Winning Cover Letters (Career Coach) [Paperback]

Robin Ryan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997 | Series: Career Coach

The perfect cover letter pitch.

Career Coach Robin Ryan has helped thousands of clients edge out the competition and score the jobs of their choice. Her innovative game plan incorporates results from an extensive, nationwide survey of human resources personnel and hiring managers to offer the most effective job hunting techniques available.

Taking you through all the basics, Winning Cover Letters pinpoints exactly what you should-and should not-do to create powerful, attention-grabbing letters. Ryan's proven Power Impact Technique(TM), an easy-to-follow process, enables you to zero in on the most important skills a potential employer is looking for, then shows you how to meet those needs. Here's where you'll find:
* Tips from hiring managers and human resources personnel on common mistakes to avoid
* Successful cover letter samples-letters that landed interviews and jobs
* Exercises to help you assess your skills and accomplishments
* The Cover Letter Tracking SystemTM-efficient time-saving charts to record every letter you send out
* Special sections with advice for those in the creative arts, executives, professionals, new graduates, volunteers, and career changers
* How to write target letters to get the interest of employers you want to work for.

Other books in the Career Coach series:
* Winning Resumes
* 24 Hours to Your Next Job, Raise, or Promotion.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In this powerful tool for job searchers, Robin Ryan shows how to use her Power Impact Technique to draft an effective cover letter. This proven technique shows how to analyze the job, determine the most important skills the employer is seeking, and immediately address how the candidate can meet those needs.

From the Back Cover

The perfect cover letter pitch.

Career Coach Robin Ryan has helped thousands of clients edge out the competition and score the jobs of their choice. Her innovative game plan incorporates results from an extensive, nationwide survey of human resources personnel and hiring managers to offer the most effective job hunting techniques available.

Taking you through all the basics, Winning Cover Letters pinpoints exactly what you should-and should not-do to create powerful, attention-grabbing letters. Ryan's proven Power Impact Technique(TM), an easy-to-follow process, enables you to zero in on the most important skills a potential employer is looking for, then shows you how to meet those needs. Here's where you'll find:
* Tips from hiring managers and human resources personnel on common mistakes to avoid
* Successful cover letter samples-letters that landed interviews and jobs
* Exercises to help you assess your skills and accomplishments
* The Cover Letter Tracking SystemTM-efficient time-saving charts to record every letter you send out
* Special sections with advice for those in the creative arts, executives, professionals, new graduates, volunteers, and career changers
* How to write target letters to get the interest of employers you want to work for.

Other books in the Career Coach series:
* Winning Resumes
* 24 Hours to Your Next Job, Raise, or Promotion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471190632
• ISBN-13: 978-0471190639
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,956,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

CBS Radio says "Robin Ryan is America's top job search expert."

Robin has made over 1000 TV & radio appearances on Oprah, Dr. Phil, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and many others. Her articles and advice has been seen in most major newspapers and magazines including: the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Money, Newsweek, Fortune, Business Week, MORE, Good Housekeeping and Family Circle.

Robin spends her days working with her career counseling clients helping them advance their careers, change jobs or pursue a new professional direction. She advises them and helps them write more effective resumes, create cover letters, and prepare for interviews.

A dynamic national speaker, Robin frequently teaches audiences how to improve their lives and obtain greater success.

She is the best-selling author of: Over 40 & You're Hired; 60 Seconds & You're Hired!; What to Do with the Rest of Your Life; Winning Resumes; Winning Cover Letters; and "Soaring on Your Strengths. She has been the creator of numerous audio programs and also made two best selling audio books.

In her own words.....

"My passion is to help as many people as possible land a great job. I absolutely LOVE being a career counselor. Each day I strive to use my talents to make a small but meaningful difference in the lives of others. It is my hope you will find a job you love that makes you happy and allows you to thrive and prosper." --RR

Sign up for Robin's free eNewsletter or get her blog with job search tips at: www.RobinRyan.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars this book sucks, December 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Winning Cover Letters, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

i wonder how hard it is to write cover letters when you have the exact qualifications the job is looking for? well, if you want that question answered go pick up a copy of this book. the best has to be "chloe jones" on pgs 69-71. she's looking for a job as a grant administrator. it's amazing! her past job was exactly that - a grants admin. imagine how difficult it must have been to write that cover letter and resume! the book is full of examples like this, where the person has the exact qualifications for the job. ryan then uses the all powerful "impact technique", to craft a masterful cover letter. it's a little suspicious when every cover letter begins with "ten of banking experience", "fifteen years of human resources management", "twelve years of marketing skills", etc. there is hardly anything of substance in this book for people wanting to change careers, people with little work experience trying to break into a desired field, or anyone who does not have the exact job history and skill qualifications for the advertised position. save your money or else you'll spend "two hours of life wasted".

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on cover letters!, March 27, 2000

By 

"dybo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Cover Letters (Career Coach) (Paperback)

Winning Cover Letters is a powerful tool for anyone who is in the market for a new job. In this book Robin Ryan covers many crucial topics that will aid you in the writing of a powerful, attention-grabbing cover letter. Mistakes to avoid while writing a cover letter, numerous examples of successful cover letters, tips and exercises for assessing your skills and accomplishments, and examples of prospect letters, informational letters, and thank you letters are some of the topics that are covered.

Most importantly, this book shows you the Power Impact Technique. This technique will teach you how to analyze an employer's noted and assumed needs and match your skills to these needs. In addition to being a very informative book, Winning Cover Letters is also an easy book to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone searching for a job and searching for an excellent book on cover letters.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book works!, September 20, 2006

By 

Job Hunter (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Winning Cover Letters, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I have bought two of Robin Ryan's books, "60 Seconds and You're Hired" and "Soaring on Your Strengths." I believe the 60 Seconds book was instrumental when I landed the job I currently have. I practiced my 60-second pitch and I think it helped me secure the job. One of the interviewers told me later that I was "the cream of the crop,": focused on the job requirements and how I could satisfy them. I've been happy at this job, but started to wonder if I could do better and make more money somewhere else. For the last three or so months, I have been diligently answering ads but not always including a cover letter. My rationale: Why bother? It's too much work, and people don't read them anyway, and if they do, it's only for a few seconds. They'll hire me on the strenghts of my resume. Boy was I wrong.

I have to give Ms. Robin props for writing this effective book. I gauge its success by the results it delivers, and deliver it does. Using one of the techniques she outlines, I sent off a resume and cover letter for a job that's related to my current field but not in the industry I'm in, but pays almost double my current salary. I followed the guidelines and sent them off as a test to see what would happend.

I was amazed that after only two hours of sending off the resume and cover letter, I got an e-mail from the recruiter wanting an interview. Wow--that has never happened to me before. It was even more amazing because it's a very competitive field with plenty of qualified applicants.

I'm now convinced that I will never send off a resume without a thoughtful cover letter that addresses the job at hand and how my experience fits the bill.

If you've been job hunting without success, get this book. It's a very competitive out there and anything that can help distinquish you from the pack is worth the effort. This book helped me focus on my strengths and accomplishments. Its small price belies the wealth of information and insight you'll get.