Cover letter face-lift

Until an HR rep or hiring manager has Googled you, your cover letter is the face—and personality—of your resume. Make sure it shines. Here are a few writing tips from The Muse to cut, freshen, and revive.

Buh-bye, cookie cutters
Beginning a cover letter with the title of the job for which you’re applying and your intent to apply is old news. Be original; be you—you only have this one page to sell yourself. Don’t bury the lead.

Not sure where to start? Here are 31 catchy cover letters that did the trick. 

When Spellcheck isn’t enough
Don’t you sometimes wish Microsoft would just tell you, “that sentence is too long,” or “stop using overly complicated GRE vocabulary”? Enter Hemingway, an app that’ll give your cover letter a readability score and help you downsize the fear of rejection.

The 101
If you’re new to the application process and don’t know where to start with your cover letter, here’s the gist in 60 seconds, thanks to TED Ed.



Want to share a cover letter success story? I would love hear from you. Send me an email at leslie.warner@tufts.edu. And in the meantime, have a fantastic rest of the summer!

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

To infinity and beyond!

“If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?”

If you’ve ever been stumped by this question in an interview, you’re not alone. However, successful people in all fields know themselves and their strengths. Discovering your professional superpower will help you focus your efforts in all aspects of your life.

Let this be an invitation to know yourself better. Some tools:

• Sarah Chang’s Muse article on harnessing your superpower provides ideas and inspiration about tapping into your unique gifts 
• Strengthsfinder will give you a detailed report about your strengths. The assessment does have a cost, but many have found it well worth it. 
• Another approach to discovering what really drives you is to think about your life purpose, which will generally involve using or sharing your superpower. This Psychology Today article might help you hone in on your purpose.

And, there’s always the tried and true: call your lifelines.

1. Talk one-on-one with several people who know you very well: a friend, a coworker or boss, a relative. It’s good to have folks from different parts of your life. 
2. Ask, what are my strengths? What is one thing I could improve or develop? Using my strengths, what would I be great at doing? 
3. Record this conversation. It's generally hard for us to fully take in praise or criticism—you’ll want to listen to or transcribe the recording later. 

Others aren't experts on you, but they do see you from a perspective you lack, and can often highlight gifts you may take for granted. We often discount the things that come most naturally to us, especially if we haven’t been rewarded or paid for them.

Once you have a handle on your superpower, it’s time to take a look at how you’re showing up in the world, how you’re communicating, also known as your personal brand. Look back soon for ways to communicate and share your brand.

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

Like it or not, we're all in sales

Dan Pink, author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, makes the case that while the majority of us aren't out on the battlefields of a used car lot, we're all selling something.

In teaching, consulting, writing, researching, or in any field in which we're convincing or persuading others, we aren't necessarily asking for money in return (time, attention, and effort carry the list), but we still want results. We want our ideas to take hold.

But if the class won't listen, the research isn't picked up, or the client just doesn't hear you: how do you continue to sell yourself? What tools do you need to stay afloat?

Watch Pink offer answers in this great lecture from the Authors@Wharton series:




Want more? Check out Molly Gordon's fantastic site, Authentic Promotion. After dropping out of college and entering rehab, Gordon began a wearable art business and eventually started Shaboom!, an authentic wealth coaching company where she "draws road maps for other accidental entrepreneurs" and small business owners, so they don't lose heart while building wealth.

Check out her posts on self promotion.

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

What’s your true value?

And how do you sell what you’re really worth to your target market?

You have a lot to offer, but if you’re like most people, you don’t feel comfortable bragging about it. Whether you’re introverted or just don’t know how to best highlight your achievements, Tufts can help.

Join John Boyd, author of The Illustrated Guide to Selling You, for a free webinar on learning to sell yourself—without selling your principles or selling yourself short:

How to Define Your True Value and Sell It
Wednesday, June 4 at 8 pm EST
Listen live or from the archive

You're worth more than you know. Trust me!

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

More Twitter finds for job seekers

It seems light years since we used a Rolodex or the classifieds, but these changing times are exciting because it's a chance to try something new. Twitter's just one of the many ways you can creatively expand your professional personality. Here are a few articles to inspire and get you started:

• From your handle to your bio, here are some key tips to establishing a powerful Twitter account
• Some words of wisdom from Elisha Hartwig at Mashable; she collects the best thoughts from the first live #NPRTwitterChat that focused on helping job seekers use social media to boost their careers. Think:
  
• Following your industry and industries you’re passionate about 
• Being a thought leader, not a follower
• Using Twitter as a jumping-off point to your blog or LinkedIn profile 
• Showcasing your personality; be you!

• Joshua Waldman’s Career Enlightenment blog also offers Twitter treats: doubling your connections in minutes, interviews with employers and job seekers using social media as their career tool, and the 50 hottest hashtags for job seekers

Remember, the early bird gets the worm! (Fun pun intended.) So start tweeting.

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

Tweet your inside champion

Twitter’s quickly becoming the first place employers post jobs. For many of these fast-breaking, niche opportunities, you need to be prepared with all the social media know-how: a complete LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, and blog, to name a few. Author and career expert Susan Whitcomb will coach you on your online presence and how to tweet at inside champions—so they have you firmly in mind before the formal job search even starts.

Twitter Your Way to a Job Right Now!
Wednesday, May 7, 8 pm EST
Listen live or from the archive

Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services

Tips to harness your inner-leader

Leadership can sometimes sound so daunting or unattainable—a quality of kings and queens and Steve Jobs. But leadership is innately within you. Here are a few tips to help you harness your natural talent:

• Communicate Like a Leader
  Communication is the key to creating good working relationships; it's the crust to your workday pie. Make sure your message is coming across clearly and professionally. Millenials, this one's for you!
  
  
• Know Thyself
  Great leaders know their styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Unsure of yours? Learn how to use a journal as a tool to increase self-knowledge and effectiveness at work.
  
  
• Father TED
  Still need a boost? These 25 TED talks are guaranteed to spark new ideas on leadership! From the art of choosing to why work doesn't actually happen at work—these are the best kinds of reality checks that always inspire.

Enjoy!
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services