A Guide to Recruitment Marketing

A Guide to Recruitment Marketing The key to getting the best talent on board or having a reputation for being the best recruiters in the industry is all down to recruitment marketing and it’s not as complex as it sounds. Thats according to Lisa Jones from Barclay Jones. For Lisa,  the new age of recruitment marketing is about solving problems within businesses using humans.  She wants recruiters to move away from ‘youve got a CV and youre trying to pitch it’ to ‘theres a problem within a business and it needs solving with talent’ and she firmly believes that recruitment marketing is key to that process. You can listen to my interview with her below, or read on for a summary of our conversation. Whats your guide to success in recruitment marketing? We’ve got to look at two elements to this. Theres the brand, which is you know, Im Aardvark ABC business and Ive got to get my brand online so at least there is a home, and then there is a brand to aspire to work with and for. And obviously marketeers, within any given business, should be focusing on that and if you are an employer, please start getting your marketing department to focus on employer brand and not just the brand of the things that you sell. I often work with businesses who say, Well, Im an HRD, or Im a recruitment manager within said business and my marketing department do nothing for me, they just try and flog the product because thats where the money is, and I kind of respect that but at the same time you still need people on the shop floor and thats where the HR and recruitment department come in. When it comes to recruitment agencies thats when, again, weve got the marketeers developing the brand and rightly so, but what often happens again is the sales teams devolve or abdicate marketing back into the marketing department, and thats when you often see very busy brands and very quiet recruiters. So I think from a step-by-step perspective we need to get the brand up and running first because then thats something to aspire to and something to inspire recruiters. We need really effective and practical content plan with themes threaded through that content plan to allow the brands to be known for something which the marketeer drives, but the recruitment consultants also have to have something to do with that. The recruitment agency world are so busy transacting and dare I say sourcing, that theyre not spending enough time getting under the skin of their niche. They claim to be specialists but when I say to them, What events are your automotive candidates and clients likely to be at? Thats when they get blank looks and thats when they look at the marketing team. So for me, marketeers need to set up the brand and get it working extremely hard to get a branding guide and getting really decent content planned. And the recruiters on a daily basis, not just Friday at 5pm when they think thats the best time to post, need to be engaging with that content as well as inspiring marketing to come up with said content. So, My names John, Im an automotive consultant, Ive found five really cool events for automotive candidates. Marketer go away and create me a neat little graphic on that so I can then stick it in my LinkedIn publisher and market that extremely effectively under the brand of my automotiv e company.” And to me, thats where it all clicks in really nicely to produce regular and practical content-driven marketing from both marketeers and recruitment consultants. Give us a pitfall that recruiters must avoid. Recruitment-led content. I call it junk food content and here’s why. So youre out on a Friday night, youve had a few too many drinks and then you get the munchies and you buy yourself a big fat greasy kebab. But if you did that every single day you would not be able to sustain yourself. Youd probably get quite fat and spotty and eventually you would have a problem. I look at junk food content as being the same thing. You can have it every now and again but if you do it too often its not going to make you look good. I prefer going back to the automotive example. I go to a blog that an automotive recruitment company runs thats about me. Im an automotive candidate, these are the challenges that I face, this is what makes me laugh, these are the TV programmes Im likely to watch, these are the things that stress me out, these are things that Id love if they were fixed within 2017 within my industry. These are the top things that have happened in my industry in the last 20 years. This is another candidate just like me thats got into the industry and these are the typical kinds of questions maybe that youre asking me right now. As recruiters, we seem to think its all about us, and that is the biggest pitfall. And Im not convinced that youre going to get a date from your ideal hot date by talking about yourself all day long and I call that junk food because its not self-sustaining. Whats the next big thing in the recruitment marketing space? I think for me, and its not the next big thing per se but I think the next big thing that recruiters need to start doing is getting recruiters more in contact with content. The one thing I think we need to start doing just generally is asking recruiters to blog. Because when I speak to recruitment leaders and they say to me, Yeah, Ive got a blog. And I read it and I go, Yeah, its pants. How long did that take? Oh, it takes a recruiter about three or four hours to write a blog every month. And Im like, How much money could they have made in that time? Seriously, I dont want to be on your side. Can we pull them out of this? Can they please let us know what they want to write about and well get some copywriters in and/or your marketeers should be able to string a sentence together and/or why the hell is it taking three to four hours? Would it take that much time for a recruitment consultant to get that content across verbally to a client? Lets hope not. So Im a big fan of getting recruiters back at their desks, understanding how to market using the phone, understanding how to come up with soundbites really, really quickly and also for marketeers to get really thematic with their content. Lets imagine our next big theme is contract. So how can we work with contract recruiters, to be more effective? Are we going to have a podcast, an infographic, a blog, a video? Making sure weve got content around all of those different platforms and that for me is a big thing for 2017, if that helps at all. So I think often the end doesnt justify the means with me. The goal is never to create content, the goal is to make money, sorry. The goal is to place a candidate within a business and solve a problem. And the content is a tactic, not a strategy and definitely not a goal. So to me, I think recruiters need to create content but it could be a two-minute conversation with a marketeer to inspire that content as opposed to a three hour bleeding over y our keyboard, lack of ROI-led content strategy. And its more, Oh, its part of my KPI so Ive got to do it and youd be surprised how many recruitment consultants think theyve got it nailed but dont ask the question, Whats in it for me? I think thats a real shame and thats what I think needs to change. If they can do it quick and they make the money from it then absolutely we need to bottle that, thats brilliant. Follow Lisa on Twitter @LisaMariJones, read her articles on this site and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast.

