Story from:http://www.collegenews.com/res/career/cover_letter/cover_letters
Cover Letters Can Make or Break Your Job Search
The job hunt is similar to a three-course meal. Your resume cover letter is the appetizer—great on its own, but designed to make a potential employer's mouth water in anticipation of the main course. Your resume is the main dish—full of meaty, satiating information. And the dessert—the sweet part—is getting the job.
In this case, the appetizer might be the most important part of the meal. Paired with a solid resume, a strong resume cover letter can make you stand out in a pool of job applicants, whereas a weak resume cover letter can land you in an employer’s discard pile.
What is a Resume Cover Letter?
A resume cover letter is your opportunity to explain to the employer why you would be a good fit for the job opening. A resume cover letter is usually no more than three to four paragraphs long, and it fleshes out the skills and experiences displayed on your resume.
Structure of a Resume Cover Letter
Here is a basic outline for a good resume cover letter:
Your Name
Your Address
Employer’s Name
Employer’s Address
Date
Dear (Employer’s Name),
Paragraph One: The Intro
The first sentence is the most important in the whole resume cover letter because it is your hook. Write something that will make the potential employer want to read further, and try to connect the sentence to the position for which you are applying. For example, if you’re applying to a teaching position, say something about how you’re passionate about working with kids, as demonstrated by your three years of teaching experience and volunteer work. Then use the rest of the paragraph to summarize; your employer should be able to read your first paragraph and get all the important points you want to include in your cover letter.
Paragraph Two/Three: The Nitty Gritty
This is the place to expand on the skills and experiences listed in your resume. (Even if you worked in the lowest position on the totem pole, you still gained valuable experiences that you can apply to other jobs!) But be sure not to simply parrot what’s on your resume; tell the employer how the skills and experiences you’ve developed will make you successful in this position. For example, if your resume says you “interacted with customers and answered inquiries,” then your cover letter should say that your “daily interaction with customers has developed excellent customer service and communication skills.” Three skills that all employers look for in a potential employee: organizational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills.
These paragraphs are also a good spot to explain any gaps in your resume or things you didn’t have room for. If you’ve been unemployed, you can point out how you've been productive in the meantime. If you didn’t have room for certain activities or experience that you feel are relevant to the job description, then use this space to address them.
Paragraph Four: Wrap it up with some action
By now you should be done with the substance of your letter and it should fill about three-quarters of the page. Paragraph four simply exists to thank the employer for his/her time and inform them that you will be in touch. Unless the job posting says not to contact the company, tell the potential employer that you will follow up with them in 1-2 weeks. Be sure to include your contact information in case they want to get in touch with you sooner.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
What Sets Your Cover Letter Apart?
Employers can get hundreds of resumes and cover letters for a single job posting, so what will make yours stand out? One way is to show that you’ve done your research on the company. Recruiters can see right away if your cover letter is cookie-cutter. You’ll have an advantage if you show that you’re aware of the company’s presence in current news and that your hopes and dreams align with their mission and goals.
Another advantage is if your cover letter is well-written and uses impeccable grammar. Employers judge your communication skills and professionalism by your cover letter, and no one wants to hire an employee who will send out sloppy communications to their clients. Even if someone is well-qualified for a position, his cover letter might go straight into the dustbin if his writing is garbage. So save yourself the hour or so that it took you to write the cover letter by taking 15 minutes to proof-read it.
When Do/Don’t I Send a Cover Letter?
According to an article on msn.com, a recent OfficeTeam survey reported that “86 percent of executives thought cover letters were a valuable resource in the hiring process.” Therefore, unless the job description specifically requests you not to send a cover letter, you should send one. However, there are a few industries that don’t require cover letters, like IT positions or part-time jobs. But it never hurts to include a cover letter; in fact, if the letter is good, your potential employer should be impressed with your effort.
How Do I Send a Cover Letter?
These days, applying to jobs has moved to almost 100% online, whether through online job forms or through e-mail. Many online job applications ask you to cut and paste your cover letter or to upload your cover letter as a .doc or .pdf file. Just make sure that the formatting of your cover letter is basic (think 12pt Times New Roman font in a Word document), so that things don’t go awry when your potential employer tries to open your file.
