Cover Letters For Dummies [Paperback]

Joyce Lain Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2009

Cover letters are alive and sell! When they’re written right, that is. To stand out in today’s sea of qualified job seekers, learn to craft riveting new breeds of cover letters, create vibrant images online, and discover sensational self-marketing documents you never imagined. This completely revised and updated 3^rd Edition of Cover Letters For Dummies brings you all this — plus over 200 great new samples by 62 successful professional cover letter/resume writers.

You’ve probably suspected that passive and sleepy cover letters merely hugging resumes won’t get you where you want to go. Especially in a shaky job market. The verdict’s in. Since the last edition of Cover Letters For Dummies, blazing fast change in tools, technology, and how hiring managers come calling and how we invite them to look us over, means big dramatic changes in our job messages.

In this exceptional handbook of contemporary job messages, you’ll discover fresh ways of thinking about cover letters that captain an entire team of new-style job messages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Glittering advice plus great classic and cyberspace cover letters-the best of the cover letter books. -- Rick Miller, CEO, CareerCast, Inc.

Her distinguished career...has placed her leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. -- Bob Calvert, Jr., Career Opportunities News

If all new college graduates had a Joyce Lain Kennedy to guide them...there would...be fewer unfocused, frazzled, jobless people. -- Dr. Drema K. Howard, Director, Career Resource Center, University of Southern Florida

If all new college graduates had a Joyce Lain Kennedy to guide them...there would certainly be fewer unfocused, frazzled, jobless people. -- Dr. Drema K. Howard, Director, Career Resource Center, University of Southern Florida

Joyce Lain Kennedy is at the top of her field. -- Richard L. Knowdell, CEO of Career Planning and Adult Development Network --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Discover how to:

Follow the new rules for e-mail cover letters Craft a letter that says you're a hot hire Showcase your best skills Grab attention with a great opening line Use action words that get results --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 3 edition (January 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470402210
• ISBN-13: 978-0470402214
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Resumes

More About the Author

Joyce Lain Kennedy is a nationally syndicated careers columnist appearing in newspapers and on Web sites across the country. The author of seven career management books, she has more than 30 years of experience in the career field.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars too red-hot!, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cover Letters for Dummies (Paperback)

This book is chock full of cutesy icons and useless advice. The author spends far too much time touting her previous book (resumes for dummies) and dispensing annoying catch phrases as opposed to giving solid writing tips. We've recieved letters like those featured in the book and dumped them directly in the trash. Unless you are applying for a sales job at a used car lot, don't bother using the letters in this book.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars We do not need an entire book on cover letters, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cover Letters for Dummies (Paperback)

While the companion volume, "Resumes for dummies" is excellent and well worth your time and money, this book does not justify itself. It could easily have been condensed into a few chapters and added to the resumes volume. "Resumes AND cover letters for dummies" would have made sense. I bought the resumes volume and am glad I did. I spent an entire weekend reading it and picking up excellent hints that dramtically improved my resume. I was able to peruse this book in 30 minutes at the bookstore, however. If you know how to write a simple business letter, you do not need this book. Definitely get the resumes volume, though.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tremendous job hunting resource, December 6, 2000

By 

Joe Buchberger (Tampa, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover Letters for Dummies (Paperback)

This is not just a book on cover letters; it's a wealth of knowledge on the entire job-hunting process. Joyce Lain Kennedy has put together a tremendous resource for the current or soon to be job hunter, which is really most of us.

I know people scoff at Dummies books, especially for highly technical subjects, but this book is the perfect format for the vast collection of job-hunting facts, ideas and wisdom in this book. The author does an excellent job of presenting a lot of material in a way that is clear, entertaining and extremely readable.

I highly recommend this book, and liked it so much I went out and bought her other two books, Resumes' and Job Interviews for Dummies, which I will be reviewing as I finish them.