Perfect Phrases for Cover Letters (Perfect Phrases Series) [Paperback]

Michael Betrus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2005 | Series: Perfect Phrases Series

Whether it's interviewing for a job, evaluating employee performance, setting goals for the future, or keeping customers happy, the Perfect Phrases series has the tools for precise, effective business communication. Distilling complex ideas into specific phrases that diplomatically and honestly depict the concepts at hand, this invaluable series provides:

• Ways to enhance customer service in any business
• Dialogues and scripts to practice interactions with customers or employees--tailorable to any industry or company culture
• The best answers to a wide range of interview questions
• Tips for documenting performance issues and conducting face-to-face reviews

The ideal reference for anyone trying to create the most professional and polished cover letter possible, this book offers phrases that help create a strong first impression for prospective employers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Right Phrase for Every Situation…Every Time

In today’s competitive job market, getting your foot in the door is half the battle. It’s crucial to get yourself noticed immediately—before the interview, before a potential employer even looks at your resume. Your career success begins with the all-important cover letter. That letter is the key to creating a good first impression. In a few sentences, you need to convey your professionalism, qualifications, intelligence, communication skills, and personal goals. Written by a bestselling career expert, this step-by-step handbook is filled with example formats, eye-catching styles, and effective phrases that will help you write the kind of polished, professional letter that’s exactly right for you. Perfect Phrases for Cover Letters includes:

• Proven tips for making your cover letter stand out
• Hundreds of sample phrases organized by skill and purpose
• Surefire strategies for specific professions and job situations

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Make it count—with a clear, concise, and confident cover letter that will guarantee you an interview…and get you the job you want.

About the Author

Michael Betrus conducts seminars and workshops in career guidance, and has written numerous books. He previously worked in sales and marketing with Verizon and Sprint.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071454063
• ISBN-13: 978-0071454063
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor and disregard this book, July 26, 2009

By 

Karina A. Suarez "Karina A. Fogliani-Ahmed" (Walt Disney World, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfect Phrases for Cover Letters (Perfect Phrases Series) (Paperback)

Mr. Betrus claims to be an experienced recruiter, and perhaps he is. Honestly, I sincerely hope he does at least an acceptable job as a human resources specialist than he does as a writer. This is a sloppily written book, full of carelessness and averagely-written phrases. I still cannot comprehend how a company of the caliber of McGraw Hill has sponsored it. When an author himself admits not to be particularly gifted at writing, he should then, in my opinion, avoid the exercise altogether. Only then can the reader who desperately needs advice on how to compose the perfect cover letter be spared the use of mundane expressions like "a lot of" over and over in his or her writing.

For someone who preaches über-revision throughout the job application experience, the pièce de résistance for summa cum sloppiness came for me when on page 37, fictionalized (?) job-seeker Cynthia E. Goodman states that she and his wife went to see "The Phantom of the Opera" together, where she / he (?) met the potential recruiter to whom the letter is directed. As much as I want to think the author is a staunch supporter of gay rights, the statement represents to me the epitome of a job poorly done with total disregard to detail. Even when here and there the book suggests a good idea to incorporate in a cover letter, they are by no means nothing stellar. In fact, I have found much better suggestions on cover letter writing on books that are not necessarily fully targeted to the task, such as "How to land a top-paying federal job" by Lily Whiteman. Please consult other sources and skip this one, unless of course, you want to be thought of as ordinary and utterly replaceable while trying to land a job of any kind. You'll be wise to dump this one into the trash can, as I did.