With nearly one in ten Americans currently unemployed, the job market hasn?t been this challenging since possibly the Great Depression. The recession and subsequent layoffs have affected workers at all stages of their careers, with everyone from blue collar laborers to C-level executives looking for work.

Employers who are currently hiring are receiving hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of resumes and applications for each vacant position. With the odds stacked against job seekers, only the most qualified and proactive candidates are attracting the attention of hiring managers. Those who are simply perusing their local newspaper?s want ads and passively mailing their resumes are likely to stay unemployed for quite some time.

The old fashion job search rules of past decades simply no longer apply. In this digital age, pretty resumes and cover letters on colored paper aren?t the ticket to success. Job hunting is now much more about embracing technology, creating a strong online presence, smart networking, and using unexpected and unconventional marketing strategies to convey your personal brand to help garner the attention needed to get hired.

The current labor statistics are undoubtedly daunting for job seekers. However, for those who are smart, savvy, and willing to take the extra steps to get noticed, there are still jobs to be found. The following strategies are a must for anyone wanting to jumpstart their search and find that next opportunity.

Familiarize Yourself with Current Technologies
Many recently laid off individuals who are now looking for work are returning to the job market after years of steady employment. Times have changed, and job search strategies from just a few years ago are now outdated and ineffective. New technologies have made it easier to look for a job but have also made it more challenging to directly connect with hiring managers and other decision makers within companies. Because of these advancements, job seekers must take advantage of the current tools that can assist them and be aware of the challenges that they are facing.

Of course, it?s vital to have a basic understanding of the Internet to conduct job searches, research companies, and send emails. However, it?s now just as important to know how to keyword optimize your resume, understand the basics of Web 2.0, and communicate effectively online.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is one such technology that delivers real value for job seekers, especially for those looking for employment outside of their local area. Providers of VoIP, such as Mediaringtalk.com give individuals the ability to call from their PC to anywhere in the US and many other global destinations for free. This is an ideal service to use for making follow up calls, networking with former colleagues, and conducting phone research on possible employers.

Create an Online Presence
Because it?s now common practice for recruiters and hiring managers to Google candidates before calling them for an interview, it has become a necessity to have an online identity that employers can easily find. They?re specifically looking for individuals who are knowledgeable and active on the Internet.

Networking sites such as LinkedIn are a good place to start developing your internet presence. It?s used by professionals in all industries and in all stages of their careers. By creating a LinkedIn profile, anyone can post work experience, activities, education, and awards. It?s used for reconnecting with coworkers and researching companies. LinkedIn also lets users write recommendations for others such as former supervisors, colleagues, and classmates. Many recruiting executives and hiring managers use LinkedIn for both finding and evaluating potential candidates. They specifically look for the number of recommendations and the quality of the connections.

Along with joining a networking site such as LinkedIn, there are many other ways to beef up your online presence. Consider creating your own web page or blog devoted to your job search. They?re no longer expensive or complicated to create, and in a few hours, you can have a great site that will augment your other job search efforts. Wordpress, Wix, and Google.com/profiles all offer free website solutions for individuals who want to create their own sites.

As well, don?t forget to post your resume on career sites such as Monster, Yahoo! HotJobs, CraigsList, CareerBuilder, and SimplyHired. Other specialty sites such as Dice and The Ladders might also be worth exploring. Not only do these sites have up-to-date job postings, they are also frequently searched by hiring managers and recruiters looking for possible candidates.

Network Intelligently
Networking has undisputedly become the most popular buzz word in today?s job market. With Facebook and Twitter becoming wildly popular, many are wondering if it?s necessary to join these sites to find a job. The answer is yes, but there are important concerns to consider.

Of course, the more contacts you make on these sites, the more opportunities you might find. However, because they are focused on making social connections, you can expect old friends, relatives, acquaintances, and others from your past and present wanting to connect with you. This can lead to possible trouble for job seekers. With employers conducting online research on candidates, keeping pages free of offensive, suggestive, or controversial images and comments is essential. Pictures with the family are not a problem, but shots of you and friends partying over the weekend are not going to get you hired. If you are going to use Facebook, take advantage of the privacy settings to limit who is viewing your page, and make sure that all comments that you make on Twitter or any blogs project the image that you want to present to future employers.

