A good listener is worth their weight in gold and one of the most important foundations in a relationship is for both partners to be good listeners.
So whether you are already in a relationship and are looking for a good listener to use as a role model or if you are looking for the love of your life and one of your criteria is someone who is a good listener, it is always good to be able to recognize a good listener. So the following are ten signs of a good listener:
You Can Feel That The Listener Is Fully Present And In the Moment With You:
You can tell the difference between someone who is fully in the moment with you versus someone who has their mind on something else is when you are talking to the unfocused person you will get an urge to rush through what you are saying versus when you are with a person who is totally focused on you, you will feel at home and that you have all the time in the world to say what you have to say. With a person who is totally focused on you, you will almost feel like sighing because you feel so supported and because you feel like you are truly the centre of their attention.
The Listener Will Keep Eye Contact With You:
The listener will keep constant eye contact with you, only looking away on occasion to prevent staring or awkwardness.
The Listener Will Nod, Smile And Give You Auditory Feedback:
A good listener will nod, smile and give you auditory feedback such as "Mm hum", "Yeah" "I see" or "No, really?" in a sincere and interested way to encourage you to continue and to indicate that they are listening.
The Listener Will Encourage You To Continue Talking:
As you are talking, they will encourage you to continue talking. For example they will say things like "That's really interesting" or "I find that interesting, please continue "or "I'd like to hear more."
The Listener Will Parrot Back What You Are Saying When Appropriate:
Every once in a while, a good listener will parrot back what you say to indicate they are paying attention and that they are right in your story with you.
The Listener Will Only Finish Your Sentence When Appropriate:
A good listener will only finish your sentence when the timing is right, not to try to rush you through your story or to help you out when you are at a loss of words, but to show that they are on the same wave length as you.
The Listener Goes By the 80% Listening, 20% Talking Rule:
A good listener knows that the art of being a good listener (whether that is because they just intuitively know or because they are actually aware of the rule) will listen approximately 80% of the time during the course of the conversation and spend only 20% of the conversation talking.
The Listener Will Keep The Conversation Focused on Your Topic of Discussion:
There is nothing more annoying than to open a conversation with someone and they change the topic on you in the middle of what you are trying to express. This often happens when the person gives you an example about themselves to show that they understand what you are saying but then they keep going with their example or take the opportunity while the attention is on themselves to switch topics. A good listener if they feel the need to use an example to back up what you were saying will keep it short and will return the conversation back to what you were talking about.
The Listener Will Ask You Thoughtful and Open-ended Questions About What You Are Talking About:
A good listener will ask you thoughtful questions that will lead you into opening up into further detail about your topic of discussion. For example, they may say something like " So you work in the Marketing Department, tell me about some of the duties that you are in charge of or what specifically are in you charge of or what aspects of your job do you love?"
The Listener Knows How to Empathize With You:
When a good listener feeds back how you are feeling, their description of the feeling or emotion will actually match how you are feeling. If they are off, they are dedicated to finding out how you are truly feeling versus throwing out a bunch of descriptions of how you are feeling in hopes of eventually guessing the correct feeling or emotion.
If you recognize a good listener in your life, tell them you how much you appreciate them. If you are still looking for a good listener to come into you life, it is both worth the search and the wait, because not only will they create a wonderful communication foundation for your relationship, they will always make you feel special and supported in expressing yourself.
References:
http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Signs-of-a-Good-Listener
Thursday, November 18, 2010
How to be a good leader
HOW TO BE A GOOD LEADER
* Remember: leadership skills and techniques can be learned. You don't have to be a natural leader. Very few people are.
* Care for your team. That means knowing what matters to each member: their health, their partner, their children, their relatives, their interests, their hopes, their fears.
* Stay close to your team. At some point, every day, walk around the office and say "Hi" to everyone who works for you. If you're not in the office that day, call and see how people are. This gives you a chance to enquire or encourage and gives them an opportunity to raise issues or make suggestions.
* Meet your team. Regularly - daily, weekly or monthly, depending on your place and type of work - have meetings of all the members of the team. Keep these meetings short, focused and action-orientated. Make sure every member of the team contributes in some way and acknowledge that.
* Train your team. Every team member should have at least two days training a year. Newer and more senior colleagues should have more. If they don't ask to go on training sessions, suggest some suitable courses.
* Grow your team. Through varied experience and regular training, you should be developing each team member to be more and more confident and more skilled.
