Cover letter advice please

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 31, 2006

a cover letter says what your resume doesn't. you will want to say something in your letter about submitting your resume for their review. tell them you live in the area and have seen and passed by their clinic frequently. perhaps you've heard people talk about the wonderful care they give there. you see that they are expanding the building and have heard from another colleague that they might be looking for another nurse. you would be interested in hearing about any employment opportunities they might have coming available and would like the opportunity to talk with someone about an employment opportunity. you are currently available and looking for work and can be reached at -----. then, don't just wait around for a call. find out who you should get back in touch with when you drop off the cover letter and resume and get back in touch with them in about a week if you haven't heard anything. even if they don't have a job available at this time, they may put your resume in a file and call you when the next opening comes up. an ad might not even get put in the paper. you would be surprised at the number of people who get jobs this way! first of all, it tells a prospective employer that you are a go-getter. secondly, that you are creative. third, you are not afraid to go out of the box to get something done. those are positive attributes that some employers want in their workers.

here are some links to information about how to write a cover letter.

http://www.vault.com/nr/main_article_detail.jsp?article_id=20934&cat_id=0&ht_type=9 - a step-by-step guide of what goes on a cover letter done in the format of how the letter should appear.

http://resume.monster.com/articles/lettersthatsell/ - "cover letters that sell". this article contains an outline and guideline of what each paragraph of a cover letter should contain.

http://resume.monster.com/articles/donot/ - "ten cover letter don'ts"

http://www.vault.com/nr/main_article_detail.jsp?article_id=18576&cat_id=0&ht_type=9 - "sample cover letters: first impressions count - avoid common cover letter mistakes".

http://www.worktree.com/tb/cl_more.cfm - "cover letters: more helpful hints". nice article with a lot of helpful information.

rn/writer, RN · May 31, 2006

Daytonite gave you good advice.

Here are a few more things to consider:

Write out several practice letters in different styles. Do a formal one that follows professional instructions exactly. Then write out one that is more conversational and casual. Aim for something between the two.

Emphasize what you can bring to a prospective employer. What do you have to offer that might set you apart. Can you speak another language? Are you especially good with kids or older people? Do you have any hobbies or other non-nursing skills that might tell something about your intelligence, creativity, or perseverance?

Once you have fired off your resume and cover letter, stay in contact. Dash off a note periodically, letting them know you are still interested. Mention any developments you see on their end. "I noticed that you have broken ground on the new addition. This must be an exciting time for all of you."

You can even ask if you could stop in just to get acquainted. Not an interview, per se, but just a chance to learn more about the practice and find out if there's anything you can be doing to make yourself more attractive when a position opens up.

Stay real. Show genuine enthusiasm and polite persistence. And always thank anyone who takes the time to contact you.

If and when you do get an interview, be sure to send thank you letters to anyone who is a part of the process. Sometimes it's failing to do this last step that costs a candidate a job offer.

I wish you well.

mtngrl, ASN, RN · May 31, 2006

Thanks guys. That's great advice! I just go blank sometimes when I write them, and they end up sounding so "textbook". Now I have some good ideas on what to put.