Writing in Third Person on Resume? - Why You Should Not

Writing in Third Person on Resume? - Why You Should NotYou may have heard that you should not write in third person on a resume. Some people have this idea ingrained into their minds, but it really is not as important as you may think.First of all, you should understand that what is important to your potential employer is how you speak, not what you write in third person. This is why you should keep your writing simple and direct - this will show them that you are easy to work with and professional. If you are easy to work with and professional, they are more likely to hire you.The best way to use a third person voice is to actually speak from the point of view of another person. Imagine yourself in the shoes of a target group member. You see things from their perspective and you can relate and validate their experiences. They will read this information on your resume and you will gain valuable points for being a good listener.When you write from the person's perspective, you can get away with writing a little bit of information about the target group. For example, 'Ms. Smith is very friendly and helpful.' This is more information than you would need in a traditional resume, so the reader will not be turned off by the overall length of your write-up. They will still like the fact that you took the time to address them in their own voice, which helps you maintain a relationship with the reader.This is why you should be prepared before you start writing the resume. You can go back and make sure you have answered all of the questions about the target group, so that you will feel confident about the resume.Once you are finished with the resume, take a minute to re-read it. You may have even found a few questions you didnot expect to ask, and these are great reasons to cover those too.These tips will help you get the most out of your writing time, and you will find that you end up getting more done during the day. Instead of wasting time writing that email or manusc ript that is going nowhere, you will spend your time writing something that can be valuable to your prospective employer.If you write in third person, you can change your resume to a second person. It is a good practice to always go back and revising your resume to be a second person.