Besides Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, there are literally thousands of other resources for both online and offline career networking. Check out alumni associations, professional organizations, and local career networking groups.

Develop Your Own Personal Brand
To stand out from the masses of other job seekers, you do have to be creative to get noticed. A well-written resume and cover letter is only just the start. Consider positioning yourself as an expert in your field and write articles, white papers, or ebooks that you can distribute online or offer to a popular trade publication or journal. Volunteer your time to industry events and demonstrate your passion for what it is you do. Employers know that the most productive employees are those who take initiative and are excited about their work. By taking these extra steps, you?re positioning yourself as the talent that they?re looking for, not just another resume in a pile.

Stay Flexible
Finally, remain open to all opportunities while searching for your next job. Contract or part-time work might present itself before a traditional 9 to 5 position is offered. Consider taking temporary gigs to not only keep income flowing but also to improve your skills and to network for a full-time job. Websites that specialize in project work and temporary assignments such as Elance and Guru can be helpful and offer tremendous opportunities to work with a variety of employers.

In this current market, it can take months to find a new job. With so many job seekers, recruiters and hiring managers certainly have the upper hand and can hold out until they find exact matches for positions. The candidates who are getting hired are those who are perceived to be those exact matches. They are the ones who are effectively communicating their skills, passion, ability to make connections, and desire to bring value to a company. The job search is no longer about sending out resumes and waiting for the phone to ring. It?s now truly about becoming that exact match that an employer is prepared to hire.

Possibly one of the largest mistakes that an executive could make when searching for a job is conducting the job search as if he were a manager. Once you reach the level of an executive, you have entered a new world and have to treat your job search as such. This means taking different avenues and utilizing more cutting-edge techniques.

If you’re just stepping into this new world as an executive and want to know how to search for a job the right way, don’t just sit there filled with uncertainty. Instead, you can take advantage of these tips to search for jobs the right way.

Start with Networking

Statistics show that over 80 percent of executive jobs are filled through some type of networking. This is unlike many lower-level jobs that can easily be pursued and filled via online applications. Through social clubs, lunch meetings, and other professional avenues, you could easily run into the right person who knows the president of the right company who is looking for an executive. So never forget the value of networking as you look for your first or next executive job. If you do, you might just be cutting yourself out of a lot of great opportunities.

Make the Most of a LinkedIn Account

Because LinkedIn is the #1 job search/networking site on the Internet, you can benefit greatly from setting up an account and making your home there. However, if you’re going to set up the account, it’s important that you make the most of it. Many executives use their profile as a way to simply duplicate their resume. How-ever, by doing this, you are cutting short the many benefits of the site.

Through your profile, you have an opportunity to not just highlight your professional and educational background, as well as your accomplishments; you also have the opportunity to make connections with professionals you have a great rapport with. As you make these connections, you can ask for professional recommendations. By securing recommendations from the right people, you can make your LinkedIn account even more impressive than the resume you submit to companies. This is definitely something you don’t want to take for granted.

Protect Your Name and Reputation as an Executive

When you reach the level of an executive, you almost become a celebrity who has to be “on” more often than not. This means, it is more important than ever that you maintain a stellar reputation at all times, as this could affect your job search - and ultimately, your ability to secure a position.

In the Internet world, this means avoid having the Myspace page with graphics and pictures of your fun nights out. At this stage in your career, you will definitely be judged your actions, as well as the company you keep, so handle your job search process with the same care that you would run your organization.

Being an executive carries with it a great deal of responsibility, which undoubtedly carries over into your job search. So as you look for employment, take your reputation into consideration at all times. It could make or break your ability to secure a great position.

You?re a manager. Why would you want to be on Facebook with a bunch of college kids?

Simple?there?s 100 Million people on Facebook now, up from 25 Million a year ago. There?s only 15 million college students. Who do you think everyone else is?

The highest growing segment of Facebook is the over 35 crowd?the hiring managers you want to network with and meet.

But you network on LinkedIN? Great LinkedIN is also a great place for job seekers to network?.but the numbers are 1/3 of Facebook. Almost overnight, Facebook has grown to be the 6th most trafficked site on the internet, and the number one site to search for people.

