One Cover Letter Secret You Cant Afford To Miss

Suppose you were the hiring manager, your desk piled high with cover letters and resumes to sort through. Which of the following cover letter greetings would grab your attention?

Example #1:

Dear Sirs: Dear Sir/Madam: Dear Gentlemen: To whom it may concern:

Example #2:

Dear Manager: Dear HR Director: Dear Human Resources:

Example #3:

Dear Mrs. Thomas: Dear Mr. Friedman: Dear Sally Williams:

Clearly Example #3 is the best of the bunch because the job-seeker has taken time to find out your name and to spell it correctly.

Consider how you'd feel if you received a cover letter that said Dear Sir or Madam, or worse yet, 'To whom it may concern.' No one will be concerned if you address your cover letter to no one in particular!

Remember, there is nothing as sweet to the ear as the sound of ones name.

Exercise this simple secret and your cover letter will rise to the top of the pile!

"But I don't know who to address my cover letter to!"

If you don't have this information, take time to get it. Call the company. For jobs posted online this may be a challenge. But still, go the extra mile. Then at the very least address your letter to the appropriate entity. Example: Hiring manager; HR Director; etc.

Secret Tip For Emergency Situations

If the name is unavailable, use one of the greetings in Example #2 and add this personal note.

Please Note: I'm sorry for this impersonal greeting on my cover letter. I was unable to get your name online. However, I look forward to the opportunity to meet you in person so I can address you by name and discuss this job opening. I am highly interested in working for {company name}.

This one-two punch would surely grab someone's attention. You are showing your respect and more important, that you care.

This secret tip alone quickly turns a potential negative into a positive that could make the difference between acceptance and rejection.

The bottom line: When you target your cover letter to a specific person by name, you greatly increase your chances of landing the interview, and ultimately the job you desire.

So before you write your next cover letter, ask yourself this essential question: Who, specifically, will be concerned about what I have to say in this cover letter? That person has a name and it sure isn't, "To whom it may concern!"

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy has written several career-related books and his unique articles are always a job-seeker favorite. Who else wants their phone ringing off the hook with more quality job interviews? Visit Jimmy on the web right now at http://www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com for your 'instant' cover letter today.

---

Career Change: Success Tips

Successful career change is based on first making an honest... Read More

5 Proven Steps To Easily Master The Art Of The Interview And Get The Bartending Job Of Your Dreams!

Your mouth is dry, your palms are sweaty, your heart... Read More

Job Interviews: How to Answer the How Do You Handle Stressful Situations? Question

When answering the "How do you handle stressful situations?" question... Read More

How To Get A Job Fast

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with... Read More

Intuition: The Secret To Your Career Success

For far too long, we moderns have relied on our... Read More

Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio

Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only... Read More

Dress For Success

You have heard the phrase, "Dress for Success." This is... Read More

Skills Make Labor More Valuable

As you know by now, if you have been a... Read More

How To Ask For A Pay Rise!

Negotiating a pay rise is not something many people do... Read More

Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs

Finding the right employee for any job opening can be... Read More

Employment Law: Unfair Dismissal - Employer Succeeded in Changing Terms of Employment

Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of... Read More

Career in the Toilet?

Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure,... Read More

Free Resume Examples: More Is Better

If you ever studied any probability theory in high school... Read More

Difficult Relationships at Work - Dealing with Workplace Conflict

Difficult Relationships at Work - How to Influence the UncooperativeWe... Read More

Resumes Arent Important - They are Everything When it Comes to Getting an Interview

Employers and recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for every position... Read More

Career Discovery - Pinpoint Your Ideal Career

Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment with your values,... Read More

Tackling Your Unemployment Creatively

Are you unemployed or been laid off? You are not... Read More

Cross Cultural Interviews

At this moment in time, the increase in cross border... Read More

Writing a Must-Read Cover Letter

If you want to land an interview, you'll need more... Read More

How To Conduct A Successful Job Search Campaign

1.Define your objective: Know what kind of work you most... Read More

7 Tips for Writing Winning Resume Cover Letters

Writing a good resume cover letter is something you should... Read More

Interview Quicksand

How will you respond when you're asked the following two... Read More

3 Creative Job Search Tactics

It's a fact: the best jobs attract loads of competition.... Read More

Resumes That Rock (16 Expert Tips)

It's never too early to update your resume, even if... Read More

Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position

It is often said that the majority of people are... Read More

Self-Preservation Techniques For The Unemployed

Looking for work can be difficult, frustrating, anxiety-provoking, and demeaning.There... Read More

Ode to a Spoon

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what... Read More

What You Cant Ask a Job Candidate is as Important as What You Can Ask

As a human resources professional or business owner, you face... Read More

Salary, Raises, & Perks: Negotiate to Get Paid What Youre Worth!

Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It's important to... Read More

Bartending School Online- Earn Your Bartender Training From Home

Many young adults flock to bars, lounges and clubs on... Read More

Loving What You Do

Man is a social animal and survival is his major... Read More

What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF?

According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association... Read More

Resumes and First impressions

Hunting for a position in a new career field? Trying... Read More