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The Art of the Cover Letter

by Alex Rudloff on Jan 22nd 2007

One of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of resume sending is the cover letter (or these days, the e-mail). The cover letter is your chance to make your first impression. A properly written letter should grab the employer's attention and help set the stage for a personal interview. Here are simple instructions and a few tips and suggestions for writing a quality cover letter. ... Continue reading ›

Cover letters: The fastest way to the top (or trash)

by Randall Bennett on Jun 24th 2009

Prepare a Cover Letter using a Job Description Some people think cover letters need to be a well thought out, lengthy bit of prose on top of a well crafted resume. Turns out though, that people on both sides of the hiring equation think less is more. For me, a cover letter shouldn't be a restating of a resume, or some sort of long, drawn out explanation as to why a candidate is perfect for the job. Instead, a cover letter should be short, sweet, to the point, and should ... Continue reading ›

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

by Alex Rudloff on Jul 6th 2007

You've been asked to write a letter of recommendation. Now what? Writing a reference letter for someone can either be an honor and a privilege, or a downright task. We've written about how to ask for a letter of reference, now it's time to cover the opposite side of the coin. A good letter of recommendation can take a decent amount of time (and thought) to write. They should be a couple paragraphs in length and give the person receiving the letter a general sense of your ... Continue reading ›

Why Your Resume Gets Tossed

by Stephen Lytle on Sep 29th 2009

I recently came across this article on Yahoo.com describing the many reason why your resume gets tossed from the "might use" to the "never use" pile. There are some good tips in this article that touch on the following: If accomplishments can be quantified, do it -- but use discretion If you send a cover letter by email that starts with 'Hi,' it and your resume will probably end up in the trash. It's true that recruiters sometimes use scanners to sort through ... Continue reading ›

Guy Makes $83K a Year Wearing a T-Shirt

by Alex Rudloff on Nov 6th 2009

Here's a creative solution to the economic downturn -- let people pay you to wear their swag. Jason Sadler, 26, sells companies the opportunity for him to wear their company's shirt for a day. He charges what he calls "face value", meaning January 1st costs $1 and December 31st costs $365. It might not sound like a ton of cash, but it adds up to $66,795 on a sold out calendar. He then sells monthly sponsorships adding upwards of $18,000 to his take home. It may seem like one ... Continue reading ›

Sample Letters of Recommendation

by Alex Rudloff on Jul 13th 2007

Here are some sample letters of recommendation as a follow up to our articles on How to Write a Letter of Recommendation and How to ask for a Letter of Recommendation. Enjoy :) ... Continue reading ›

The Art of Appreciation: Four Tips for Effective Thank You Letters

by Stephen Lytle on Jul 15th 2009

Childhood... it was great time. Minimal responsibilities, food on the table, free rent, the list could go on. Remember when you wanted to go with a friend somewhere or spend the night at a friend's house one weekend? Everything was so simple then. There was only one thing you needed to remember and I think we all heard from our parents growing up, "Remember to say "Please" and "Thank You" and you better be on your best behavior!" As adults the responsibility has grown and ... Continue reading ›

Email Etiquette

by Alex Rudloff on Jul 12th 2007

(Guest post by Jeff Everett) Understanding workplace email etiquette is an important step in furthering your career. Proper e-mail etiquette is important in anything ranging from e-mailing a cover letter to "casual" correspondence with other professionals. As more and more opportunities are only found online, the need to develop effective communication skills over e-mail intensifies. This article will help teach you how to write quality business emails to help you land your ... Continue reading ›

Entry Level Sample Resumes

by Alex Rudloff on Apr 19th 2007

So you are looking for a job? Whether you are fresh out of school or looking to change careers, seeking out an entry level position can be an intimidating task. Resumes and cover letters are a foreign concept to many entry level job seekers. Applying for your new job should be an enjoyable, exciting time. Remember, "Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." Demosthenes Enjoy this new and exciting period of your life! We have assembled this quick and ... Continue reading ›

Sample Resignation Letters

by Alex Rudloff on May 23rd 2007

(or "How do I quit my job?") You have made the decision that you would like to move on, all that's left is informing your boss. Should you write a resignation letter? If so, what exactly should go into it? Resignation letters can be intimidating, even when you are fully prepared to "high tail" it out of your job. Fortunately, there isn't much to writing a resignation letter outside of a few guidelines. We've prepared this simple guide to help point you in the right ... Continue reading ›

How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation

by Alex Rudloff on Jun 13th 2007

Asking for a reference letter may seem intimidating, but it shouldn't be. In the professional world such acts are common place and expected as you move forward in your career. From a letter writers perspective, it is often seen as a responsibility (and sometimes an honor) to provide you with one. From your perspective, knowing how and who to ask for a reference letter can be an important part of advancing your career. This small guide is designed to help you secure ... Continue reading ›

Craigslist: The bane of my existence

by Randall Bennett on Jun 25th 2009

Craigslist has taken down the newspaper industry fairly rapidly due to the decline of classified ad revenue at most regional newspapers. Whether you love them or hate them, classifieds, and now Craigslist, are often the first source of leads for job hunters, but as any hiring manager or experienced job seeker (read: unemployed for a long period of time) will tell you, the results are often meager. So how do you get through the average and rise above the sheer volume of ... Continue reading ›

Do you really need an Objective section on your resume?

by Randall Bennett on Jul 13th 2009

A trend I've noticed more and more as of late- the end of the "objective" section of a resume. In high school careers classes, as well as college career centers, many people counsel students to include these sections on a resume. Though, in my experience, the objective section often offers more laughs than an actual idea of where the job seeker is headed. To me, if you're not 100% sure your objective section is a winner, then leave it out. A quick Google search pointed me ... Continue reading ›

The Biggest Recruiter Pet Peeves

by Rigel Celeste on Jul 31st 2009

If you're in the market for a job the last thing you want to do is go around aggravating or annoying some of the most valuable people in any job seeker's network: recruiters. So what bothers them the most? This article sums up some of the most common pet peeves of recruiters when it comes to dealing with job candidates: People who are too immature to realize they have faults and weaknesses. Having no idea what job they've applied for because they aren't really paying ... Continue reading ›

How a Rejection Letter Can Land You a Job

by Rigel Celeste on May 28th 2009

Typical reactions to receiving a rejection letter vary wildly, going from quiet disappointment for some to loud swearing while tearing up the letter for others. Although there's no doubt that getting rejected sucks (pardon my French), if you can manage to be gracious in the face of defeat (or even downright pleasant) you might just turn that "thanks but no thanks" into a "won't you please work for us?" How can that happen exactly? Well, admittedly it's a long-shot, but if you ... Continue reading ›