Let?s see?you?re looking for a career change, right? And Facebook is the top site to find people?.hmmm. How can you afford NOT to be on Facebook?

But Facebook is very different than other social networks. Facebook is about groups and communicating within groups. You?ll have fewer people in your Facebook network than in LinkedIN. Yet, you can have greater visibility than LinkedIN. How are both possible?

First, let?s set up your account. Make sure you also register as an alumni of your undergraduate, and graduate school ? Make sure to prepare with an alumni email address from the school, to prove you?re a graduate. The alumni networks can be some of the most valuable parts of Facebook, especially to job seekers.

Facebook is all about your network knowing what you are doing. You have a news feed that gets broadcast to your network to tell them what you are up to. So when you?re looking for a job, you are able to subtly remind your network and group that you are looking for a job?every day.

Now be careful?if you?re still employed, you?ll want to be careful to control what?s on, and who sees your news feed. You?re in luck ? Facebook features sophisticated privacy controls to control who sees what.

Facebook is also a great vehicle to have conversations with your network?its email capabilities are more robust and fully featured than LinkedIN.

Best yet, Facebook is a great vehicle to promote content to your groups and friends ? things like resumes, articles, blogs, podcasts, videos, pictures. But be careful because friends can post pictures including you in their own photo albums, tag you, and it?s also displayed in your own photo album (you may not even be aware of this). Fortunately, you can set security so you approve all pictures first. That lets you control the pictures of you dancing on the bar, balancing a beer bottle on your head ? maybe not what you?d want a potential employer to see.

I?ll post future articles giving tips of how to build your Facebook network, and the best Facebook apps for job seekers.

If you?d like more information, a free 30 minute resume consultation, or information about reCareered’s new Teleseminar series, just email your resume to reCareered at phil.reCareered@gmail.com, and we’ll schedule a time to talk.

When someone loses their job ?Thank you!? is not exactly the first phrase that comes to mind. Losing a job invokes feelings of fear and betrayal that are not easily overcome. Instantly the confusion and disillusionment sets in and one is left to wonder what the last few years were really worth.

How will I provide for my family? What good am I if I was fired? Is there something wrong with me? These are just some of the many questions that cross our minds after being laid-off. Losing a job that provided the support for your family is a staggering blow to anyone. While it can definitely be a painful ordeal to experience, that staggering blow does not have to be a knockout punch. There is life after termination and quite possibly a better life than you have ever dreamed.

We humans try to be practical. Rather than reach for the stars we just do what we must do to get by. We take high paying positions at jobs we hate just to afford the lifestyle that we think we want. We give up on big dreams and big ideas because we don?t want to chance losing all that we have worked for. Time after time and person after person, we sacrifice our tomorrow to take care of today.

Perhaps, it does not have to be this way any longer. Before getting locked into another job that you probably don?t like, think a few things through first. Ask yourself what you would do if you had no limits and you had nothing holding you back. What would you do if you knew you couldn?t fail? What would you do if you had the total assurance that the end result would be good?

Maybe now is the perfect time to try that big idea and maybe it will work. Maybe now is the time to go back to school or finish writing that novel or tryout that new invention that has been locked away because we had clocks to punch and bills to pay. It is quite possible that this devastating loss of a job could lead to a worthwhile and incredible career doing something that you love to do.

Whether you are just entering the workforce or you?ve just been laid-off from position that you held for thirty years, it is not too late for you to live your dream. Henry Ford did nothing substantial with cars until he was 40; Winston Churchill was over sixty before he became the Prime Minister of Great Britain; the founder of KFC was well into his sixties before his business became a success as well.

Even though you may have lost your job, don?t give-in to the thought that your dreams are too big or that you are too old or too young to be successful. Take a chance on yourself and live the life that you have always wanted to live.

By the time all is said and done, you just may be thanking God that you lost your job after all.

Tammy Roussin earns $100,000 a year as a pet sitter and dog walker, according to Parade magazine?s annual feature ?What People Earn.? I don?t know what that means as far as the number of canines around her feet every time she?s out walking them, but I?ll bet she?s very healthy with all that exercise!