* Inspire your team. Consider making available a motivational quote or story every week or month [for lots of good quotes click here].
* Celebrate with your team. This might be a personal event, such as a member's birthday or anniversary, or a professional occasion, such as completing a project or winning a contract.
* Socialize with your team. Have lunch or an after-work drink with them, especially when a member has a birthday or there's another reason to celebrate.
* Set objectives for each team member. As far as possible, these objective such be SMART - Specific Measurable Achievable Resourced Timed.
* Review the performance of each team member. At least once a year - at least quarterly for the first year of a new team member - have a review session where you assess performance, give feed-back and agree future objectives and training.
* Thank constantly. The words "Thank you" take seconds to say, but mean so much.
* Praise constantly. The words "Well done" take seconds to say, but will be long remembered and appreciated.
* Communicate constantly. Don't assume that people know what you're doing, still less what you are planning or thinking. Tell them, using all the communication tools to hand: team briefings, electronic newsletters, organisational newspapers.
* Eliminate. Too often we do things because they've always been done. Life changes. Consider whether you could stop doing certain things altogether.
* Delegate. You don't have to do everything. Develop your team members by training them to do more and trusting them to take over some of the things you've been doing.
* Empower. A really effective leader sets clear objectives for his team members, but leaves detailed implementation of these objectives to the discretion and judgment of individual members of the team. As Second World War U.S. General George S. Patton put it: "Don't tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”.
* Facilitate. A confident leader does not try to micro-manage his team, but makes it clear that, if team members need advice or assistance, he is always there to facilitate and support.
* Be on time. Always start meetings on time and finish them on time. Natural breaks keep people fresh. Short meetings concentrate the mind.
* Be seen. Don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk. So visit each unit or department for which you are responsible on a regular basis. Don't do this unannounced - you are not out to undermine other leaders or catch out staff. So arrange with the unit leader or departmental head when you'll visit and ask him or her to walk round with you.
* Make time. Managers are often very busy and this can deter people from approaching you, so make time for people and be approachable. People will appreciate you taking five minutes out of your busy schedule, especially if you act on/listen to what they say.
* Really listen. Many of us - especially those who think they are important - don't really listen, but instead think about what they're going to say next. Give the person speaking to you your full attention and really take on board what they are saying. [For more detailed advice on listening click here]
* Accept honest criticism. Criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger - but it's a powerful tool of learning. Above all, assess criticism on merit, without regard to its originator.
* Think strategically. The doers cut a path through the jungle; the managers are behind them sharpening the machetes; the leaders find time to think, climb the nearest tree, and shout "Wrong jungle!" Find time to climb the trees.
* Have a mentor or buddy, someone doing similar work in the same or a similar organization with whom you can regularly and frankly discuss your progress and your problems as a leader.
* Have a role model, someone who can inspire you to be a truly great leader. If you can't find one, study Jed Bartlet as the American President in any episode of the television series "The West Wing".
* Constantly revisit and review these tips. In his seminal work, "The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey puts it this way: "Sharpen the saw".
* Plan your succession. You won't be there forever and you may not be in control of the timing and circumstances of your departure. So start now to mentor and train at least one colleague who could take over from you.
References:
http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Leader.html
* Remember: leadership skills and techniques can be learned. You don't have to be a natural leader. Very few people are.
* Care for your team. That means knowing what matters to each member: their health, their partner, their children, their relatives, their interests, their hopes, their fears.
* Stay close to your team. At some point, every day, walk around the office and say "Hi" to everyone who works for you. If you're not in the office that day, call and see how people are. This gives you a chance to enquire or encourage and gives them an opportunity to raise issues or make suggestions.
* Meet your team. Regularly - daily, weekly or monthly, depending on your place and type of work - have meetings of all the members of the team. Keep these meetings short, focused and action-orientated. Make sure every member of the team contributes in some way and acknowledge that.
* Train your team. Every team member should have at least two days training a year. Newer and more senior colleagues should have more. If they don't ask to go on training sessions, suggest some suitable courses.
* Grow your team. Through varied experience and regular training, you should be developing each team member to be more and more confident and more skilled.
* Inspire your team. Consider making available a motivational quote or story every week or month [for lots of good quotes click here].
* Celebrate with your team. This might be a personal event, such as a member's birthday or anniversary, or a professional occasion, such as completing a project or winning a contract.
* Socialize with your team. Have lunch or an after-work drink with them, especially when a member has a birthday or there's another reason to celebrate.