Five Important Tips For Shopping Online

Five Important Tips For Shopping Online Online shopping is dangerous territory. With all the best of fashion in one place, it is not difficult to lose time and money without moving away from your chair. However, for many women who are busy and dealing with a full plate, it can be quite a lifesaver. After all, even when the time to make shopping trips is hard to come by, a little bit of retail therapy can ease the stress off of  any career girl. While its convenience cant be denied, there are also some disadvantages. The perils  of online shopping stretches beyond overspending and getting lost in clicking from page to page. A girl also needs to be wary of security issues, delayed or lost shipments, or even something as simple as bad quality and ill-fitting clothes. Trust me I have had the same problems too many times. Since the product cant be tried on personally, buyers remorse is a common problem among online shoppers. Here are five tips for a hassle-free online shopping spree! 1)     Have a Measuring Tape Ready Shop with actual measurements. Knowing whether you are a S, M, or L is not enough. Most manufacturers have different size standards for their clothing, but will be able to provide a sizing chart to base your purchase on. Get a tape measure and write down the following: chest/bust, waist, hips, arm length and inseam. There is no universal sizing guide for clothing, and may vary based on designer or country. This guarantees you the most accurate buy. This is what I do when I am shopping online for clothes on DHgate.com.  This also helps with accessories. The site should be able to say how long a necklace chain is or how big the pendant, bracelet, or an earring will be. This way you have a rough idea of how it looks in person. 2)         Manage Your Visual Expectations The biggest problem with shopping online is not being able to hold the item and inspect it yourself. If you’re the type to be meticulous about a certain kind of seam or hemming, or if you’re looking for a particular shade of chartreuse, get off your butt and hunt for it in person! Computer monitors can show a picture of the item which slightly varies from the  actual color of the product, and basic editing can easily take out slight imperfections in an item. For most online shoppers, sending back an item for a slight miss in expectations is not worth the hassle. If you’re buying an item online, don’t expect it to be 100% identical to the pictures, so that if it comes pretty close, you can be happier. 3)     Shipping, Return, and Exchange Policies The last item being said, check for return and exchange policies.  Most reliable online shops  will specify a time frame for returning the item. Understand under which circumstances you can get a refund. Also be clear on the process of shipments. Make sure you get a tracking number and that the seller has a reliable shipping company. It may cost a bit extra in some shops, but if they charge for shipping with a reliable company, it is best to go with that option. If you cant find it, look for the terms and conditions (TC) link at the bottom of the page, or call customer assistance. You can find better security in your purchase if you know what the terms of your items are. Concerning shipping agents one must look for online sellers that consider reliable logistics service providers such as Fedex, TCS, Leopard, Yarui, etc. It allows you to relax knowing that you product is in safe hands. 4)    Safety First! Digital currency exchange is the biggest source of apprehension towards online shopping. If you understand what a secure site is, you are most likely to feel more confident in purchasing items online. Only input your card details in renowned payment portals, and stick to familiar sites.  Make sure that the webpage where you are putting your information in starts with HTTPS instead of just HTTP. Look for an icon of a locked padlock in the address bar or the bottom of the browser. These are indicators of a website with a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption, which is the minimum security requirement for a place asking for your information.   5)    Be a Smart Shopper Join shoppers circles and forums online or look for a buyers protection stamp  so you can get testimonies on the best sellers. Dont just trust comments and reviews in the website itself. If you have your favorite online shops, subscribe to their newsletters  so you are notified of the best deals and discounts.    Also, keep a record of  your purchases! When buying stuff is as easy as clicking a red button that says buy now, trust me, it is hard not to go overboard, so be practical and smart!

4 steps to Writing a Brand-Building Book in 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

