| A Word from Karen |
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| What Works and What Doesn't |
7 |
| What's in Store for You |
9 |
| How to Get the Job You Deserve: Why a Cover Letter Is Crucial |
10 |
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| Section 1 – Why a Cover Letter: Making a Powerful Impression |
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| Winning over Your Employer: A Fresh Approach |
12 |
| Why You Should Use a Cover Letter: Putting Your Best Foot Forward |
14 |
| Crafting the Perfect Cover Letter: The Four P's |
15 |
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| Section 2 – What Every Employer Wants: How to Push the Right Buttons |
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| Appealing to the Employer: How to Discover His Needs |
20 |
| Attention-Grabbing Beginnings: Fantastic First Lines That Impress Employers |
22 |
| Keeping Their Attention: How to Accentuate the Positive |
23 |
| The One-Page Sales Letter: How to Convince Them to Call You for an Interview |
24 |
| Researching the Right Person: Delivering Your Letter into the Right Hands |
25 |
| Jumping Ahead of the Line: How to Get Your Letter Opened First |
26 |
| Giving the Employer What He Wants (And Getting What You Want) |
26 |
| Tips from the Experts: The Top 10 Things to Do and Say |
27 |
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| Section 3 – Standing Out From the Crowd: How to Develop Your Unique Selling Proposition |
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| Getting the Right Kind of Attention: Five Rules to Set You Apart from the Rest |
31 |
| How to Say What They Want to Hear: The Art of Persuasion |
36 |
| Using Your Personality: How to Make Your Individual Voice Come Through |
37 |
| Formal vs. Informal: How to Be Unique and Professional |
38 |
| Telling Them Who You Are: Presenting Yourself in the Best Light |
39 |
| Knowing Your Strengths: Five Deadly "Don'ts" Help You Highlight What You Do Best |
40 |
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| Section 4 – Where to Start: The Cover Letter Formula |
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| Having a Strategy: Knowing What You Want to Accomplish |
42 |
| The "8-Step Recipe" for Success: My Proven Cover Letter Formula |
43 |
| Breaking Through Writer's Block: Strategies for Getting Started |
52 |
| Separating the Good from the Bad: Discover What Works and What Doesn't |
52 |
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| Section 5 – Putting It Together: My Step-By-Step Writing Guide |
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| The Introduction: How to Blow Them Away and Grab Their Attention |
59 |
| How to Begin Your Letter Impressively and Professionally |
61 |
| The Body: How to Sum up Your Experience |
62 |
| The Conclusion: Creating Urgency and the Need to Call You |
63 |
| How to Use a Postscript to Grab the Employer's Attention |
64 |
| My Breakthrough Cover Letter Formula: Write an Impressive Letter Every Time |
65 |
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| Section 6 – The Format: Putting It All Together Correctly |
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| Formatting Your Cover Letter: What Does This Mean? |
67 |
| The Right Format: The Foundation of Every Great Letter |
68 |
| Common Mistakes: The Things That Will Get Your Letter Thrown Away |
71 |
| Top 10 Cover Letter Crimes: Misdemeanors That Condemn Your Letter to the Trash |
74 |
| Length: How Long or Short to Make Your Cover Letter |
78 |
| Opening Salutations: The Right Way to Say Hello |
78 |
| Saying Goodbye: How to Sign Off in a Memorable and Professional Way |
80 |
| The Right Stuff: Using the Right Paper and Envelope |
80 |
| Making It Look Good: Spacing, Capitalization, and Positioning |
80 |
| Making It Perfect: Your Formatting Checklist |
81 |
| Submitting Your Letter: How to Format Your Letter for Online Submission |
81 |
| An Expert's Opinion: What Mistakes Will Automatically Get You Disqualified |
83 |
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| Section 7 - Using Style: How to Say What You Need to Say |
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| Knowing Your Boundaries: Writing Style Guidelines |
85 |
| Creativity: How to Be Resourceful and Professional |
85 |
| Creating a Logical Flow: How to Use the Right Order |
86 |
| Saying It Quickly: Persuasive Words That Will Excite Your Employer |
87 |
| How to Put All the Style Elements Together |
90 |
| Choosing Verbs That Drive Employers to Action |
91 |
| My Dynamic Dictionary: The Best Cover Letter Verbs and What They Mean |
93 |
| Space-Saving Tips: How to Highlight Your Experience |
95 |
| Short and Powerful: How to Write a Power-Packed Invitation for Employment |
97 |
| Jargon: When to Use It and When to Avoid It |
98 |
| Picking the Correct Pronoun: Using "I" Versus "We" |
99 |
| Checking Your Grammar: How to Say It Correctly |
100 |
| Your Style Checklist: Six Ways to Keep It Direct and Correct |
101 |
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| Section 8 – Fighting Upstream: Overcoming Special Circumstances |
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| Make the Bad Look Good: Overcoming a Special Circumstance or Problem |
102 |
| A Lack of Experience: How to Get an Interview When You're Under-Qualified |
103 |
| Embarking on a New Career: Using Your Old Job as a Strength |
107 |
| Stay-At-Home Moms: What to Do If You've Been out of the Workforce for a While |
110 |
| No Degree: Writing a Breakthrough Cover Letter When You Lack Higher Education |
113 |
| Cold Calling: Getting a Job When an Employer Isn't Hiring |
113 |
| Sticky Issues: How to Handle Salary Concerns |
114 |
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| Section 9 – Proofing Your Cover Letter: How to Make Sure It's Perfect |
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| Why You Need to Proof: Real Life Horror Stories |
116 |
| Using a Second Set of Eyes: Getting Help from Friends or Family Members |
117 |
| Getting Professional Help: How to Find a Writing Service |
117 |
| How to Make Your Letter Perfect: Six Foolproof Proofing Tips |
118 |
| When It's All Done: Top Six Things to Do After You Write Your Cover Letter |
118 |
| My Magic Pill: A 100% Guaranteed Way to Get Your Letter Read |
119 |
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| Section 10 – What Now: What to Say After You Mail Your Letter |
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| Staying Organized: Why It's Essential to Keep Track of Your Applications |
121 |
| Following Up: Making Sure Your Application Was Received |
125 |
| What to Do When You Get That Call: Preparing for an Interview |
126 |
| What to Do If You Don't Get That Call: Creating a Second Chance |
127 |
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| Section 11 – The Key to Your Success: Your Cover Letter Action Plan |
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| Putting It All Together: My A to Z Formula |
129 |
| Being Efficient: How to Write a Letter in One Day |
132 |
| My Ultra-Effective Cover Letter Timeline |
132 |
| Saying It Again: Make It Unique for Each Company Without a Lot of Work |
135 |
| Overcoming Setbacks: Motivational Success Stories |
136 |
| What to Expect: Knowing What You're up Against and How to Prepare Yourself |
138 |
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| Conclusion |
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| Appendix A – 21 Dos and Don'ts |
142 |
| Appendix B – Checklist |
144 |
| Appendix C – Sample Cover Letters |
145 |
| About the Author |
157 |
