Let's say you're walking along a crowded street and you spot a friend of yours on other side of street. Let say his name is Joe. How do you get Joe's attention? You could start jumping up and down and yelling, "Hey! Over Here!" That might work. A better way would be to yell "Hey Joe! Over Here!" That'd be more likely to catch Joe's attention, wouldn't it? Because he hears his name. Personalization increases response dramatically.

Now let's take that thought and apply it to your headline. Adding personalization to your headline is a great idea. Use recipient's name right there in headline. It makes message more personal and increases chance message is read.

Let's take that one step further. Say you're looking for a job as a nurse and you know hiring manger's name is Susan. Susan is understaffed and looking for nurses. So give Susan an attention-grabbing headline to open your cover letter.

How about this, "Susan, Finally! A Nurse Who Can Do More Than Take A Temperature! But don't stop there. Make it big and bold. Remember, it's a headline. Make sure Susan notices headline. Grab Susan's attention.

How could Susan possibly not notice that headline strategically placed at top of your cover letter? And you can take that simple concept and apply it to a cover letter to any hiring manager for any job.

So work on an attention-grabbing opening sentence and in Part II we'll talk about interest, desire, and action.

To Your Extreme Success, Robert A Phillips

Career Seekers:

§Prepare a cover letter that can be tailored to specific positions. §Prepare a one-page resume outlining your education, any work experience, and skill. §Prepare a portfolio compiling examples of your work specific to job you’re applying for. §Prepare a thank-you letter for your interviewer that can be tailored to specific positions. §Make a list of possible job opportunities or interests. §Make a list of contacts for networking. §Set up industry specific on-line job search agents. §Begin sending out your cover letter and resume to as many places as possible. §Be persistent, if they don’t call you then you should call them. Showing initiative will make you stand out from crowd. §Be confident.

Summer Job Seekers:

§Begin your job search early and keep in contact with them. §Apply to as many places as you can. It is not such a bad thing to turn a job down. §If possible, look for jobs that you would be able to return to on weekends or breaks. §Network with family and friends. §Stand out by being persistent. If you really want a job then show it! §Show excitement and personality when picking up and dropping off an application. §Be confident when coming in for an interview. Shake their hand, look them in eye, and use your best manners. Send a thank-you letter no more than a week later.

If your job hunt is unsuccessful, use your time wisely by taking classes, interning or volunteering. Both of these alternatives will help you with your job search in long run. Experience can be just as valuable as a paycheck. Use this time to learn. Most importantly of all, do not lose hope. Envision yourself employed someday. There is a solution to every problem and job hunting is not an exception. Happy Hunting!

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