Writing Good Business Letters

When you write personal correspondence either in letter or email form, you know you don’t have to worry quite as much about how you say things. You always want to have good spelling and decent grammar, of course, but your personal friends and family are not going to nitpick and disown you because of a few mistakes. However, when it comes to writing business letters, you want to make sure they are perfectly worded and completely without error. On top of that, they must be clear, to the point, and as brief as possible.

Business letters are all about business. You don’t want to send anything that sounds too personal, but you also don’t want to sound too stiff with someone with which you have been doing business with for a long time. Always start and end with the proper terms like “dear” and “sincerely,” though there are other terms that are acceptable. Look up the proper formatting for business letters, and never stray from that formula for the best outcome each item. There are a few different formats that work, but the most formal works the best, even when you feel the business is more on the casual side.

When it comes to the contents of business letters, you want to make sure your point is clear and that you have said what needs to be said in as few words as possible. Skip over flowery descriptions, as they may alienate some people. When you are writing a letter for business about a particularly touchy subject, you want to write a few drafts, and then put it away to look over again in a few hours or even the next day if that is possible. You will always want a fresh perspective so you are sure you have said what you need to say in the best possible way.

Lastly, check, recheck, and then triple check for spelling and grammar. If you aren’t sure, look it up. The few moments that it takes to do that can mean a huge difference in what happens after your business letters arrive at their destinations. Spell check on the computer is great, but it will not catch everything. If you have to, read the letter backwards, sentence by sentence, so that you can catch any problems. Even better, have someone else read it over. They will have fresh eyes and will catch problems that you did not.

Examples of Cover Letters

No matter what career you choose, there will come a time when you have to write cover letters. Though there are many who are good at making up and editing their resumes so that they are an ideal candidate, the cover letter is often much harder to do. This is because it has to be special made for each job opening, whereas the resume can be the same for the most part. When you get stuck on writing the letter to go with your resume when applying for jobs, your best bet for help is to find good examples of cover letters that you can use as reference when writing your own.

The hard part about using examples of cover letters for your own project is deciding which would go well with the career path you have chosen. Don’t make this part too hard though, as there are times when we think too hard about what we need to say. If you find enough examples of cover letters, you are going to find that the right one will jump right out at you. If you read though enough, you may find many that work, and you can mix and match your favorite parts of them to make something that will truly make your letter stand out above the rest.

Don’t make the mistake of using examples of cover letters word for word when you are using them to help you out. You do have to take one that works well and you then have to make it your own. If your cover letter sounds too generic, it is going to look like you put no thought into it at all. Most companies like people who are detail oriented, and a generic looking and sounding cover letter will not give that impression. Instead, use your cover letter examples as a loose guide to the skeleton of your own letter.

When searching for examples of cover letters, you can find many free ones online. However, you may not find what you need. You can find books that are full of them, and though you will have to pay for them, they will prove to be a valuable investment when they have helped you land the interviews or job of your dreams. This type of resource is going to work for more than examples of cover letters, as they can help you construct other types of business letters as well. Even better, a good cover letter example will be timeless as long as it is edited for personal slant. Once you buy a good resource, you can use it for a long time to come.

MyPlace or YourSpace – Online Writing Resume Tips

There are many ways to get yourself “noticed” these days,  both offline and online. One of the questions that is often asked of me is whether a candidate should post his / her resume on a job board, social or professional communities, such as: LinkedIn or Facebook, or perhaps even create their own website. My resounding answer is always, “depends on who you want to network with and how you want to be portrayed”.

The reality is that many people put up profiles and resumes “just because” it’s there. Oftentimes, there is little thought given to target audience, consistency, accuracy and the like. For example, if you’re looking for a career as an attorney at a prestigious law firm, you’d probably want to make sure that your online presence is not in conflict with the resume that you’ve sent in.

Jane is a high powered real estate attorney. Her resume reads like a “who’s who”, having worked for the best law firms and represented the top luminaries in the industry. She’s young and on the move. She also has a fun, personal side that really enjoys socializing. She puts up an online presence on Facebook or MySpace. The potential employer decides to check all available and public information about Jane and finds out something that they think is either inappropriate or “not up to their corporate standards”. Jane is not offered a job.