* Set objectives for each team member. As far as possible, these objective such be SMART - Specific Measurable Achievable Resourced Timed.
* Review the performance of each team member. At least once a year - at least quarterly for the first year of a new team member - have a review session where you assess performance, give feed-back and agree future objectives and training.
* Thank constantly. The words "Thank you" take seconds to say, but mean so much.
* Praise constantly. The words "Well done" take seconds to say, but will be long remembered and appreciated.
* Communicate constantly. Don't assume that people know what you're doing, still less what you are planning or thinking. Tell them, using all the communication tools to hand: team briefings, electronic newsletters, organisational newspapers.
* Eliminate. Too often we do things because they've always been done. Life changes. Consider whether you could stop doing certain things altogether.
* Delegate. You don't have to do everything. Develop your team members by training them to do more and trusting them to take over some of the things you've been doing.
* Empower. A really effective leader sets clear objectives for his team members, but leaves detailed implementation of these objectives to the discretion and judgment of individual members of the team. As Second World War U.S. General George S. Patton put it: "Don't tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”.
* Facilitate. A confident leader does not try to micro-manage his team, but makes it clear that, if team members need advice or assistance, he is always there to facilitate and support.
* Be on time. Always start meetings on time and finish them on time. Natural breaks keep people fresh. Short meetings concentrate the mind.
* Be seen. Don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk. So visit each unit or department for which you are responsible on a regular basis. Don't do this unannounced - you are not out to undermine other leaders or catch out staff. So arrange with the unit leader or departmental head when you'll visit and ask him or her to walk round with you.
* Make time. Managers are often very busy and this can deter people from approaching you, so make time for people and be approachable. People will appreciate you taking five minutes out of your busy schedule, especially if you act on/listen to what they say.
* Really listen. Many of us - especially those who think they are important - don't really listen, but instead think about what they're going to say next. Give the person speaking to you your full attention and really take on board what they are saying. [For more detailed advice on listening click here]
* Accept honest criticism. Criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger - but it's a powerful tool of learning. Above all, assess criticism on merit, without regard to its originator.
* Think strategically. The doers cut a path through the jungle; the managers are behind them sharpening the machetes; the leaders find time to think, climb the nearest tree, and shout "Wrong jungle!" Find time to climb the trees.
* Have a mentor or buddy, someone doing similar work in the same or a similar organization with whom you can regularly and frankly discuss your progress and your problems as a leader.
* Have a role model, someone who can inspire you to be a truly great leader. If you can't find one, study Jed Bartlet as the American President in any episode of the television series "The West Wing".
* Constantly revisit and review these tips. In his seminal work, "The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey puts it this way: "Sharpen the saw".
* Plan your succession. You won't be there forever and you may not be in control of the timing and circumstances of your departure. So start now to mentor and train at least one colleague who could take over from you.
References:
http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Leader.html
Monday, November 15, 2010
Successful CV
WRITING A CV RESUME
If you are looking for a job, then it is very important that you understand how to offer yourself in the best way to an employer.
This is done by writing a 'CV' (curriculum vitae - Latin for 'life story'), called in some countries a 'resume'.
Different countries may have different requirements and styles for CV resumes. So you must follow the correct practice for your culture and country. However, we will try to give you important principles and advice.
WHAT IS A CV RESUME FOR?
A CV resume is quite simply an 'advert' to sell yourself to an employer. You should send a CV to an employer when they ask for one in a job advert, or when you are inquiring if any jobs are available. So the purpose of your CV is to make you attractive, interesting, worth considering to the company and so receive a job interview.
An employer may have several hundred inquiries about a single job, he or she will only choose a few people who appear suitable for interview.
Therefore, your CV must be as good as you can make it.
GENERAL ADVICE
If you are a student, there is probably a career advice office in your place of study. They are there to help. They may have fact-sheets of advice on how to prepare a CV. Make full use of them. However, employers do not want to see CVs which are all written in exactly the same way. Therefore, do not just copy standard CV samples! Your CV should be your own, personal, and a little bit different.
A CV should be constructed on a word-processor (or at least typed), well laid out and printed on a good quality printer. Do use bold and/or underline print for headings. Do not use lots of different font types and sizes. You are not designing a magazine cover! Do use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page. Do use the spell-check on your computer! (Or check that the spelling is correct in some way) Consider using 'bullets' to start sub-sections or lists.
As you are using a computer or word-processor, you can easily 'customise' your CV if necessary, and change the layout and the way you write your CV for different employers.
