Of course, you could just write your resignation letter and say that you are giving your notice of resignation and that you will be leaving on a certain date, but where is the fun in that?

Cover Letter mistakes are easily made and with every resume submission, you should have a cover letter that presents you as a positive and qualified candidate for the job.

Your cover letter should be able to stand alone if necessary and highlight areas of your resume which promote those areas of your professional experience which the prospective employer requires. Mostly it should address positively any questions an employer may have about hiring you for the job.

There are five common cover letter mistakes outlined below that you must avoid in order to get through the first round of resume review and move one step closer to getting the job that you want.

1. Addressing the cover letter using a generic greeting, or misspelling the name of the personal contact or the company. The address line is the most prominent part of the cover letter; it should be included even if the cover letter is sent via email. Generic greetings are not favored; they make it seem like you have a template for your cover letter and you simply send it to all employers you are interested in working for. Do the research and find out who the appropriate contact is for the cover letter. However, make sure that they name and the company name is spelled correctly. If your address line contains errors, cover letter mistakes like this mean your cover letter is likely to never make it to the hiring manager.

2. Telling the company what they can do for your career rather than what you can do for the organization. Simply stated, employers care only about your qualifications and what you can do for the company. Do not waste your time telling the company how working for them can be great for your career. What your potential employers want to hear is how you can benefit their team and add value; they want to know what you can bring to the party that is innovative, and focused on results. Make sure that your resume lets your employer know just why you are the best candidate for the job and that your cover letter highlights it.

3. Restating your resume makes the inclusion of your cover letter pointless. Do not go over the same information from your resume in your cover letter. Your cover letter is meant to create interest and cause the employer to review your resume in greater detail. Restating the information in your resume doesn’t add anything to your job application. Draw their attention to certain areas of your resume in the context of how such qualifications will benefit the company.

4. Starting every sentence with ‘I’. While your cover letter is about you, starting each sentence this way will make your employer believe that your communication skills are not up to the level of your professional background. Examine every sentence that begins with ‘I’ and see if you can turn it around to start with another word. For example:

‘I secured grants totalling $76000 from government…’ could become:
‘Government grants worth a total of $76000 were secured by me…’

5. Asking the employer to call you at their convenience. The most generic closing statements in cover letters ask the employer to contact you at their convenience. If you are truly excited about the opportunity with the employer, you won’t want to wait for them to call you back whenever they feel like it. What you should do instead is let them know when you want to follow up – and then do follow up. Close your cover letter by letting your potential employer know that you will contact them, as well as the manner in which you will do so. This shows your interest, and your initiative.

When you know what you’re looking for, avoiding cover letter mistakes like these becomes second nature and ensures your application is of the highest standard.

Everyone Needs A Cover Letter

Everyone who is looking for a job and sends out resumes NEEDS a Cover Letter. It is not an option. As a professional, you should have a cover letter, and you should send one with every resume you submit.

Armed with a great covering letter for your application and being ready to follow up any intermediate enquiries, PLUS sending a ‘Thank-You’ letter after your interview, can make the difference between success and failure.

To help you along, there are some cover letter examples on this site - all carefully written - that can easily be modified as I suggested above; in fact if you look around you will find tons of information to show you precisely how to prepare your cover letters for maximum impact.

This is a great letter to write but not everyone knows where to start or what to include so here is an example of an Acceptance Letter.

As you follow it through you will see that I have explained what comes when - all you have to do is replace this text with the conditions that apply to the terms of your new position.

It also brings out into the open any misunderstandings over those terms, so that they can be addressed before you start your new position.

Job Acceptance Letter

Mr. Peter Perfection
77 Sunset Strip
Sometown PA
USA

The acceptance letter is a simple and pleasant letter to write. In the first paragraph, thank the company for the offer and directly accept the position.

Dear Mr. Perfection

Many thanks for the offer of the position at Alto Corp. as Executive Consultant which I am delighted to accept.

Next, restate the contract provisions as you understand them. These are points that you and your contact at the company have discussed in relation to your employment. They may include salary, location, benefits, or any other items.

I understand I will be joining the business performance group and the commencing salary will be $42,000 working 8.00 until 6.00. My primary location will be downtown Philadelphia. You will provide me with a new compact sedan auto and I will receive three weeks paid annual vacation leave.

Restate any instructions you were given in their acceptance letter to you. These might include the date that you will begin working, the salary discussed, or the hours you would be working. It is extremely important to restate these details because they provide documentation of an understanding between you and the company before an actual contract is signed.

