Tailor Your Cover Letter Specifically
Be sure to specifically tailor your letter to the job you’re applying for. If you’re answering an ad or online job posting, the specifics of your cover letter should be tied as closely as possible to the actual wording of the ad you’re responding to. In his book, Don’t Send a Resume, Jeffrey Fox calls the best letters written in response to want ads “Boomerang letters” because they “fly the want ad words — the copy — back to the writer of the ad.” In employing what Fox calls “a compelling sales technique,” he advises letter writers to: “Flatter the person who wrote the ad with your response letter. Echo the aut

In Your Cover Letter, Don't Rehash Your Resume
Don’t rehash your resume in your cover letter. You can use your cover letter to highlight the aspects of your resume that are relevant to the position, but you’re wasting precious space — and the potential employer’s time — if you simply repeat your resume.

Transition from Maiden to Married Name on Resume
How to handle the reversion from a maiden name to a married name — or conversely, from a married name back to a maiden name — on your resume, especially if you’ve published work under one name and are now using a different name: Do not change your name in your publications to your maiden name because if a potential employer were to look up the article and find a different name, the immediate assumption might be you are lying on your resume or vitae, and that’s the end of your chance with that organization. Instead, try one of two simple remedies. First, and perhaps the easiest, is to simply include your current name in parenthesis, so, for example, if you were Mar

Typos and Misspellings are the Kiss of Death
Typos, misspellings, and incorrect grammar/punctuation can be fatal in a cover letter (resume, too). Your letter reflects your ability to write and communicate. Be sure your document is letter-perfect before sending it out. Proofread your letter. Put it down and proof it again a few hours later with a fresh eye. Then enlist a friend to review it for errors.

Job Action Day 09: His Resume Savvy Helped New Career Rise from Layoff Ashes
Today is Job Action Day 2009, a day for job-seekers to take action steps right now — today — to move forward in their careers. The Quintessential Careers family of blogs (including this blog and Quintessential Careers Blog, Career Doctor Blog, and A Storied Career), is looking at a promising aspect of the currently employment scene — turning unemployment into entrepreneurship.