Picture yourself to be a busy manager in the employer's office. He (or she) may have to read through 100 CVs in half an hour, and will have two piles - 'possibles' and 'waste-bin'.
So yours must be easy to read, short and attractive.
There are two communication principles to remember:
*'Keep it simple,.
*'If they didn't hear it, you didn't say it'.
So, when you have written a first attempt at your CV, get someone else to look at it, and tell you how to make it better.
Ask your friends, your tutors or teachers, your career office, family friends in business. What you have written may seem simple and obvious to you, but not to an employer! Go through it again and again with a red pen, making it shorter, more readable, more understandable!
Before you start
Sit down with a piece of paper. Look at the job(s) that you are applying for.
Consider how your skills, education, and experience compare with the skills that the job requires.
How much information do you have about the job description?
Sometimes employers do not give enough information.
Ask for more detail if needed.
Spend time researching detail about the job(s) that interest you and information about the employer - their structure, products, successes, and approach - from:
• Their own publicity, reports and publications
• A library (business reports, trade papers)
• College career office
• Newspaper reports
• The Internet
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Personal details
Name, home address, college address, phone number, email address.
Do you have your own web homepage? Include it (if it's good!).
Education
Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work.
Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, including grades. Subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest. Earlier courses, taken at say age 15-16, may not need much detail.
Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included.
Interests
They will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless it connects with the work you wish to do. Give only enough detail to explain. (If you were captain of a sports team, they do not want to know the exact date you started, how many games you played, and how many wins you had! They will ask at the interview, if they are interested.) If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details.
If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details.
Skills
Ability in other languages, computing experience, or possession of a driving license should be included.
References
Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Or if this does not apply, then an older family friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference. Give their day and evening phone numbers if possible.
Length
Maybe all you need to say will fit onto one sheet of A4. But do not crowd it - you will probably need two sheets. Do not normally go longer than this. Put page numbers at the bottom of the pages - a little detail that may impress.
Style
There are two main styles of CV, with variations within them.
Chronological
Information is included under general headings - education, work experience, etc., with the most recent events first.
Skills based
You think through the necessary skills needed for the job you are applying for. Then you list all your personal details under these skill headings. This is called 'targeting your CV', and is becoming more common, at least in UK.
But it is harder to do. So take advice on whether it is OK in your country and culture, and how to do it best.
Optional extra
It can be good to start with a Personal Profile/Objective statement. This is a two or three sentence overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.
Presentation
You may vary the style according to the type of job, and what is accepted in your country and culture. So a big company would normally expect a formal CV on white paper. But, just perhaps, a CV applying for a television production job, or graphic designer, could be less formal - coloured paper, unusual design, etc!
Consider using a two column table to list your educational qualifications and courses taken.
Covering letter
When sending in a CV or job application form, you must include a covering letter. The purpose of the letter is:
To make sure that the CV arrives on the desk of the correct person. Take the trouble to telephone, and find the name of the person who will be dealing with applications or CVs, and address your letter, and envelope, to that person by name. (In a small company, it may be the managing director. In a medium size company, it may be the head of section/department. Only in a large company will there be a Personnel or Human Resource Department.)
To persuade the person to read your CV. So it must be relevant to the company, interesting, and well produced.
To clearly say what job you are interested in. If you are sending in a 'speculative' CV hoping that they may have work for you, explain what sort of work you are interested in. Do not say, 'I would be interested in working for Widgets Ltd', but say 'I believe my skills equip me to work in the product development department/accounts office/whatever'. When sending a speculative CV, you may try telephoning later to push your inquiry further.
To say why you want that particular job with that particular employer
To draw attention to one or two key points in the CV which you feel make you suited to that particular job with that particular employer.
Start your letter with an underline heading giving the job title you are interested in. (If you saw the job advertised, say where you saw it.)
Use the style and pattern of a business letter suited to your culture and country. Ask for advice about this. Try to find sample business letters so that you can follow style and layout.
Your career office may have a sheet about this, or show you a sample. The letter should only be on one side of A4 paper. It must be polite and easy to read.
Also mention when you are available for an interview. Ending your letter with a request for specific extra information may give a positive response.
Application forms
To apply for some jobs, the employer will send you an application form. You should still use a covering letter, and send your CV also unless told not to. Application forms need as much care to write as CVs. Remember the lessons earlier on this page. Here are some short guidelines:
Plan everything you will say on a separate piece of paper. Or make a photocopy of the form, and practice completing it first.
