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Resume Writing

Pop Quiz: How to Write a Good Cover Letter

businessman at desk surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper

By: Taunee Besson, CMF, CareerCast.com Senior Columnist

Q: How do you write a cover letter that gets an employer’s attention? Ask 10 different career experts about cover letters and they will give you 10 different answers. I’m so confused I have no idea what works and what doesn’t. After doing some research, I’ve discovered four major cover letter tips. Can you tell me whether these four cover letter tips are true or false?

Every cover letter should have three main thoughts.
One good cover letter will work for every employer.
A cover letter should convey your personality, style, and taste.
Employers don't expect perfection. A typo in your cover letter isn't a sufficient reason to reject your resume.

A: Writing the perfect cover letter is a very difficult, if not impossible task. But the four cover letter “tips” you mention definitely need to be addressed. Here is my two cents:

By: Taunee Besson, CMF, CareerCast.com Senior Columnist

Q: For the past three years, I've been a senior VP of marketing services for a large bank holding company. My job requires working with several departments, developing new products and services for our commercial customers. I manage projects, offer advice, and coordinate interdepartmental communication.

Before getting my current job I was a commercial loan officer, finding deals, cultivating relationships with customers, and seeing the tangible benefits of my work (building renovations, new product developments, etc.).

By: Taunee Besson, CMF, CareerCast.com Senior Columnist

Q: I'm trying to create a good resume, but the more research I do on resume writing, the more resume formats and styles I discover. Is there one, ideal resume format that's better than all the others.

By: Anne Kadet

If you want a little entertainment, you could check out a movie or head to the bookstore. But you might have better luck firing up YouTube to watch the latest crop of video resumes.

By: Peter Weddle

If you're currently in the market for a new job, you know just how generic and impersonal the average resume can be. No matter how much information you cram into it, a standard resume simply cannot convey the character, dedication or capability you offer to an employer.

By: Jay Block

The reference portfolio is a resume tool that deviates from traditional ways to find jobs. But the truth is, the reference portfolio could be the most powerful tool you'll have in your career change arsenal. So what, exactly, is a reference portfolio? Grab a few books you have around the house, and turn them over to look on their back covers.