4 steps to Writing a Brand-Building Book in 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Theres more to writing a brand-building book than just writing! There are 4 steps involved in a successful publishing project, one that builds your personal brand and enhances your expert status within your target market. Many authors concentrate entirely upon   writing and, unfortunately, suffer the consequences. Heres a brief overview of whats involved at each step of a balanced approach that views writing as just one of the requirements for success: Step 1: Planning Just writing a book isnt enough; you have to write the right book! Spending a lot of time writing a book that nobody wants to buy is a colossal waste of time and money for all concerrned! Planning helps you write the right book! The more time you spend planning, the better the chances your book will succeed as a personal branding tool and as the driver of your firms success. Some of the questions youll want to explore during the planning phase include: Who do I want to buy the book? In other words, Who do I want to view me as an expert? What are the problems and goals faced by my books intended readers? What keeps them awake at night worrying? How urgent are these problems and goals? What books and resources are already exist in this area? Its important to learn all you can about the authors and books your book will be competing with. By studying the competition, you can learn from their successes and avoid their mistakes. Why will my book be better than existing books? No one wants to spend money on a book that covers ground already covered. You must be able to describe how your book is going to be better and why readers will choose your book over the competition. What are your goals and resources? The way you want to spend your time after your book appears, and the resources you have available to invest in your book, should play a major role in determining the best way to get your book into print. Trade publishing and self-publishing both have their advantages and disadvantages; you have to choose whats best for you. Step 2: Writing Once you have identified your books topic and approach, you can to prepare your book proposal and begin writing your book. The most important step at this point is to create a content plan for your book that will guide you as you identify the key sections and chapters of your book, as well as the topics youre going to cover in each chapter. Writing a book without a content plan is like driving from Boston to Los Angeles country without a map; you may end up hundreds of miles away from your intended destination, and you may end up wasting time, money, and effort going way out of your way. Without a content plan, you might do the writing equivalent of passing through cities like Buffalo, Atlanta, Minneapolis,   Houston, Seattle on your way from Boston to Los Angeles! Step 3: Promote It does no one any good to write a helpful book that no one buys, because those who could benefit from it didnt know the book existed! Authors often say theyre disappointed by their publishers failure to adequately market and promote their book. Expecting your publisher to aggressively market and promote your book is like expecting your physician to exercise for you, or your dentist to floss for you. Marketing and promoting are the authors responsibilities. As many authors say upon the publication of their book, No, the real work begins! Yet, even that statement is open to debate, since authors should have been laying the groundwork for their books marketing and promotion at every step of the way. While planning their book, for example, an author should be identifying and cultivating the support of experts in their field, in hopes the experts will provide pre-publication endorsements and quotes for their books front and back covers. Indeed, many authors simultaneously write and promote their books with blogs. Blogs make it easy for authors to prepare blog posts that, later, will be expanded into first drafts for the various chapters of their book. By sharing their work with their market, as blog posts, authors can gain valuable feedback as well as build their search engine visibility for their book. Step 4: Profiting As many authors have found, to their dismay, the return on their time and investment preparing their book is often limited to the advance they receive from their publishers. Whose fault is this? Although many blame the publishers, its the authors responsibility to know how they are going to profit from their book before they write it. The appropriate approach is to view publisher advances and royalties as found money, andinsteadview their book strictly as a marketing tool for themselves and their business. View your book as a new business endeavor; know in advance how you are going to profit from the visibility and credibility your book-created personal brand will generate for you. In other words, create a business plan for your book! With the help of a qualified book coach, review the dozens of back-end profit opportunities your book can generate, and narrow them down to those that promise the best return on your time investment. Books, business, and you For too long, books have been viewed from a literary or creative, or strictly writing perspective. As a consequence, for too long, authors have been writing books that often have failed to generate a major change in the authors career success. Dont let this happen to you! Before you begin writing a book, view writing as just one of the steps required for a successful book publishing experience; one that builds and promotes your personal brand. As always, success comes to those who prepare. (Success also comes to those who take advantage of opportunities to ask questions in public forums like theseby submitting questions as comments, below.) Make 2010 the year you publish a book to build your personal brand! Author: Roger C. Parker is a “32 Million Dollar Author,” book coach, and online writing resource. His 38 books have sold 1.9 million copies in 35 languages around the world. Roger has interviewed hundreds of successfully branded nonfiction authors and shares what he’s learned at Published Profitable and his daily writing tips blog.

4 steps to Writing a Brand-Building Book in 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