Only complete the real form when you are exactly sure what is the best thing to say.
It must be very neat and clear, and in black pen so that it can be easily photocopied.
You should 'angle' your answers to the company, in the same way as explained for your CV.
Do not say in answer to any question - 'see my CV'. They do not want to try to read both at the same time.
Take a photocopy to keep, so that you can remember exactly what you said. If you are called to interview, take this copy with you into the interview.
Other points
Keep copies of all letters, applications forms, and CVs sent, and records of telephone calls and names of those you spoke to.
The interview
Learning how to handle an interview is also very important. Your college career office or library may have a sheet or booklet on interview technique. Take as much advice as you can. Try and 'practice' an interview. Ask a friend, or college teacher, to pretend to interview you.
Be positive, and confident (if you can!) but not over-confident. Be well-informed about the company, its record and achievements, about the job and why you want it. Have questions ready to ask about the company and the job. If you are not accepted, some employers may be kind enough to look at your interview notes, and explain to you how you could improve your CV and interview technique. Ask - you can only be refused, and it shows you are prepared to develop and learn; they may make a note about you for future reference.
There is also a good book which may help you:
THE PERFECT CV,
by Tom Jackson and Ellen Jackson,
published in USA by Doubleday,
and in UK by Judy Pratkus Ltd, ISBN: 0 7499 1693 1.
References:
http://www.soon.org.uk/cvpage.htm
If you are looking for a job, then it is very important that you understand how to offer yourself in the best way to an employer.
This is done by writing a 'CV' (curriculum vitae - Latin for 'life story'), called in some countries a 'resume'.
Different countries may have different requirements and styles for CV resumes. So you must follow the correct practice for your culture and country. However, we will try to give you important principles and advice.
WHAT IS A CV RESUME FOR?
A CV resume is quite simply an 'advert' to sell yourself to an employer. You should send a CV to an employer when they ask for one in a job advert, or when you are inquiring if any jobs are available. So the purpose of your CV is to make you attractive, interesting, worth considering to the company and so receive a job interview.
An employer may have several hundred inquiries about a single job, he or she will only choose a few people who appear suitable for interview.
Therefore, your CV must be as good as you can make it.
GENERAL ADVICE
If you are a student, there is probably a career advice office in your place of study. They are there to help. They may have fact-sheets of advice on how to prepare a CV. Make full use of them. However, employers do not want to see CVs which are all written in exactly the same way. Therefore, do not just copy standard CV samples! Your CV should be your own, personal, and a little bit different.
A CV should be constructed on a word-processor (or at least typed), well laid out and printed on a good quality printer. Do use bold and/or underline print for headings. Do not use lots of different font types and sizes. You are not designing a magazine cover! Do use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page. Do use the spell-check on your computer! (Or check that the spelling is correct in some way) Consider using 'bullets' to start sub-sections or lists.
As you are using a computer or word-processor, you can easily 'customise' your CV if necessary, and change the layout and the way you write your CV for different employers.
Picture yourself to be a busy manager in the employer's office. He (or she) may have to read through 100 CVs in half an hour, and will have two piles - 'possibles' and 'waste-bin'.
So yours must be easy to read, short and attractive.
There are two communication principles to remember:
*'Keep it simple,.
*'If they didn't hear it, you didn't say it'.
So, when you have written a first attempt at your CV, get someone else to look at it, and tell you how to make it better.
Ask your friends, your tutors or teachers, your career office, family friends in business. What you have written may seem simple and obvious to you, but not to an employer! Go through it again and again with a red pen, making it shorter, more readable, more understandable!
Before you start
Sit down with a piece of paper. Look at the job(s) that you are applying for.
Consider how your skills, education, and experience compare with the skills that the job requires.
How much information do you have about the job description?
Sometimes employers do not give enough information.
Ask for more detail if needed.
Spend time researching detail about the job(s) that interest you and information about the employer - their structure, products, successes, and approach - from:
• Their own publicity, reports and publications
• A library (business reports, trade papers)
• College career office
• Newspaper reports
• The Internet
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Personal details
Name, home address, college address, phone number, email address.
Do you have your own web homepage? Include it (if it's good!).
Education
Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work.
Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, including grades. Subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest. Earlier courses, taken at say age 15-16, may not need much detail.
Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included.
