behind it. |