4 steps to Writing a Brand-Building Book in 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Theres more to writing a brand-building book than just writing! There are 4 steps involved in a successful publishing project, one that builds your personal brand and enhances your expert status within your target market. Many authors concentrate entirely upon   writing and, unfortunately, suffer the consequences. Heres a brief overview of whats involved at each step of a balanced approach that views writing as just one of the requirements for success: Step 1: Planning Just writing a book isnt enough; you have to write the right book! Spending a lot of time writing a book that nobody wants to buy is a colossal waste of time and money for all concerrned! Planning helps you write the right book! The more time you spend planning, the better the chances your book will succeed as a personal branding tool and as the driver of your firms success. Some of the questions youll want to explore during the planning phase include: Who do I want to buy the book? In other words, Who do I want to view me as an expert? What are the problems and goals faced by my books intended readers? What keeps them awake at night worrying? How urgent are these problems and goals? What books and resources are already exist in this area? Its important to learn all you can about the authors and books your book will be competing with. By studying the competition, you can learn from their successes and avoid their mistakes. Why will my book be better than existing books? No one wants to spend money on a book that covers ground already covered. You must be able to describe how your book is going to be better and why readers will choose your book over the competition. What are your goals and resources? The way you want to spend your time after your book appears, and the resources you have available to invest in your book, should play a major role in determining the best way to get your book into print. Trade publishing and self-publishing both have their advantages and disadvantages; you have to choose whats best for you. Step 2: Writing Once you have identified your books topic and approach, you can to prepare your book proposal and begin writing your book. The most important step at this point is to create a content plan for your book that will guide you as you identify the key sections and chapters of your book, as well as the topics youre going to cover in each chapter. Writing a book without a content plan is like driving from Boston to Los Angeles country without a map; you may end up hundreds of miles away from your intended destination, and you may end up wasting time, money, and effort going way out of your way. Without a content plan, you might do the writing equivalent of passing through cities like Buffalo, Atlanta, Minneapolis,   Houston, Seattle on your way from Boston to Los Angeles! Step 3: Promote It does no one any good to write a helpful book that no one buys, because those who could benefit from it didnt know the book existed! Authors often say theyre disappointed by their publishers failure to adequately market and promote their book. Expecting your publisher to aggressively market and promote your book is like expecting your physician to exercise for you, or your dentist to floss for you. Marketing and promoting are the authors responsibilities. As many authors say upon the publication of their book, No, the real work begins! Yet, even that statement is open to debate, since authors should have been laying the groundwork for their books marketing and promotion at every step of the way. While planning their book, for example, an author should be identifying and cultivating the support of experts in their field, in hopes the experts will provide pre-publication endorsements and quotes for their books front and back covers. Indeed, many authors simultaneously write and promote their books with blogs. Blogs make it easy for authors to prepare blog posts that, later, will be expanded into first drafts for the various chapters of their book. By sharing their work with their market, as blog posts, authors can gain valuable feedback as well as build their search engine visibility for their book. Step 4: Profiting As many authors have found, to their dismay, the return on their time and investment preparing their book is often limited to the advance they receive from their publishers. Whose fault is this? Although many blame the publishers, its the authors responsibility to know how they are going to profit from their book before they write it. The appropriate approach is to view publisher advances and royalties as found money, andinsteadview their book strictly as a marketing tool for themselves and their business. View your book as a new business endeavor; know in advance how you are going to profit from the visibility and credibility your book-created personal brand will generate for you. In other words, create a business plan for your book! With the help of a qualified book coach, review the dozens of back-end profit opportunities your book can generate, and narrow them down to those that promise the best return on your time investment. Books, business, and you For too long, books have been viewed from a literary or creative, or strictly writing perspective. As a consequence, for too long, authors have been writing books that often have failed to generate a major change in the authors career success. Dont let this happen to you! Before you begin writing a book, view writing as just one of the steps required for a successful book publishing experience; one that builds and promotes your personal brand. As always, success comes to those who prepare. (Success also comes to those who take advantage of opportunities to ask questions in public forums like theseby submitting questions as comments, below.) Make 2010 the year you publish a book to build your personal brand! Author: Roger C. Parker is a “32 Million Dollar Author,” book coach, and online writing resource. His 38 books have sold 1.9 million copies in 35 languages around the world. Roger has interviewed hundreds of successfully branded nonfiction authors and shares what he’s learned at Published Profitable and his daily writing tips blog.

Tips For Writing a Resume Chart

Tips For Writing a Resume ChartMany people think that writing a resume chart is hard, when in fact it's not as hard as many people make it out to be. Here are some tips for you.First, when you are writing a resume chart do not try to follow the formulas that other writers use. Instead, write your own and be unique. You can start out by writing down all of your previous job experiences and cover letters.Also, keep your thoughts positive and the focus on your skills, not the weaknesses that you may have had in the past. Do not list your flaws because this will simply not help you get a job. Instead, list all of your strengths and accomplishments in the appropriate sections of your resume.Next, you should think about what really worked for you in the past and where you could improve on certain areas. For example, if you had bad grammar skills in the past and you think you may need to work on this in the future, list this in the appropriate sections of your resume. You could also use you r bad grammar as an advantage by listing this as one of your achievements that makes you more employable.Your resume is a must and you should look at it each time you apply for a job. If you are applying for a management position, for example, your resume will focus on your skills and experience that will help you succeed and earn the salary you are after.When you first write your resume, make sure that you put the emphasis on those skills and experience that you want and need in your current position. Then, work to list these specific areas of expertise. Make sure that your accomplishments are related to the job you are applying for and are in line with what is being asked for.Another thing to consider is the section that you need to include in your resume. Once you find the section that you need to put in your resume, make sure that it is clearly defined. You should make sure that you fill in all of the right information on your resume and make sure that you focus on what really m atters.Writing a resume chart is not that difficult, and with the help of a template you can easily learn how to do it. You should also know that when you make a mistake or are unsure of something, don't be afraid to contact someone to get the help you need. You do not want to waste time trying to figure out a problem yourself.