I will report to the Managing Consultant on Monday 21st April at 8.00 for further instructions.

Finally, end with a statement of your happiness at the opportunity to join the company. Be thankful and courteous, watching your tone so as not to sound too overconfident.

Thank you again, I look forward to joining Alto and becoming part of the continued success that the firm represents.

Yours Most Sincerely,

Michael Mutley
1 Sandringham Boulevard
What Town, LA 43210

I’ve included this with the cover letter examples, although it’s hardly a covering letter; but the time will come when you’ve followed all the advice and you’ve secured the new job or career change you really want.

When that happens you’ll have pleasure writing the Resignation Letter as you leave the last job

You might be tempted, but this is not the time to tell them where they can stick their job; you might want a reference from them at some point, so aim to leave on good terms. (They don’t need to know any different).

Everyone Needs A Great Cover Letter

Everyone who is looking for a job and sends out resumes NEEDS a Cover Letter. It is not an option. As a professional, you should have a cover letter, and you should send one with every resume you submit.

The Resignation Letter

It’s not easy to come up with any single example of a resignation letter, because like cover letters and CV or resumes, they are highly personal documents. There are some general points you can remember though:

• Address it to your boss by name; you know his name, so use it. Open your letter with Dear Bill, etc.

• Get straight to the point. Your opening sentence (and subject line) should be brief and to the point. Subject: Letter of Resignation

• Briefly state your reasons. Note positive reasons for accepting a new job, not negative reasons for leaving this one.

• Make sure you have tied up the loose ends as far as possible. If you have work that someone will need to take over, write a separate note to go with your resignation later which lists important things like urgent work or passwords.

• State your contractual notice period, but you might offer to stay a reasonable amount of time. More often than not, it won’t be taken up, but it is a good parting gesture to make. Could offer some time to train up a replacement which is a good way for your employer to remember you (instead of just walking out).

• Be courteous and professional. Thank your employer for your time with the company, stating how much you appreciate it.

Your resignation can represent a difficult period of time. Writing a resignation letter isn’t easy - you need to handle it professionally or it could have a serious impact on your career in the future.

You can often beat others to a new opportunity when you have discovered that a firm or business is expanding or relocating or has announced a new product development plan.

Companies will take some time before formulating the final job descriptions of new people they will need because of the conditions mentioned above.

What is certain though, is that the need is pressing in somebody’s mind and if you can make a targeted approach using the sample cover letter as a template, you just might find the job waiting for you!

Read On for Free Example of a Targeted Cover Letter for a Direct Approach to a potential employer…

12 Sandy Lane
Northampton
Northants
NN8 1QE

Mr Simon Lanstone
Managing Director
Blankwell Corporation Limited
1 Rockington Lane
Northwellington
Northants
NN7 2TA

16 November 2006

Dear Mr Lanstone

With more than ten years experience in Sales and Marketing in the widget industry, I have successfully launched and promoted several new products. I am writing to you concerning my interest in the Blank Corporation as I believe there are several areas in which I could help to strengthen your market share.

In brief, I am familiar with all aspects of international sales, establishing new channels, selection of agents, dealing with import/export regulations, as well as presenting at trade shows. In 2005, I recruited and trained six sales people in Europe, and the following year company sales increased by an astounding 67%. I also negotiated new distributors in Europe and expanded the company’s customer base by more than 50%.

Your recently advertised expansion into Eastern Europe interests me as I feel my experience and language fluency could make an enormous difference to your sales team, and thus ensure the success of this expansion.

I would be grateful if you would take a brief call from me later this week to give me your reactions and perhaps arrange to discuss my ideas.

Yours sincerely

Sarah McDowall

Target Cover Letter Tip:

Target letters like the one above have very particular rules to follow if they are going to work for you.

1. It must be addressed to a named person at sufficiently high level in the organization. I suggest you look for the name of the person who would be your bosses boss if you worked for them. This means a decision can be taken at high enough in the organization.

2. Give reasons for the contact based on your knowledge (i.e. research) of the company’s business activities.

3. Align your skills and knowledge to specific issues that you consider they have based on your skills; outline benefits of input from you.

4. Keep it brief

5. Ask for a meeting to discuss the issues you’ve identified.

6. Think of this approach as submitting a proposal NOT a job application.

7. You must be prepared to follow up with a phone call to get a meeting arranged or at least have a preliminary discussion.