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Let's read through the graphic listed below, and comment on what you know already, what surprised you, do you agree/disagree/etc.

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Read through the articles listed below for tips, advice, etc. on preparing your Cover Letter and Résumé. 

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Read through the articles listed below for tips, advice, etc. on preparing your Cover Letter and Résumé. 

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Each of the articles is posted on our class Edmodo page. On Edmodo, you must post a response to the article (What did you think of it? Was it helpful? Do you already follow this advice? etc. - Just a paragraph or two) on the class page. In addition to your post, you must respond to one of your classmate's responses. Enjoy this video as a sort of introduction, in all it's cheesy goodness.

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How To Write A Cover Letter - Top 5 Cover Letter Tips

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How to write a cover letter from Jeff & Mike. Our top 5 cover letter writing tips. For a more in depth article click here http://theinterviewguys.com/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-examples-included/?utm_source=coverletterD&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=youtube Writing a cover letter for resume can be a tricky thing if you're not exactly sure what to do and how to approach it.

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Your article is from the NY Times. Remember, you post your feelings on the piece first, and then, respond to one of your classmate's posts.

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Your cover letter should be short - generally no longer than three or four paragraphs, said Debra Wheatman, a career expert at Vault, a jobs Web site.

In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing - it may be that you are answering an ad, that you were referred to the company through networking, or that you learned that the company is expanding, said Wendy S. Enelow, author of "Cover Letter Magic" and a professional résumé writer in Virginia.

In the middle paragraphs, explain why you are a good candidate, and show that you are knowledgeable about the company. Then convey a clear story about your career, and highlight specific past achievements. This can either be done as a narrative or in bullet points, Ms. Enelow said.

You can also highlight qualities you possess that may not fit the confines of a résumé, Ms. Wheatman said.

She once worked in human resources at Martha Stewart Living, and recalls reviewing applications for a chef in a test kitchen. One woman had a career in manufacturing, but her cover letter described how she had grown up in a family that was passionate about cooking and where she had frequently made meals from scratch. The woman got the job despite her peripheral work experience.

Finish your letter by indicating that you will follow up in the near future (and make good on that promise). Sign off with a "Sincerely," "Cordially," "Thank you for your consideration" or similar closer, followed by your name and, if you like, your e-mail address.

Q. Where should your cover letter appear, in an e-mail or in an attachment?

A. You can include your letter in the actual text of your e-mail message or place it above your résumé in an attachment. If you put it in a separate attachment from your résumé, you run the risk that a harried hiring manager will not click on it at all. If you place it in the text of your e-mail message, it should generally be shorter than if you use an attachment, Ms. Enelow said.

Then, if you really want to make an impression, make a hard copy of your cover letter and résumé and send it to the hiring manager by regular mail. Attach a handwritten note that says, "Second submission; I'm very interested," Ms. Piotrowski said. "I've had clients double their rate of interviews simply from doing that," she said.

Ms. Enelow calls this "double-hitting," and says she has seen it work remarkably well. She said a senior-level client of hers got an interview and was hired because the hard copy of his cover letter and résumé reached the company president, whereas his electronic application was rejected by someone in human resources because it did not meet certain rigid criteria.
Q. What are some common mistakes in cover letters?
A. A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.

Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: "I did this, I'm looking for, I want to ... I, I, I." Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, Ms. Piotrowski and others said.

Another danger is including too much information - for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements, Ms. Enelow said. It is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description, she said. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview.

Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications, she said. Do not give them that ammunition.

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Don't Neglect to Send a Cover Letter When Applying for a Job

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Your cover letter should be short - generally no longer than three or four paragraphs, said Debra Wheatman, a career expert at Vault, a jobs Web site. In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing - it may be that you are answering an ad, that you were referred to the company through networking, or that you learned that the company is expanding, said Wendy S.

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Your article is from Forbes magazine. Remember, you post your feelings on the piece first, and then, respond to one of your classmate's posts.

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At best, a cover letter can help a job-seeker stand out from the pack. At worst, it can make a promising candidate seem like an uncreative cut-and-paster. Sadly, the vast majority of cover letters read essentially the same: Retreads of resumes that ramble on while repeating the obvious. Would you read one of these to the end if it were put in front of you? Probably not, and nor would most hiring managers.

Of course, the Internet is full of tips and tutorials on writing a cover letter, but few of them give much useful information other than the obvious ("Use good grammar!"). So I got to thinking about what cover letter tips and techniques have served me over the years. I came up with these six golden rules for writing a cover letter somebody will actually want to read.
1) Don't repeat your resume
A lot of people write cover letters as if they were paragraph-form resumes. Fact is, your letter will be stapled (or attached to the same email) as your actual resume, so you can assume that they'll at least glance at it (and probably with a keener eye than your cover letter). Instead, use your cover letter to show personality, curiosity, and an interest in the field you are applying to work in. My favorite pro tip: around for the history of your field or company, and sprinkle some cool historical facts into your cover letter (or even use one as a lead). If I was applying for a job in tech, I might talk about how thrilling it was to see Moore's law transform technology before my eyes, and how thrilled I am to be a part of this transformation. If I were applying for a job in fashion, I might talk about how much fashion has changed since the 80s ( a lot!). Everything has a hidden history. Use it to show expertise and interest.
2) Keep it short
Less. Is. More. Three paragraphs, tops. Half a page, tops. Skip lengthy exposition and jump right into something juicy.
3) Address Nobody
Sometimes, you don't know exactly who you should be addressing your letter to. Nix the generic and bland "Dear Hiring Manager" or "To Whom It May Concern". If you absolutely don't know who you should be addressing, then don't address anybody. Instead, just jump right into the body of the letter.
4) Send it as a PDF
Not every office computer can read .docx or .pages files, but virtually everybody can open a PDF file without any conversion. File conversions are bad for two huge reasons. First, they are just as likely to not bother and move onto the next applicant. And, second, conversions can

introduce formatting errors. Both are bad. ( Note: This story originally suggested .doc files. Definitely better than .docx, but, as the comments pointed out, PDF is surely better. It can't be easily tampered with, and you have more control over how it appears on somebody's screen.)
5) Never ever, ever use the following phrase
"My name is ___, and I am applying for the position as ____".They already know this, and you'll sound inexperienced.

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6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover Letter

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At best, a cover letter can help a job-seeker stand out from the pack. At worst, it can make a promising candidate seem like an uncreative cut-and-paster. Sadly, the vast majority of cover letters read essentially the same: Retreads of resumes that ramble on while repeating the obvious. Would you [...]

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Your article is from the organization ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). Remember, you post your feelings on the piece first, and then, respond to one of your classmate's posts.