Cover Letter Magic [Paperback]

Wendy S. Enelow (Author), Louise Kursmark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

This new second edition includes more than 150 winning cover letters for every profession and situation. Readers get great tips from before and after transformations that turn boring letters into knockouts. Plus, there are tips on resumes, e-mail and scannable cover letters, thank-you letters, and dozens of sample opening paragraphs. Also provides proven first paragraphs to start the cover letter with strength.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Career Guide Bestseller! -- Library Journal, April 1, 2004 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 423 pages
• Publisher: Jist Works (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563707322
• ISBN-13: 978-1563707322
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,472,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most thorough and useful guide for cover letters, January 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cover Letter Magic (Paperback)

This is the best book on the market for writing cover letters. In addition to giving many articulate cover letters to peruse, the book has sections with examples of introductory paragraphs, middle sections, and closing paragraphs. For each of these examples (I think there were more than 40 for the intro), there is a pro and con given, which are really helpful. Also, the book goes over the many different kinds of cover letters that exist, and explains which type is best for each job situation.

Oh, and for those people who are recent graduates or don't have that much experience- there is a whole chapter for you with examples of very strong, well written letters. This is particularly nice because most cover letter examples in other books are strong letters because of the strong candidate- not because the letter is extremely well written. There is also a chapter for the professional with years of experience.

This is the only book you need for writing cover letters! Do not waste your money on other guides that are not as complete.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An on-the-desk-next-to-the-PC kind of book, June 18, 2001

By 

J. A. Cunningham (Arlington, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover Letter Magic (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. Lots of examples, lots of 'why' and 'how to' sections. It's laid out in a useful way making the book an ongoing reference. There's a great section on resumes as well. The out placement company prepared a resume for me that was more a five page tome. I used the resume chapter in this book and quicly kicked my search into high gear. I only wish I had bought this book sooner.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adapted for the times, March 8, 2005

By 

TheCafeWriter (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cover Letter Magic, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

As an IT professional, I found this book packed with good information. The overall style is updated and compatible with the times, and the many examples are creative and varied. Too many "cover letters" cling to the old school of "Enclosed Please Find" formality of another era. In these times, it's equally important to communicate some idea of your style and personality to give an employer a more complete picture of what they're getting when they think of hiring you - that extra something that makes you pleasantly unique from the 500 other cover letters in the pile.

For my field, I almost never use paper anymore for letters or for resumes, so I found the info on email throughout the book to be very useful. Most books I've seen barely cover it at all or the authors don't quite grasp its limitations.

I also liked the way the book analyzed the cover letter examples of what worked and what didn't, and why. The exercises were a bit vague but you don't really need them to get the most from this book. It's worth every penny.