When applying to a job through e-mail, you have two choices as to how to present your cover letter. On the one hand, you can make the cover letter the body of your e-mail, and you can mention in Paragraph Four that you’ve attached your resume to the e-mail. On the other hand, you can write a quick blurb to the employer summarizing your cover letter (not more than 3-4 sentences), reiterate your contact information, and point out that you’ve included your cover letter and e-mail as an attachment. When saving your cover letter file for later uploading/attaching, make sure you give it an easily recognizable file name, like “Cover Letter for John Doe.” That way your potential employer will remember who that wonderful person was that they were going to call for an interview.
Bon Appetit
As with preparing any scrumptious appetizer, writing a good cover letter will require lots of hard work and time. But the more cover letters you write, the more concise, articulate, and efficient you will become. And, after a few days or weeks, all that hard work will pay off and you will finally be able to dig into the delicious feeling of landing a job. If you're looking for a good cover letter writing service, you can also go to Amazing Cover Letters and have your cover letter professionally written.
Story from:http://www.collegenews.com/res/career/cover_letter/cover_letters
Cover Letters Can Make or Break Your Job Search
The job hunt is similar to a three-course meal. Your resume cover letter is the appetizer—great on its own, but designed to make a potential employer's mouth water in anticipation of the main course. Your resume is the main dish—full of meaty, satiating information. And the dessert—the sweet part—is getting the job.
In this case, the appetizer might be the most important part of the meal. Paired with a solid resume, a strong resume cover letter can make you stand out in a pool of job applicants, whereas a weak resume cover letter can land you in an employer’s discard pile.
What is a Resume Cover Letter?
A resume cover letter is your opportunity to explain to the employer why you would be a good fit for the job opening. A resume cover letter is usually no more than three to four paragraphs long, and it fleshes out the skills and experiences displayed on your resume.
Structure of a Resume Cover Letter
Here is a basic outline for a good resume cover letter:
Your Name
Your Address
Employer’s Name
Employer’s Address
Date
Dear (Employer’s Name),
Paragraph One: The Intro
The first sentence is the most important in the whole resume cover letter because it is your hook. Write something that will make the potential employer want to read further, and try to connect the sentence to the position for which you are applying. For example, if you’re applying to a teaching position, say something about how you’re passionate about working with kids, as demonstrated by your three years of teaching experience and volunteer work. Then use the rest of the paragraph to summarize; your employer should be able to read your first paragraph and get all the important points you want to include in your cover letter.
Paragraph Two/Three: The Nitty Gritty
This is the place to expand on the skills and experiences listed in your resume. (Even if you worked in the lowest position on the totem pole, you still gained valuable experiences that you can apply to other jobs!) But be sure not to simply parrot what’s on your resume; tell the employer how the skills and experiences you’ve developed will make you successful in this position. For example, if your resume says you “interacted with customers and answered inquiries,” then your cover letter should say that your “daily interaction with customers has developed excellent customer service and communication skills.” Three skills that all employers look for in a potential employee: organizational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills.
These paragraphs are also a good spot to explain any gaps in your resume or things you didn’t have room for. If you’ve been unemployed, you can point out how you've been productive in the meantime. If you didn’t have room for certain activities or experience that you feel are relevant to the job description, then use this space to address them.
Paragraph Four: Wrap it up with some action
By now you should be done with the substance of your letter and it should fill about three-quarters of the page. Paragraph four simply exists to thank the employer for his/her time and inform them that you will be in touch. Unless the job posting says not to contact the company, tell the potential employer that you will follow up with them in 1-2 weeks. Be sure to include your contact information in case they want to get in touch with you sooner.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
What Sets Your Cover Letter Apart?
Employers can get hundreds of resumes and cover letters for a single job posting, so what will make yours stand out? One way is to show that you’ve done your research on the company. Recruiters can see right away if your cover letter is cookie-cutter. You’ll have an advantage if you show that you’re aware of the company’s presence in current news and that your hopes and dreams align with their mission and goals.
Another advantage is if your cover letter is well-written and uses impeccable grammar. Employers judge your communication skills and professionalism by your cover letter, and no one wants to hire an employee who will send out sloppy communications to their clients. Even if someone is well-qualified for a position, his cover letter might go straight into the dustbin if his writing is garbage. So save yourself the hour or so that it took you to write the cover letter by taking 15 minutes to proof-read it.
