Writing Flawless Cover Letters

If you believe that using the same generic cover letter for each job you apply to will land you a job, you need a reality check. Targeted cover letters are the only way to successfully get a potential employer's attention and get your foot in the door for an interview.  More »

The cover letter doesn't get a lot of respect. It has a hard time pleasing everyone who writes about the job search. It's been called everything from useless to a ball and chain that can only hurt your chances at landing the job. But here are three reasons it can help you land the job.  More »

It's not what you know, but who you know, right? If you know someone who works for a company you're applying to, don't be afraid to mention their name in your cover letter. Many businesses encourage and reward employees for referring job candidates, so it could benefit both of you. Just make sure to find out the proper procedures for employee referrals and follow them carefully. Here are some other guidelines to being an effective name-dropper.  More »

It's best to address a cover letter to the hiring manager by name. But employers rarely give explicit submission instructions, such as: Email your resume and cover letter to Mr. Manny McManager. If you don't know the recipient's name, here's how to find it.  More »

What is a cover letter and why do you need one? Get the answers to these and other basic questions about this very important and misunderstood job seeker tool.  More »

Like job seekers, bloggers often reach out and network with each other. Just this week, The Pongo Blog received an inquiry from a potential guest blogger. Her message started with a nice compliment and referred to one of our recent posts. So far, so good. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that this particular piece of flattery was less-than-sincere. A similar error in a cover letter could cost you the job.  More »

When you're job hunting, all you really want is a job offer. Sometimes, the hunt can take so long that getting an offer seems impossible. But one of these days, you're going to find a company that loves you and wants to add you to their payroll. If you're really, really lucky, you might even get more than one job offer at the same time! That's when you'll need this letter template.  More »

If you've read some of our previous blog posts on cover letters, you likely have a clear picture of how your cover letter works with your resume to market your skills and qualifications. Note that I said market, not sell. Your aim is to be assertive about your skills and qualifications, not obnoxious.  More »

Cover letters can be the deciding factor between getting called for an interview or being passed up for another candidate who submitted something better. To make sure your cover letter helps you land the interview, keep these do's and don'ts in mind when you're writing.  More »

The cover letter sometimes gets a bad rap as an unnecessary document. Some bloggers in the career space even go so far as to suggest not submitting one because hiring managers won't read it. But, whether they read it or not, the strange thing is that many hiring managers will disqualify you if you don't send a cover letter.  More »