I also don?t know if Tammy is a stay-at-home mom ? or SAHM as they say these days in instant messages and tweets — like you, but you still do have lots of opportunities open to you whether it involves pets or products or people.

A recent Gallup poll found 61 percent of Americans have a preference to be their own boss. Have you always longed to be your own boss? Own your own business? Be an entrepreneur? And now you’re ready to go for it?

If so, I think you?re in an enviable position ? being able to enjoy and care for your children at home, avoiding the rat-race of daily commuting while still having a fulfilling career ? and creating additional income for your family!

But wait a minute; a lot of moms I?ve coached have important questions and concerns. Aren?t a lot of work-at-home schemes really scams? What about my time? I need to be able to choose how many hours I can devote to a business and still stay flexible. My children come first. Would I need lots of office equipment? Where would I get the money to start up with the current lousy economy? Would I make enough income to make my time worthwhile? What could I do to make a real difference in other people?s lives, which is really important to me? I truly want to contribute to others outside my family circle.

All excellent questions. Let?s look at some possibilities.

Finding Expanding Income in a Declining Economy

Day care: Loving, capable day care is a constant need for working families and single parents, and in fact, is a growing need as the recession often means both parents have to work. Since you are already tuned in to the needs of children, their developmental stages, and especially parents? concerns, expanding your expertise to other children might make sense. You probably already have some of the special furniture ? crib(s), changing tables, child-sized furniture, and so forth that you?d need. Perhaps you?re not ready for all-day caretaking, but could help parents who need someone for just a few hours while they are in class, or volunteering, or for after-school hours.

Special considerations: Check into your community?s licensing requirements for health, safety, and other issues such as size of home, play equipment, food storage and preparation, and so forth. Are your own children likely to enjoy having others around to play with or will they be jealous that they no longer have Mom?s full attention? What will the costs be to accommodate whatever modifications you might have to make to your home or to purchase necessary items?

Home crafts: It seems every week I discover an enterprising, creative mom who has built her special talents for cooking, or crafting, or her curiosity for how to make life easier for moms and kids into a thriving business. For example, a hands-free carrier to snuggle babies close to your body while still having your arms free to do your work. With the current emphasis on ?green? living as well as the scares of hazardous materials recently found in children?s toys, many moms ? and dads ? are designing and selling healthy, safe, environmentally sound toys, clothing and other children?s products. Or perhaps you cook your own organic children?s food and treats ? or for adults too. Your friends always enjoy receiving it ? why not build a business on it?

Special considerations: Because of all the recent food and toy contamination scares, new regulations are cropping up daily to regulate these items. While totally commendable and necessary, a lot of the rules will force small businesses to close because the legal requirements for registration and regulations are formidable and expensive.

Working with people while staying at home. You?ve grown up hearing about Mary Kay Cosmetics and Amway, both organizations now almost 50 years old — and the grandmother of them all ? Avon, now over 100 years old. You may know someone who is, earning substantial income with one of these companies. You may have used some of the products, enjoying the personal relationship with your representative far more than purchasing them in an anonymous retail environment.

Also known as network marketing or multilevel marketing (MLM) companies, these giants of the industry have proven track records for supporting individuals in making a comfortable, if not highly successful income from their home-based, entrepreneurial efforts selling the products. But are there pitfalls?

While checking out the possibilities, ask yourself: Many MLM companies require you to maintain an inventory of their products. Would you have room if you live in a small home or apartment? Do you have the facilities or transportation ? and time — you?d need to hold product demonstration parties or meet with clients in person? Does the company compete with distributors by also selling products online? Do the products offer real value to the buyers?

One that offers genuine, desirable products for direct sale to consumers, for a concrete example, is an online greeting card system that makes it easy to send real printed cards in the mail in just a few minutes on the computer. Such a company can be a natural fit for anyone who likes to bring cheer into other people?s lives, or express their own creativity with personalized greetings, photos, artwork, etc. if they choose. (What a great way to show off those beautiful children and your lovely family!) Would the company and its product line you?re considering fit your lifestyle and values?