Interests
They will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless it connects with the work you wish to do. Give only enough detail to explain. (If you were captain of a sports team, they do not want to know the exact date you started, how many games you played, and how many wins you had! They will ask at the interview, if they are interested.) If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details.
If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details.
Skills
Ability in other languages, computing experience, or possession of a driving license should be included.
References
Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Or if this does not apply, then an older family friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference. Give their day and evening phone numbers if possible.
Length
Maybe all you need to say will fit onto one sheet of A4. But do not crowd it - you will probably need two sheets. Do not normally go longer than this. Put page numbers at the bottom of the pages - a little detail that may impress.
Style
There are two main styles of CV, with variations within them.
Chronological
Information is included under general headings - education, work experience, etc., with the most recent events first.
Skills based
You think through the necessary skills needed for the job you are applying for. Then you list all your personal details under these skill headings. This is called 'targeting your CV', and is becoming more common, at least in UK.
But it is harder to do. So take advice on whether it is OK in your country and culture, and how to do it best.
Optional extra
It can be good to start with a Personal Profile/Objective statement. This is a two or three sentence overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.
Presentation
You may vary the style according to the type of job, and what is accepted in your country and culture. So a big company would normally expect a formal CV on white paper. But, just perhaps, a CV applying for a television production job, or graphic designer, could be less formal - coloured paper, unusual design, etc!
Consider using a two column table to list your educational qualifications and courses taken.
Covering letter
When sending in a CV or job application form, you must include a covering letter. The purpose of the letter is:
To make sure that the CV arrives on the desk of the correct person. Take the trouble to telephone, and find the name of the person who will be dealing with applications or CVs, and address your letter, and envelope, to that person by name. (In a small company, it may be the managing director. In a medium size company, it may be the head of section/department. Only in a large company will there be a Personnel or Human Resource Department.)
To persuade the person to read your CV. So it must be relevant to the company, interesting, and well produced.
To clearly say what job you are interested in. If you are sending in a 'speculative' CV hoping that they may have work for you, explain what sort of work you are interested in. Do not say, 'I would be interested in working for Widgets Ltd', but say 'I believe my skills equip me to work in the product development department/accounts office/whatever'. When sending a speculative CV, you may try telephoning later to push your inquiry further.
To say why you want that particular job with that particular employer
To draw attention to one or two key points in the CV which you feel make you suited to that particular job with that particular employer.
Start your letter with an underline heading giving the job title you are interested in. (If you saw the job advertised, say where you saw it.)
Use the style and pattern of a business letter suited to your culture and country. Ask for advice about this. Try to find sample business letters so that you can follow style and layout.
Your career office may have a sheet about this, or show you a sample. The letter should only be on one side of A4 paper. It must be polite and easy to read.
Also mention when you are available for an interview. Ending your letter with a request for specific extra information may give a positive response.
Application forms
To apply for some jobs, the employer will send you an application form. You should still use a covering letter, and send your CV also unless told not to. Application forms need as much care to write as CVs. Remember the lessons earlier on this page. Here are some short guidelines:
Plan everything you will say on a separate piece of paper. Or make a photocopy of the form, and practice completing it first.
Only complete the real form when you are exactly sure what is the best thing to say.
It must be very neat and clear, and in black pen so that it can be easily photocopied.
You should 'angle' your answers to the company, in the same way as explained for your CV.
Do not say in answer to any question - 'see my CV'. They do not want to try to read both at the same time.
Take a photocopy to keep, so that you can remember exactly what you said. If you are called to interview, take this copy with you into the interview.
Other points
Keep copies of all letters, applications forms, and CVs sent, and records of telephone calls and names of those you spoke to.
The interview
Learning how to handle an interview is also very important. Your college career office or library may have a sheet or booklet on interview technique. Take as much advice as you can. Try and 'practice' an interview. Ask a friend, or college teacher, to pretend to interview you.
Be positive, and confident (if you can!) but not over-confident. Be well-informed about the company, its record and achievements, about the job and why you want it. Have questions ready to ask about the company and the job. If you are not accepted, some employers may be kind enough to look at your interview notes, and explain to you how you could improve your CV and interview technique. Ask - you can only be refused, and it shows you are prepared to develop and learn; they may make a note about you for future reference.
There is also a good book which may help you:
THE PERFECT CV,
by Tom Jackson and Ellen Jackson,
published in USA by Doubleday,
and in UK by Judy Pratkus Ltd, ISBN: 0 7499 1693 1.
References:
http://www.soon.org.uk/cvpage.htm
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