Introduction
A Note from Susan
- Why do you need a “kick-butt” resume cover letter?
- What’s the secret to writing a kick-butt resume cover letter?
- Why should you use my approach?
Part I
- Getting started: How to organize your thoughts and pick a key message
- A bucket of facts: The story of Little Red Riding Hood
- Your career is not a fairy tale. How to tell your real-life story in a way that grabs attention.
- Don’t be bland and boring
- We begin by flipping the triangle over. Which give us (ta-da!) the Inverted Pyramid
- How do you pick your first fact?
- How to use the Inverted Pyramid
- Now let’s talk about spin
- Your real job: Company problem solver
- I’m not a mind reader! How do I know what the company’s problem is?
- 5 ways to shake hands with your target company
Part II
- 5 cover-letter must-haves and how to be Brand YOU
- These are the 5 Must-Haves for every cover letter:
- Your headline: Motivate your reader to learn more about YOU
- Does your cover letter need a headline?
- 3 reasons to write a headline, plus 1 helpful tip
- Your headline has 3 jobs to do.
- No-fail headline ideas
- After the headline: Hook your reader
- Now’s your chance. Hook ‘em hard!
- Going up! Use your elevator pitch as an opening line.
- How to write sentences that hook your reader
- Here’s the sentence I don’t want you to write:
- Can’t think of a success story?
- Go ahead, ASK.
- 3 Quick Tips for writing the ASK
- Now get ready to CLOSE.
- What it looks like: ASK and CLOSE
- Don’t be Brand X. Be Brand YOU
- The battle of parity
- Write to resonate
Part III
- Word-play: Fancy footwork energizes your cover letter
- (A few) words to avoid
- Words to use: Personal and Professional Descriptors
- Vibrant verbs for all job seekers
- Avoiding the obvious: Are you too old or too young for the job?
- 2 tips for first-timers
- Words for the employee-to-be
- Beyond vocabulary: Your cover letter and how to write it right
- 7 ways to make your cover letter an easy read
- 5 tips for emailing cover letters
Part IV
- This is it! How to write a kick-butt resume cover letter
- A letter from Jane Snow
- Memo Style: Speed the Reader Along
- Analysis of Jane Snow’s letter
- A letter from Sam Jones:
- Analysis of Sam Jones’s letter
Sample letters: Before/During/After
- Letter #1: Senior Level HR Professional
- Letter #2: New college graduate seeks internship
- Letter #3: Seasoned sales pro seeks job with national non-profit
- Letter #4: A sales letter with a new slant
- Letter #5: Marketing pro seeks position as brand manager
- Letter #6: Updating a cover letter that already works
- Letter #7: A lesson learned: Why you need to lead with a kick-butt fact