An MLM can be a great fit for moms who want to work from home, are motivated to help others while earning extra income, are computer savvy, and willing to expand their horizons.
Beware, however, of the thousands of MLM opportunities advertised — many are thinly disguised pyramid schemes, that while not technically illegal, skirt the fine line of scams. Just look through that endless cascade of junk email you get each day. Overpriced products (particularly ?health? related), eBay starter kits, ?type from home? schemes and other way-too-good-to-be-true offers are best left right where they are — unopened in your junk mail folder.

There are lots of resources to check on the business practices of MLMs. One of the best is www.mlmwatch.org

Your personal satisfaction and ability to earn income for your family didn?t need to stop when that first baby came into your life. Explore your options; build for your future; fulfill your potential ? and appreciate the opportunity to have the life you love.

RESOURCE BOX
Interested in more income, personal satisfaction, expanding your horizons, or making a positive difference in other people?s lives? Karen Saunders has built a successful home-based business that is particularly suited to those who don?t want to sacrifice time with their families. If you?d like to learn more about how she?s accomplished that and useful tips to meet your goals, call toll-free 888-796-7300 or visit www.momstayathome.com

No matter how you?ve become unemployed over the past year or more ? whether through choice or force ? if you?re looking to regain employment, this is a tough time to make your dream a reality. With millions of jobs lost in the past few months, acquiring a new gig is not a simple task.

In fact, the process can be downright discouraging, which is why it?s good to keep with you a few ways that you can keep your spirits up during your job search. Let?s look at what they are ?

Maintain Your Sense of Control

One reason that job searches can be so discouraging is because they seemingly force you to relinquish your control. Once you type up your resumes and cover letters and hand them out, you?re left to bite your nails as you wait for interviews to flood in. But even if you secure one interview, you?re still left with the task of biting your nails some more as you wait to see if you?ve actually landed the position you want.

These aspects of the process make you feel that you?re leaving your destiny completely in someone else?s hands. In a sense, you are. But in a greater sense, you?re not. If you think about it, you?re leaving your destiny with that company in someone else?s hands, but there are plenty of other opportunities out that that you can grab. So as you hand out your resumes and cover letters, it?s good to maintain a sense of control by creating new connections and educating yourself further in your industry. This way, you can feel confident that one battle lost will by no means cost you the war.

Learn to Appreciate the Journey

Probably one of the most challenging aspects of a difficult job search is appreciating the steps taken along the way. It?s pretty easy to slip into an attitude of dismay as you watch yourself being turned down for more positions than you could have imagined possible. However, believe it or not, it?s just as easy in this circumstance to see the glass half full as it is to see it half empty. In other words, you can just as easily see the positives of being in this predicament.

What are they, you ask? Well, for one, you have more freedom now than you?ve probably had in a long time; freedom that you probably begged for when you were leading your busy life as a professional. Now you have it, so it?s good not to waste it. During this time, you can look at other opportunities that you may have considered engaging but were too busy to do so when working. Also, you can make time for your family and leisurely activities. Don?t let this time get you down. Instead, let it help you grow even more profoundly into the person you want to be.

Probably one of the most important ways to keep your spirits up is to be proud of your ability to persevere in tough times. You are stronger than you could have ever imagined. Embrace this incredible aspect of your personality. This, along with your gifts of appreciation and emotional stability will help you make the most of your journey toward your next great opportunity.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Need resume writers? Compare the top ones in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com.

Once you have received a job offer or you are one of the final candidates inline to receive the job, it is prudent to come up with a detailed list of expectation you have from the company. If you already have an offer, remember you can always negotiate better terms/benefits. The tips below provide effective ways to negotiate acceptable terms and salary with employers.

Create a plan – Set guidelines for yourself on what you deem acceptable. Do not forget that it is important not to look at salary alone. You should factor in the market, relocation expenses, benefits, career advancement opportunities and other important factors. Have your limits in mind and know what you want, what you expect, and what you are willing to settle for.

Research - The key to a successful salary negotiation is preparation. Research your market worth to determine what a person with your skills, education and qualifications is earning in your area. A wonderful resource for this might be http://www.engineersalary.com.

Convince the prospective employer that you are the best they will ever have – When you begin the negotiation process, position yourself as a “must have” candidate. Be prepared to confidently boast your skills and achievements to demonstrate your value. Never show that you need the job, rather prove to the potential employer that you will be a great asset to them.

