Cover Letters: Love / Hate Relationship

So you are on the job hunt and have finally updated your resume. Your confidence is soaring as a guiding light as you smile to yourself and think, "My destiny is one step closer to being fulfilled." After carefully searching, you have found a few vacancies in which to apply. As you begin to complete this process with your head held high, you notice that the employer requests a cover letter attachment to your resume.

(insert screeching hault sound effects here)

"Ohhh no! I hate those things! Doesnt my resume say enough about me? I dont want to do a cover letter! What if it isnt long or good enough? I am never going to get a good job when everyone is requesting this of me."

Now before you start to pull all of your hair out, calm down! Many people do not particularly love the cover letter step of the job seeking process but that doesnt mean there is no hope.

Here are some helpful tips for writing a cover letter:

1) Always Opt In - Whether or not the employer asks for it, provide a cover letter. Think of it this way: There are 100 resumes passing through a hiring manager's desk daily. The manager is not particularly excited about reading each detail of every applicants' one pager. They are setting out to divide and conquer, looking to get that stack of 100 resumes down to 75 by lunchtime. What can you do to increase chances that your resume will still be in the stack of potentials; BY STANDING OUT! Express your capability, enthusiasm, and individuality immediately by setting yourself apart from the general public. Look at your cover letter as your written elevator pitch, a tool for enhancing you brand and enticing the manager to want to meet you to learn more.

Simply Put: If you have no Rap, you gets no Dap!

2) Know who your audience is -Its best to always have a specific contact name in which your letter of inquiry is addressed. It shows professionalism on your part as well as indicating that you have done your research. But, several circumstances prevent one from having an actual name. In this case, "Dear Hiring Manager" should do the trick.

3) Basic Cover Letter Outline

-Intro Paragraph

The purpose of your letter, brief description of your professional background, Details your motivation for working with the company

-Body Paragraph

Highlight current and past job experiences and how they relate to the job opening (specificity is key)

-Your Time to Shine (another section of body)

Provide the employer with the characteristics youhave and how you can use those traits to help the organization. Incorporate several terms that the job opening used in the posting i.e. if the posting is looking for someone who is dedicated, motivated, and a team player, make sure you include a statement saying such in your letter.

-Closing Statement

Mention any attachments included in this application packet and provide opportunity for organization to follow up. Also, state your intentions to follow up. Last but not least, thank your audience for their time and consideration and dont forget to include a salutation i.e. Regards, Sincerely, or Respectfully Yours.

4) Proper Letter Format - Include Return Address, Date, Greeting, and Salutation. Grammar and punctuation should also be correct.

Final Thoughts: Cover Letters only help to enhance your brand as the dedicated, motivated, valiant professional that you are so dont blow it. Always go above and beyond the minimum requirements and remember that positivity never fails!

Get Motivated, Get Moving Playlist

In the midst of your job search, you may feel that your motivation is dwindling and you dont have much drive left in you to fill out another application, to attend another career fair, or to write another KSA.

Here is my own personal iTunes Playlist to get you moving again:

Kanye West - Power
Desiree - You Gotta Be
Goapele - Closer
Micheal Jackson - Off the Wall
Maxwell - Lifetime
Jay-Z - Run this town
Jay-Z - So Ambitious
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
Ciara - Get up
Jazmin Sullivan - Dream Big
Common - The People
Kandi - Fly Above
Kanye West - Good Life
The Notorious BIG - Juicy
Mary J. Blige - Just Fine
Young Jeezy - Soul Survivor
Lauryn Hill - Everythings Everything
Nas - If I Ruled the World
Drake - Successful
Trey Songz - Just Gotta Make it
Drake - Over
Raphaael Saadiq - Keep Marching

Approaching Graduation: What You Should Be Doing Right Now

1) Plan to Pass - LOL! Pretty Self Explanatory



2) Save. Save. Save


3) Job Hunting


4) Break A Leg or Two -

Let Me Explain

5) Research the Industry


6) Guidance is Key

7) Relax

Job vs Career

For years we've all been accustomed to the template of the American dream: Strive through life and persevere in order to prosper in wealth, health, and relationships.

As young children, many of us hear from our parents to pay attention to school, take education seriously and plan to achieve great things so that eventually we can graduate from a higher level instution with a great JOB.

Many people question what a job is and should one consider this position a career? What are the stipulations for deciphering such? Well I have done some research and here are the definitions:

According to answers.com:

JOB:
1.A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession.
2. A position in which one is employed
3. a) a task that must be done
b) A specified duty or responsibility
c) something resulting from or produced by work.


CAREER:
1. A chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation
2. Doing what one does as a permanent occupation
3. A path or course


As life brings about natural progressions and transitional periods, many often find themselves in various jobs before realizing their pursuit of happiness aka career path. Everyone yearns for the opportunity, the longing, the desire to say that their 9 to 5 doesnt feel like WORK per se because they can wake up with a smile as they prepare for their day, knowing that their passionate fuels an existence of positive energy for their life's pursuit.

But many others often attest that passion for their job is not going to happen. It’s a faint reality, a movie’s happy ending; a pipe dream hovered in smoke’s ashes.

I’m here to say that knowing the difference between a job and career can be the catalyst you need in life to get you moving towards your passion rather than further succumbing to the victimization of monotony.

Signs that you may be in a job Stupor:

-Getting up for work is a drag.
-You always imagine what you’d rather be doing.
-The work is not challenging enough
-The industry is of no interest to you.


Want to be free? Go from JOB to CAREER:

-Evaluate your life as it stands today. What is your actual versus ideal self? In other words, what have you achieved today (college graduate, certified trade/skill, established networks, hobbies, interests, etc.) versus what would you like to see yourself as (aspirations, dreams, short-term/long-term goals)

-Deal with reality as you pursue the unthinkable. Dreaming big is not a bad thing but real must also recognize real. With that said, do not neglect your various responsibilities. Just because you do not like your current job does not mean that quitting is the next best step. By all means, if you believe you can not take another day of the torture of doing something you hate, then ultimately you have to do what’s best for you. But remember that hasty impulses wont eliminate the fact that you have several financial obligations and other responsibilities that replenish with the wind and will not simply have common courtesy to just “up and disappear” on account of your happiness. Simply put: Failure to plan is a plan to fail. Bridge the gap between dreams and reality, considering aspirations with responsibility.

-As your journey continues, take a mental or copious note of what gets you moving. Start by observing 3-5 things daily that give you a positive, worthwhile feeling of satisfaction. Not before long, you will notice a pattern to lead to your calling.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment.