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E-mail Electra

It's kind of funny---but when you're sending out email it's good to know this. To get off on the right foot you should use upper AND lower case in your messages.

And you're right! Your spelling is pretty bad! Make sure you have your cover letter and resume checked for spelling and grammatical errors BEFORE you mail them out. (Even "white collar" workers need help with proofreading!)

JobStar recommends some nice sites on cover letters.

Spend some time looking at Career Lab's The FIRST and BEST COVER LETTERS. I loved this resource as a book (and used it all the time in the library.) The author, William S. Frank, has been most generous in sharing the contents for free on the web.

You may want to start with Chapter 7: Answer Want Ads like a Pro. You'll find some samples, tips and ideas you can use immediately.

Your cover letter should contain the following:

WHY you are applying to THAT company. Say something nice about the company or--better yet--do some research on them. JobStar's Company Research will show you how to learn as much as you can about the company BEFORE you write your letter. Once you know more about the company you can say:

Please consider my resume for the position of Chief Maintenance Engineer at Your Wonderful Company, Inc. Because Your Wonderful Company Inc. is a leader in aircraft widget manufacturing, I know that you will require the best when it comes to quality and efficiency in equipment maintenance. I believe my skills and work experience are a good fit for this position. t

HOW your skills are a good fit for the position. Even though it may be on your resume, you want one or two sentences summarizing what you do best. Maybe something like:

In the last five years I have been responsible for all aspects of industrial maintenance for a widget manufacturer employing 500 people and producing $200 million dollars of original widgets for the aircraft industry.

You may also want to say something about your work ethic or work performance. Give one or two strong examples. For example:

"I am hardworking, committed to quality and eager to learn. On my last job I taught myself how to use our very complicated ordering system and even helped others to use it more skillfully."

Basically your cover letter introduces you, says why you are interested in this company and this job, adds some "color" to your resume so the employer can get a feel for you. You also want to express your interest in meeting with them to discuss the job.

NEWSFLASH

Electra just got a letter from "Blue Collar" that says "I do want to let you know that both the companies you helped me compose letters for have contacted me so thanks."

Thanks for taking my advice about using upper and lower case! And good luck on your interview!