Hold off on the money – Try and gauge the employer’s interest in you before you start talking about compensation. In this situation, it might be to your advantage to have insider information: find a willing existing employee to let you know if the current position is critical for a given project, or what happened to the person who had that position before you. Remember that in most cases if the employer is interested, they will reveal the level of compensation they are willing to offer. In this case the salary you received in the past is your bargaining chip. If the interviewer does raise the question of salary before you have received an offer, try to return the question to them by asking what they are expecting to pay someone with your qualifications. If that does not work, give them a range that you are comfortable with. Of course you should base on the research you have already conducted.

Get the Offer In Writing – Do not start negotiating until you have received an offer in writing. Job offer terms are not always crystal clear, so before you officially accept, examine the job from all angles. Make sure you take into consideration the additional benefits that can add as much as forty percent to your base salary. Don’t feel pressured to immediately respond to an offer.

Practice with Multiple Job Offers – Refine your negotiation skills by practicing your negotiation strategy with companies that extend an offer that you most likely would not consider. You never know, your great negotiation skills may turn a mediocre offer into a great offer.

Negotiating better terms is never easy. You must remember to always negotiate from a position of power and you should never appear needy of weak. Never ask for too much and you can be seen as money hungry. Ask for too little and you can risk earning less than what you deserve. Knowing how much you are worth is a simple, yet critical step in your job search process.

If you’ve been on multiple job interviews then you know that you might encounter a different environment depending on the company you interview with. This is pretty common because every company has its own culture. And more importantly, each company – and even department – instills its own interviewing strategy.

Sometimes you know what type of interview you’re going to walk into and sometimes you don’t. So to be prepared for anything, let’s take a brief look at varying interview types.

The Screening Interview

Often times, when you apply for a job, the company will look over your resume and cover letter as a sort of filtering process to determine whether you’re generally qualified for the job. However, on occasion, a company might go one step further by conducting what is known as a screening interview. In this interview – which might be conducted in person or over the phone – a representative will ask you some questions to determine your interest in the job and basic qualifications.

Structured Interview

Another interview type that you might be prepared for – and that is quite common – is the structured interview. In this type of interview, the interviewer will ask specific, predetermined questions meant to explore experience, skills and personality traits. The goal of this type of interview is to find the ideal candidate. Very often, this interview is the determining factor in whether you will be hired for a position.

Stress Interview

This type of interview style is rarer than others because it is a bit unorthodox. During this interview, the interviewer will try to intentionally upset you to see how you might react under pressure. You might be asked questions designed to make you feel uncomfortable. Or the interviewer may interrupt you while you’re speaking.

Group Interview

The group interview is pretty much just what you think it is. It is a number of representatives from the company opting to interview you at the same time. Often times, each member of the group is designated a style of questions to ask (ex. stress). However, other times, the interviewers may be allowed to start a sort of “free for all” as long as they don’t step on the toes of other interviewers.

Multiple Interviews

If you have been moving up the corporate ladder over the past few years then you may have noticed that you first started with structured interviews only. However, as you’re moving higher up the chain, you may be participating in multiple interviews.

Multiple interviews are usually a combination of several types of interviews you’re already familiar with. For instance, you may first undergo a screening interview so they can determine whether you’re qualified to move on to the next step. Then you may attend a group interview where multiple representatives will have an opportunity to determine your qualifications. Finally, you might go to an informal interview – possibly at a lunch – where you meet with one or more interviewers to talk casually about the job.

There are other interview types out there to consider, including targeted and situational. By knowing what’s out there, you can more easily prepare for any interviewing scenario you find yourself in.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Need a resume writing services? Compare the top ones in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com.

Writing a cover letter is a commonplace aspect of conducting any job search. When you apply for a job, even if the prospective employer does not ask you for one, it’s good to send one as a way to give them a little more insight into who you are and what you’re capable of.

But despite the fact that people write them everyday, many still are unclear about the more important aspects to keep in mind. So to help you out, let’s look more specifically at what counts in a cover letter.

