COVER LETTERS - WRITE A MASTERPIECE

Your resume's job is to help you land a job interview
The purpose of a cover letter is to persuade potential employers to read your resume.
A good cover letter can immediately hook an employer’s interest by demonstrating how well your skills fit their hiring needs.
Tips to help you write right
1. Be briefLimit cover letter to 350 words.
2. The focus should be on how you meet an employer's needs, not on your life story.
3. PersonalizeAddress cover letter to a person rather than a title.
4. ClarifyIntroduce yourself, state position applying for and indicate employment source (i.e.,newspaper ad, referral).
5. Differentiate and highlight key qualifications and specific accomplishments focused on meeting employer's need.
6. SpecifyFinish with a interview request as the next step.
7. IdentifyInclude contact information (phone number and e-mail address).
8. Captivate and be positive and professional.
9. Focus Cover Letters must be tailored for each position and each company.
10.Complement Cover Letters should complement your resume, not be redundant. The Resume gives potential employer the facts; the Cover Letter gives them the person.
11. Don’t skimpJob seekers tend to lavish attention on the resume while treating the Cover Letters as a nuisance to be done quickly. Many companies use Cover Letters as a sample of your written communication skills.
12. Keep it professional A cover letter should be a professional exchange. Write potential employers letters that clearly make their point. Treat cleverness with caution!
13. Research Know about the company to which you're applying. There's no harm if your letter tactfully reveals that you're acquainted with the company or know someone who works there.
14. Personalize When answering want ads, make sure each letter uses exact words from that ad and shows your abilities match the company's stated needs.
15. Proofread Cover Letters must be perfect. Some hiring professionals won’t even look at your resume if your Cover Letter has some typos.

WHO ARE WE TO HELP YOU FIND A JOB?

Spherion for nearly 60 years has succeeded by connecting the right employees with the right companies.
We deliver staffing, recruiting and workforce solutions that measurably enhance workplace performance and individuals exceptional chances to find careers. As a pioneer in the staffing industry, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals.
Facts & figures
Founded --1946
Traded -- New York Stock Exchange - SFN
Headquarters -- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Employees -- 300,000, making Spherion one of the top employers in North America
Clients -- More than 7,000, including 80% of the Fortune 100
Recruiters -- 2,150
Offices -- 700+
Annual Revenues -- $2 billion
Rank -- America's Most AdmiredAmerica's Leading CompaniesFortune 10004th largest U.S. staffing firm6th worldwide
Candidates Screened Last Year -- 1.5 million out of 25+ million in the past decade
Real-time Candidate Database -- 2.5 million resumes, connecting Spherion to 79% of all online job seekers
Working in Lake and Marion Counties -- Since 1984

GET HIRED WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

Contact your relationships that would serve as references.

Who Loves You Baby?
Your first job is to build a list of potential references. Examine your professional network of former colleagues, bosses, subordinates, clients and associates. Create a list of people with whom you’ve worked and who you feel would give you a strong, positive recommendation.

As you consider your options, keep in mind that your references should be more than just people who can confirm your work history. They should be carefully chosen individuals whose comments will influence the employer to make you an offer. Your goal is to build a reference list of at least four to six individuals.

A thorough reference list will include:

A recent former boss
One or two former colleagues
A former subordinate, if pursuing a supervisory position
One or two former clients (internal or external)
If appropriate, someone of stature in your profession

Golden Rules to Resume Writing II

The following are additional resume-writing rules that will help you write a job landing resume:

4. Use action words -- This will add life to your rsume. Use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored and presented.

5. Match your resume with the position -- Use key words listed in the want ads that interested you and match them to bullets in your resume.

6. Make it readable -- select an easy-to-read font and type size, no less than 11 points. Leave some white space. Use bullets not paragraphs. If sending resume as an e-mail, send as an attachment to preserve formatting.

7. Edit and proof your resume -- spell check words, grammer, and punctuation. Send to others to review.

8. Think quality -- use good quality white or cream-colored paper stock.

Good luck! If you have questions, or we can be of service, don't hesitate to give us a call. You can reach us at (352) 622-5273. We'd be happy to help you out!

Golden Rules to Resume Writing

Golden Rules of Resume Writing: Resume-writing guidlines apply to every individual regardless of the industry, professional level or job of interest. Here are a few tips:

1. Customize your resume -- tailor it for each position, focus on employer needs and how your skills meet or exceed their requirements.

2. Practice brevity -- keep it short! Resume's should be one or two pages long with bullet points that are quick and easy to read.

3. Showcase your achievements. Mention at least two or three of your top achievements within the top third of page one. This is the most valable real estate on your resume.

You're on your way to writing a resume that will get you that job! Stay tuned for more Golden Rules of resume writing!