When Do/Don’t I Send a Cover Letter?
According to an article on msn.com, a recent OfficeTeam survey reported that “86 percent of executives thought cover letters were a valuable resource in the hiring process.” Therefore, unless the job description specifically requests you not to send a cover letter, you should send one. However, there are a few industries that don’t require cover letters, like IT positions or part-time jobs. But it never hurts to include a cover letter; in fact, if the letter is good, your potential employer should be impressed with your effort.
How Do I Send a Cover Letter?
These days, applying to jobs has moved to almost 100% online, whether through online job forms or through e-mail. Many online job applications ask you to cut and paste your cover letter or to upload your cover letter as a .doc or .pdf file. Just make sure that the formatting of your cover letter is basic (think 12pt Times New Roman font in a Word document), so that things don’t go awry when your potential employer tries to open your file.
When applying to a job through e-mail, you have two choices as to how to present your cover letter. On the one hand, you can make the cover letter the body of your e-mail, and you can mention in Paragraph Four that you’ve attached your resume to the e-mail. On the other hand, you can write a quick blurb to the employer summarizing your cover letter (not more than 3-4 sentences), reiterate your contact information, and point out that you’ve included your cover letter and e-mail as an attachment. When saving your cover letter file for later uploading/attaching, make sure you give it an easily recognizable file name, like “Cover Letter for John Doe.” That way your potential employer will remember who that wonderful person was that they were going to call for an interview.
Bon Appetit
As with preparing any scrumptious appetizer, writing a good cover letter will require lots of hard work and time. But the more cover letters you write, the more concise, articulate, and efficient you will become. And, after a few days or weeks, all that hard work will pay off and you will finally be able to dig into the delicious feeling of landing a job. If you're looking for a good cover letter writing service, you can also go to Amazing Cover Letters and have your cover letter professionally written.
The University of Washington is thrilled to announce a new program, the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP@UW). The goal of this multi-year conservation immersion program is to broaden participation within conservation, and diversify what it means to be a “conservation professional.”
We are reaching out to you because we know that recruiting our target audience will take a strong partnership between faculty and staff mentors at the students’ home institution and our program faculty and staff here at UW, and we need a truly diverse group for the program to be transformative.
We’re looking for 20-25 freshmen and sophomores to join us for an 8 week immersion course this summer. Our program starts in Seattle (3 weeks) and travels to various landscapes across the state (4 weeks) before returning to the UW campus at the end of the summer (1 week). Scholars don’t have to be environmental science, or even science, majors, but should demonstrate a commitment to the environment and to diversity, and be curious, creative and enthusiastic – incipient change-makers.
Conservation Scholars will:
The Year 1 experience, Classroom in the Field, starts on June 23rd, 2014. Doris Duke Conservation Scholars will have all travel, insurance, food and lodging paid during their 8-week summer experience and will receive a weekly stipend of $500. Year 1 Scholars may be invited to join a Conservation Solutions Team, or receive a prestigious Conservation Internship in subsequent summers.
* Note:
Our application will go live on the website later this month. Please strongly encourage any students who might be interested in the program to check out the website and apply, and please let us know at ddcsp@uw.edu if you have any questions or if you would like to set up a time to talk with us.
Name: Grace Calvin
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Care Clinic at UMMC
Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology
Expected Graduation Year: 2014
Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service- learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.
In my internship, I helped to manage the waiting room, take phone calls, schedule clients, and make reminder calls. I also spent time with children in the waiting room while their parents were in sessions and went to weekly meetings in which we discussed the clinical notes of the clients so that the therapists could provide insight and recommendations to their colleagues.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?
I love hanging out with the kids - the Clinic works with abused children, so I think it's really important that these kids have somewhere safe and fun to go and I love being able to provide that for them. I also love the insight I gained into the world of clinical psychology during staff meetings.
What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?
I have been able to really get involved in the treatment process. I observed therapy sessions and participated in meetings I would not have been able to learn from elsewhere.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Just go for it! I had one meeting with the Shriver Center, and they immediately suggested the internship I have - I sent in my resume, did a couple interviews, and had a truly amazing summer as a result.
How do you see your experience as meaningful? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.
This experience has allowed me to explore my passion for psychology beyond academics and to make connections with interesting and passionate people. I have also been able to touch the lives of children whose experiences in life have been unfortunate at best - helping these children have fun and get better has been its own reward.
Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process / the Shriver Center:
Internships aren't scary or unavailable - they're amazing experiences that open your eyes to the world of work, and they're easy to find if you know where to look.
]]>Name: Grace Calvin
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Care Clinic at UMMC
Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology
Expected Graduation Year: 2014
Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service- learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.
In my internship, I helped to manage the waiting room, take phone calls, schedule clients, and make reminder calls. I also spent time with children in the waiting room while their parents were in sessions and went to weekly meetings in which we discussed the clinical notes of the clients so that the therapists could provide insight and recommendations to their colleagues.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?
I love hanging out with the kids - the Clinic works with abused children, so I think it's really important that these kids have somewhere safe and fun to go and I love being able to provide that for them. I also love the insight I gained into the world of clinical psychology during staff meetings.
What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?
I have been able to really get involved in the treatment process. I observed therapy sessions and participated in meetings I would not have been able to learn from elsewhere.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Just go for it! I had one meeting with the Shriver Center, and they immediately suggested the internship I have - I sent in my resume, did a couple interviews, and had a truly amazing summer as a result.
How do you see your experience as meaningful? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.
This experience has allowed me to explore my passion for psychology beyond academics and to make connections with interesting and passionate people. I have also been able to touch the lives of children whose experiences in life have been unfortunate at best - helping these children have fun and get better has been its own reward.
Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process / the Shriver Center:
Internships aren't scary or unavailable - they're amazing experiences that open your eyes to the world of work, and they're easy to find if you know where to look.
]]>Meet Bradley.
He is a Computer Engineering major and a URA Scholar. His research will study the development of a unique underwater signal reflection-enabled, acoustic-based localization scheme that employs both a line-of-sight and surface-reflected non-line-of-sight ranging information to locate undefined reference points.
How did you find your mentor for your research project?
My mentor Dr. Mohammed Younis was originally my professor for CMPE 212: Principles of Digital Design, the first Computer Engineering class I took at UMBC. I ended up establishing a relationship with him and talked to him about various topics ranging from summer internships and REU Programs to classes. At the start of my junior year, I was invited for a lab tour and was able to meet the graduate students as well as see some of the research projects that were going on in his lab. After that visit, I knew that I wanted to do research in Dr. Younis’ lab.
Is this your first independent research project?
No, however it is my first at UMBC. As a member of the Meyerhoff Scholarship program, I have been encouraged to do research each year. I have been fortunate enough to participate in summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduate) programs at West Virginia University and Texas A&M University along with an Internship at the White House. These experiences allowed me to learn more about the Computer Engineering field and research process. However, a benefit of conducting research at UMBC is that I have had the opportunity to conduct research over a full academic year in sustained length, allowing me to take a project from beginning to end.
How much time do you put into it?
It’s hard to say exactly how much time I put into my research project, as time commitments vary significantly based on a number of factors. I would say however, that I spend about an average of 10 hours a week working on research.
How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
I have a twin brother who did research last year at UMBC and received the award. Also, I have friends who are in the program and my mentor Dr. Younis talked about the opportunity to apply this year. I felt this was a good opportunity and decided to apply.
Was the application difficult to do?
No, it was pretty straightforward. I had help from my mentor and graduate students that made the process easier. It also gave me the opportunity to summarize my research in order to prepare for a publication that my lab was starting on at the time.
What has been the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part of doing research in general is being able to set personal boundaries. This research was no exception. As a student, it is important to remember that your academic classes are your priority. Sometimes when you are doing research and stuck on a problem, you constantly think about that problem until you can find the answer, and sitting through a lecture where the professor is talking about a topic completely different can become a challenge. However, time management skills can help in dealing with this challenge.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
One piece of advice that I would give is that you should never be afraid to try something new. This is especially true in research. You may never know that you like a particular research topic unless you try doing research in that area. Having many different experiences will allow you to get a breadth of knowledge and allow you to find out what you are interested in.
What are your career goals?
In May 2014, I will graduate with a degree in Computer Engineering. After I graduate, I am planning on going to graduate school to get a Ph.D. in either Computer or Electrical Engineering. After graduate school, I feel like I would want to work in research in the defense industry and eventually work in technological leadership in the federal government or as a CTO of a company.
Read his abstract here...
]]>