Using Good Use of Grammar

There’s not much that stands out more in a cover letter than how it has been written. Yet, you’d be amazed by the number of individuals who send theirs out without having edited it – big mistake.

Remember, when sending a cover letter, writing is the only way to get your point across. This means this mode of communication needs to be perfect. Improper grammar usage or misspelled words can say a lot about how efficient an employee you are likely to be – at least in their eyes. So unfortunately, you may be an excellent employee who won’t even be required to rely on written communication when working, but because of your cover letter being poorly written, you may not be called in for an interview.

Avoiding Fluff, Clichés, and Generalities

It’s a well-known fact that prospective employers don’t have much time on their hands when reviewing cover letters. So it can be irritating when they’re trying to read through yours to get a good sense of your skills as well as desire to work for them, and all they get in return is “ … and like my grandmother always says, you can’t make anything of yourself unless you be yourself …”

In other words, while it’s nice to know that you listen to your grandmother’s words of wisdom, it really doesn’t have a place in your cover letter. And neither does showing how many big words you know or being too vague about why you’re applying for the job. Your best bet when writing about yourself is to be specific about what skills you bring to the table (mention an example or two if possible). This way the employer doesn’t have to dig through a bunch of fluff just to figure out why they should hire you.

Being Honest and Clear in Your Intentions

One aspect of writing that any prospective employer can respect is being honest and clear about the contributions you hope to make at their company. This means there is no room for template answers. Your cover letter should be tailored to their company, and honestly speak as to why you’re applying and how you want to make a difference. Of course, doing so will require research on your part. But if you really want to be considered for the position then this is a step you should not overlook.

Writing your cover letter can be easy if you keep in mind what really counts. So dive in and write yours with care. Making a real effort to speak directly, clearly and honestly to a prospective employer will work wonders in getting you the call back you’re hoping for.

Whether you’ve written one or one hundred cover letters in your lifetime, they can present enough challenges to make you dread the process each time. It’s for this reason that many people resort to the “carbon copy” cover letter as opposed to creating an original one for each job application.

The “carbon copy” cover letter is not recommended because it lacks authenticity. Even worse, it forces you to turn your back on cover letter etiquette. If you want to make sure that your cover letter is unique and appropriate, let’s take a look at some cover letter etiquette tips to consider.

Tip #1: Keep the Cover Letter Personal

The first tip to keep in mind when writing a cover letter is that you want to make sure that it’s personal. You may have read in a business writing book at some point that it’s common to address the reader as “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” While these terms can be appropriate when absolutely necessary, it’s better to track down the hiring manager at a company so that you may address him or her directly (ex. Dear Mr. Smith) in your salutation.

Tip #2: Focus on the Employer’s Needs

Another etiquette tip to keep in mind when creating your cover letter is focusing on the employer’s needs. This concept goes back to the “carbon copy” cover letter that looks just like the last 15 you’ve written. It’s always important to keep in mind that no two jobs are exactly the same, which is why your cover letters shouldn’t be the same either. To honor these differences, it’s good to focus on the specific needs of the employer and afterward addressing your own strengths and how they can help the company achieve their desired success. This way, you can help the hiring manager more easily align the company’s goals with your qualifications, which in turn can increase your chances of being hired.

Tip #3: Dot Your I’s and Cross Your T’s

Another aspect of cover letter etiquette is making sure that you proofread every word, ensure all grammar is correct, and most importantly, make sure that every bit of information you offer is 100% honest. You don’t want the employer to run a background check only to find out you’ve lied on any of your documentation. So before submitting your cover letter, it’s important to ensure every I is dotted and every T is crossed.

Tip #4: Keep it Short and Sweet

The fourth tip to consider when writing your cover letter is length. If you become passionate about what you’re writing, you can easily say too much, which can frustrate the hiring manager who has many more to read. So in the writing process, your job is to explain why you’re qualified and why you want the job as concisely as possible. This way, the hiring manager won’t trash your cover letter before getting to all of those great qualifications that would have otherwise gotten you hired for the job.

Now that you’ve learned a little about cover letter etiquette, it’s time to get started on your own. What are you waiting for? Your next job is just a great cover letter away.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Need a resume writing service? Compare the top ones in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com.