The resume and the cover letter are the bread and butter of the job application process. When applying for jobs in Portland, you should make sure your cover letter is as solid as your resume. Avoiding mistakes and following the right steps will help your letter stand out from the rest in the eyes of potential employers. Here are some solid cover letter tips, courtesy of Seth Porges of Forbes:
1. Dont repeat your resume: avoid regurgitating all of your prior work experience and education into the letter; you have a resume that already does that. Briefly recapping your experience in one or two sentences is fine, but always remember that your resume is about your experience; your cover letter is about you and what you will bring to the company.
2. Shorter is better: the average cover letter can be written in just three paragraphs and still contain all of the relevant information. If you are having trouble keeping your letter short, following step one will probably help.
3. Address no one: often times applicants will not be aware of whom to address in their letter. If you are ignorant as to whom exactly will be reading it, dont bother addressing anyone at all; jumping right into the body of the letter is acceptable.
4. Dont ever: use the phrase My name is ______, and I am applying for the position of _____. This is redundant.
5. Finish strong: end your letter with two to three sentences explaining how your experience can help your job performance. Once that is written, nothing else should come after it.
By Kyle Wise
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