Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters: Step-by-Step Instructions With Companion CD-ROM [Paperback]

Kimberly Sarmiento (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2009

Your cover letter is what decides if a company looks at your resume, contacts you for an interview, or gets you placed in the rejection pile. Knowing that, it is important to create a well-written, eye-catching letter that sells your achievements and job skills to impress the recruiter. However, many people are unable to effectively translate their thoughts into words when faced with the task. That is where The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters comes in. With this book you will be able to craft a letter that will undoubtedly land you the interview. In this new book, you will learn how to address your letter, how to grab the reader s attention immediately, how to format your letter, how to choose the font, how to be professional but persuasive, how to choose the type of paper, and how to target your letter. You will also learn about writing the different kinds of letters, including those in response to a classified advertisement, those in response to a blind advertisement, those sent to employment agencies, cold letters, and broadcast letters; writing style guidelines; what to include in your letter; writing for an online audience; cover letter styles; and common mistakes recruiters abhor. Additionally, you will find examples of effective and ineffective letters, proven tips for making your letter stand out, sample phrases to use, and letters for new graduates, for professionals, and for those changing careers. Also included are samples specific to job industries, including administration and clerical; accounting; banking and finance, government; health care and social services; hospitality and food service; human resources; law enforcement and legal; manufacturing; sales, marketing, and customer service; skilled trades; technology; and science and engineering. The companion CD-ROM is packed with samples and worksheets to help you brainstorm and create a successful cover letter. By following the step-by-step instructions outlined in The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters you will ensure that your letter will impress the recruiter and that you will be contacted for an interview. In the end you will create a tool that will be of enormous importance to you in your job search.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL); Pap/Cdr edition (June 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601382383
• ISBN-13: 978-1601382382
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #572,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Book for Anyone Looking for a New Career, July 15, 2009

By 

Margo Upson "Busy Mom of One" (Central NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters: Step-by-Step Instructions With Companion CD-ROM (Paperback)

Cover letters are essential to getting a good job, and the better your cover letter is, the better your chances are of getting the position you are applying for. The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters, by Kimberly Sarmiento, is an essential book for anyone looking to get into a competitive position. Anything you might want to know about writing a cover letter is in this book.
The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Cover Letters is packed full of advice on how to write a cover letter that will get you noticed, in a good way. It starts out with explaining why a cover letter is so important, and then discusses the different types of cover letters and how to write them. Some of the best parts of this book are the sections on introducing and then marketing yourself. There are also over 100 pages of industry-specific tips and samples, covering most of the most popular careers.
I work in a profession where knowing how to write a great cover letter is essential to my success. I wish I had read this book when I was first starting out; the information in it is invaluable, and I can't wait to get started putting this information to use. If you are applying for a new position, you need this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, June 27, 2010

By 

T. Watson - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters: Step-by-Step Instructions With Companion CD-ROM (Paperback)

This book was really helpful. It gives precise examples of cover letters employers may ask for. Also, the book is helpful as it catergorizes the letters by job relation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters, July 7, 2009

By 

Pat Grayston - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters: Step-by-Step Instructions With Companion CD-ROM (Paperback)

Whether you're writing a cover letter for the first time, or it's been awhile since it was necessary, Sarmiento's Complete Guide to Writing Effective Resume Cover Letters will arm you with all the basics to get noticed in today's competitive work force. She offers sound advice accompanied by `thinking outside the box' suggestions and backs it up with insider tips from a variety of professionals.

Sarmiento leads you through the entire process with writing guidelines, common grammatical mistakes to avoid, as well as what to include and what to omit. To make it even easier she provides dozens of sample cover letters for specific applications and industries. It's a jungle out there and this book can help blaze a trail to grabbing the attention of a future employer.

It's well written, but tends to be slightly repetitive in content, but nonetheless is a good tool to help get your foot in the door and keep your resume out of the recycle bin.