Cover Letters

Committed to a change? Make yourself less of a gamble for recruiters. If you’re a job seeker trying to break into a new industry or field, the odds are against you. The tight labor market allows hiring companies to set very specific criteria for job candidates, and that typically includes industry experience. For the executive … Read More

Here’s how to avoid putting a negative spin on your work glitches and how to stop hiring managers from wondering what you really did with your time. You’re a sales manager. Your sales have dropped 5 percent over the past 18 months. That’s obviously a negative fact that will come up in an interview. How … Read More

Attention to detail and small tweaks can get you back on track. You’ve taken all the right steps. You’ve come up with your personal brand, made business cards, customized your resume, wrote cover letters, accumulated recommendations, compiled a portfolio/blog/website, completed your social media profiles, and set up your professional, brand-compatible e-mail account. You’ve networked, applied … Read More

A Denver job seeker hits the gym to get in shape for a job search, then tones up his resume and cover letter. In early 2009 Greg Anderson found himself out of a job for the first time in 13 years. The operations pro quickly set about to optimize his job search and discovered an … Read More

With resumes, there’s no such thing as one size fits all; know where, how and why to tweak, advises resume pro Steve Burdan. Read More

Your resume should present you as the answer to the employer’s problems. Period. Follow these guidelines on how to uncover their pain points, and how to address them. Say you’ve learned about a business by reaching out to colleagues, friends and business associates. You’ve taken the time to research the industry, how it’s changed with … Read More

Take an honest look at your job search. Grade yourself on this 10-point assessment to see if you make the cut. Do you pass or fail? I have always believed people would put more time and effort into their job search if they were somehow graded on the process. As it stands, most people treat … Read More

Athletes have an off-season to train. There’s a reason for that. Discover how even a manager can practice the simplest skills without the time suck. Is an executive you practice your trade on-the-job. You have to jump into the fire of an important business moment and do your best, right? What about practice outside 9-5? … Read More

The old “might-as-well-apply-because-you-never-know” approach doesn’t work. A successful job search follows a strategy – not blind optimism. On more than a few occasions over the years, I’ve heard people who masquerade as career coaches and employment experts telling people that job hunting is a numbers game. It isn’t. In a way, it’s a lot like … Read More