What’s wrong with this picture? Employers are increasingly going to the Internet to find out information about candidates. In fact, there is so much “public” information available now on the Internet many individuals are beginning to close their public profiles or at least reduce their visibility.

Is this good or bad? Does the employer really have the right to research your Internet profile? These are questions that are not my place to answer. But, as I started out saying in this blog, you should carefully consider to whom you are targeting and how you want to be portrayed and then reconcile that with your online profile.

Writing Your Resume, Where To Begin?

There are many tips for writing a resume that will help someone get past the first level in the job application process. A good resume can help that person get to the interview process, if all the steps are taken properly. But the list of tips for writing a resume will fill a book, literally. Several books have been written on this subject, most of them containing excellent advice. One of them is the one I wrote called “Pro Resume Writing Secrets.”

But it may be more productive to concentrate on a few of the basic tips for writing a resume, leaving some of the finer points to the experts who work face to face with an individual. So, where do we begin?

• Perhaps the first decision to make is this: Should they try a full resume of several pages or stick with what has become known as a qualifications brief? Committing to one or the other will help eliminate doubts and allow the applicant to put together an organized and focused document.

• After deciding which type of resume or brief to commit to, the next step is usually the gathering of information. While this may seem simple, it is a critical step in the resume process. Many experts and job application advisers put significant emphasis on advance preparation. Just because you have a good memory and think you can put all of your education, experience and activities on paper does not mean you will do that when the time comes. Take plenty of time to make notes, gather certificates and other documents. Put together a well-organized file of all the information you need to build a good resume.

• Open any guidebook on tips for writing a resume and you will find some version of the two ideas above, as well as this tip: Try to focus on what the company needs, not just on showing the personnel manager or company supervisor how great your background is. One of the keys to a successful resume process (and one of the most difficult) is to blend personal experience and education with the needs of the company or person doing the hiring. Sometimes these needs are plainly stated in an advertisement or other information provided to the applicant. Sometimes this is only available when the applicant does some research or asks a few specific questions.

• Another key item on the list of tips for writing a resume: Do not start the resume process thinking that you have no work experience. This will only make for a weak resume or qualifications brief. In fact, every individual has something to offer. The key is to find out what you alone can do well and find the position in which to use those skills.

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Some Tips For Writing An eResume

What’s the difference between a regular resume and an electronic resume? A resume is a resume, right? So, if the resume is complete and well written, it does not matter whether it is handed to the company representative in paper form or electronic form, right? Not necessarily.

The first item on a list of tips for writing an electronic resume: There will be some differences between an electronic resume and the traditional paper resume. While some may find success by just putting the more traditional style resume in electronic form and sending it along, the chances for success may be better if a few small points are given some attention.

First, though, it may be best to answer the question: Why use an electronic resume? According to most experts, one of the key tips for writing an electronic resume is that the electronic resume allows the job seeker to send the document to the right people using email. The electronic format also allows the applicant to place the resume with numerous employers by using a database or career placement website. The number of companies that use the Internet to find good employees is growing rapidly. Almost all companies make use of this method in some form.

That means you need a few changes in how the resume is written and how it is presented. Whether the document is an email resume using simple text or a document image like Adobe PDF, one of the most important tips for writing an electronic resume is: Make proper use of keywords, so that employers can find your resume during online searches. For instance, from a list of terms, job descriptions and other phrases commonly used in a particular industry or field of work, pull out some of the keywords to be used in your resume. When employment professionals search databases and employment services for candidates, they will use many of these terms.

The electronic resume must also be treated differently when it comes to formatting, layout and so on. Basically, some of the special style and layout ideas you use in a text program meant for print can be treated much differently with an electronic resume. A few minutes of minor editing and some careful proofreading will take care of most of the differences. Include this idea in your list of tips for writing an electronic resume: Watch for spacing between words and sentences when changing an already complete resume to electronic format. Appearance is very important.

One last simple tip: Be sure to include your email address along with other contact information in the body of the resume. Don’t include your contact information in the header or footer because most scanners cannot detect the data there.

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