Results tagged “Phyllis Korkki” from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog

In response to a question about common mistakes in cover letters, Phyllis Korkki said, “A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.

Korkki continues:

Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: “I did this, I’m looking for, I want to … I, I, I.” Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, [experts] said.

Korkki cites well-known career-management expert Wendy Enelow for the advice to avoid including too much information — for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements. Enelow also told Korkki that it is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview. Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications. Do not give them that ammunition.

Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.

In response to a job-seeker who wondered if cover letters are still necessary in this "day and age," Phyllis Korkki wrote:

Cover letters are still necessary, and in a competitive market they can give you a serious edge if they are written and presented effectively.

Cover letters are a graceful way to introduce yourself, to convey your personality and to impress a hiring manager with your experience and your writing skills, said Katy Piotrowski, an author of career books and a career counselor based in Fort Collins, Colo. You can also tailor them to a specific company in ways that you cannot with a résumé.

Ms. Piotrowski recently had a job opening at her small company, Career Solutions Group, and she was dismayed when about a quarter of the 200 applicants did not send cover letters. Most were within five years of graduating from college, she said, reflecting a more informal mind-set among younger people.

Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.