This presention briefly describes the proper way to make a cover letter, thank you letter, and follow-up letter

1. Identifying your skills, Cover
letters, and Follow-ups:
A brief introduction into cover letters, identifying
your skills, and following up on employment with
thank you letters

2. What is a skill?
 A skill is something you can do well
right now. An employer hires you
because of your skills. These skills tell
the employer if you have the
necessary background and
experiences to do a good job.
Everyone has skills.
What are yours?

3. “What have you done for me lately” – Janet Jackson
LET’S IDENTIFY SOME
SKILLS

4. Let’s identify some skills

5. What skills do you notice in this
picture?

6. What are my skills?

7. What’s the difference in a skill
and a talent?

8. The Difference
Talent is: Skill is:
- A special natural ability or - The ability, coming from
aptitude to do something one's knowledge, practice,
- Something a person is born aptitude, etc.
with - Something that can be
- Something you cannot teach learned, honed and
improved
You can only teach new
Skills. Skills are not a
substitute for Talent.
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9. Types of Skills
 Data
◦ Relates to numbers of any kind(percentages,
frequency, and money), research, codes, or
surveys.
 People
◦ Includes what kind of people you work with(co-
workers, customers, vendors, etc.) and what you
do with, for, or to each of them.
 Things
◦ Refers to tools, machines, or pieces of
equipment you know how to use.
 Ideas
◦ Suggestions you came up with to make the job
easier, more efficient, or more profitable.

10. How to Identify a skill
 Identify and name a skill
 Give an example of where and how
you used this skill
 Describe the example by answering
“who, what, when, why, and how”
questions
 Strengthen the example with numbers,
dollars, savings, or profits
 Give the results, or how the employer
would benefit from your actions.

11. Sample transformation of
skills
 Cleaning
 I clean all the time; I cleaned the
lounge and the reception area weekly
using brooms, mops, soap and water,
and garbage disposals (trashcans)

12. Transformation
continued…….
 Questions
◦ Who
 I (and who are you?); the janitor, porter, housekeeper,
etc.
◦ What
 The lounge and the reception area
◦ When
 Weekly
◦ Why
 To maintain local, state, and federal sanitation
guidelines.
◦ How
 To clean the floor I swept
 To clean the carpet I vacuumed
 To clean the surfaces of tables, counters, desk and other
tops I used a rag, water, and soap

13. Transformation Complete!
 Consistently maintained surfaces and
floors to adhere to local, state, and
federal standards using general cleaning
tools and experience in sanitation and
maintenance on a weekly basis.

14. Your request for consideration
COVER LETTER

15. Definition of a Cover Letter
 A cover letter will usually accompany
your resume when you submit an
application for a position. A cover letter
is a short writtern statement that
describes the key skills nad experiences
you possess that make you a candidate
worthy of further consideration. It is also
an example of your writing abilities, so
proper grammar, formatting and
proofreading are critical. A brief,
confident, well written cover letter can
make a strong impression on a hiring
manager and open the door for an
interview.

16. Cover Letter Basics
 A cover letter is professional correspondence. It
should be brief (no more than one page) tightly
worded, and should not contain exclamation
points, smiley faces, etc. It should be written in
simiple language and avoid abbreviations that
may not be generally understood.
 Standard business format should be used. If you
are mailing your cover letter, be sure to use
paper that matches your resume and envelop
color.
 Your cover letter should be interesting and
persuasive, and also convey your enthusiasm for
the opportunity. Using brief vignettes to describe
your skill will help put “a little meat on the bones”
of the letter, but should not go into too much
detail. Be direct and results-oriented

17. 5 Step Cover Letter
 Address
 Introduction
 Highlights and Qualifications
 Close, review and set-up an interview
 Signature and cover your resume

18. Key points to keep in mind
 Personalize for a unique position at a specific company
 Explain why you are sending a resume
 Create an interest in reading your resume
 Tell how you learned about the position
 Provide requested information
 Describe skills, education, or experiences important to this
position
 Reflect your personality and uniqueness
 Keep your cover letter to one page
 Use 8 ½” x 11” paper matching that of your resume and
envelope
 Center Letter, approximately, on page.
 Single space text of letter, double space between paragraphs
 Space down four lines from closing to typed name, and sign
your name in that space
 Proofread VERY carefully!

19. The “Thank You” Letter
 A thank-you letter follows a standard
business format
◦ Restate your interest in the position or
company.
◦ Be brief and to the point.
◦ Plan your follow-up. Tell the person when
and how he/she will hear from you in the
future.
◦ If there was a panel involved in the
interview, send a personalized letter to
each person or send a single letter to the
key person for distribution.

20. “Leave a seed, grow a forest”
FOLLOW ME

21. The Follow-up………
 When you’ve told someone you will send
him/her information
 When you failed to answer some
question adequately during the interview
and want to send a short response in
writing
 When you want to show appreciation to
someone for assisting you in your job
search by: referring you to someone,
providing you with information, or giving
you career management advice – even
after you’ve landed the job