These are the worlds most common passwords - Debut

These are the worlds most common passwords - Debut Pals. Brethren. Comrades. The Internet is a wonderful place, but it is often also filled with danger and dastardly villains. You get people climbin in your Windows and snatchin your data up all the time. All the more reason why people should have strong, hard-to-crack passwords, right? Unfortunately, a lot of people havent received the memo. 2016 was the year of the data breach seeing hacks of websites such as Yahoo, LinkedIn and, uh, AdultFriendFinder leak a whopping 10 million passwords to the world. Yikes. Keeper, a password manager and digital vault service, trawled through the passwords and did a ton of data-crunching on the leaks. What they found? Most Internet users are pretty much as clueless as ever when it comes to securing their information. The most common passwords in the world Heres the kicker, guys. The number one most common password,  123456, was used by a whopping 17 per cent of people. 17 per cent! In the words of Keepers researchers: Looking at the list of 2016s most common passwords, we couldnt stop shaking our heads. Rightly so considering that four of the top ten on the list were only six characters or shorter. Keepers research also revealed some notable findings about peoples password behaviour: The list of most common passwords havent really changed. People have been using qwerty  for years, with no sign of stopping. This means that its up to website operators and brave, very patient IT administrators to integrate prompts for users to create strong passwords into their website or apps user experience. Four out of the top ten most common passwords on the list were six characters or shorter. This is  not good brute-force cracking software (imagining a battering ram against your very weak password door) can suss out these passwords lickety-split. People  think theyre being clever by using mixed numbered and lettered passwords like  1q2w3e4r  or  123qwe.  However, seeing as they are sequential in pattern, these passwords are also easily crackable. If you take a close look at numbers 15, 17 and 20, these stand out because they seem fairly random. Therefore less easy to crack, hypothetically. Right? Well, apparently their appearance on the top 20 list indicates that these might be bot-created. This is important, as bots use the same ones over and over again to create fake accounts. Information like this is useful, so IT administrators can flag these bot accounts an delete them. Our top suggestions for keeping your data secure Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. This puts another wall in front of potential hackers or phishers. Use a mix of capital letters, numbers, symbols and upper/lowercase letters. Ensure your password is at least eight characters long. We know this is a pain but try not to use the same password for all of your accounts. If you cant remember all of your passwords, use an online (and secure) password manager to keep track. These top 5 password manager apps for Android are a good shout. In time, most accounts can be compromised. However, using those tips, you can limit the damage caused by malicious attacks on your accounts. Be safe, guys! Download the Debut app and  get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

The Risks and Rewards of Independent Contractor vs. Employee - CareerAlley

The Risks and Rewards of Independent Contractor vs. Employee - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.Joey Trebif

How to make your cover letter unique

How to make your cover letter unique Your cover letter is your first impression with a company, even before an interview occurs. There is some debate among job seekers now about the importance of cover letters, now that email and online applications have replaced postal mail. However you apply for a job, though, a cover letter is still very important, and making yours stand out from your competition is equally important. So how can you make your cover letter unique, without looking desperate for attention? Here are a few guidelines to writing an effective cover letter that presents your personality in a way that sets you apart from the competition. Dont use a template : The most effective way to write a unique cover letter is to avoid templates or form letters. Not only will the reader be aware that youve put some thought into your introduction this way, but it will also open you up to different formats that will allow you to express your thoughts in the most concise manner. Maybe you want a bulleted list of keywords at the top, or you have particular experience in an aspect of the job, and want more time to explain dont pigeonhole yourself into skipping it because it doesnt fit a pre-made template. Make the cover letter appropriate for a quick scan : Sure, you want to tell a potential employer all about why youre the best, but chances are the HR staff doesnt have time to read 50 individual cover letters. Make your letter easy to digest with a quick 5 second eye scan. Include your skill set in an easy to read bulleted list at the top, or format your letter with the main points in bold text. People start skimming when they hit a block of text, so tell their eyes where to go. Make sure they can see all the most important information within 5 seconds of opening your email. Remind them that this is just a highlight of your full resume : The point of the cover letter is to tell the employer at a glance why they ought to bother looking at your resume. So dont forget to remind them that its attached. Include links to your information in a clickable format : You may not have your own website, but you probably (and should) have a LinkedIn profile. Even better, you may have a work appropriate, or industry related blog. Use these to let employers get to know the real you. Let them see that youre an expert in your field by sharing a blog youve created, or an article youve written. Let them get a glimpse of you thats deeper than the resume. This is important though, make any links clickable. They probably wont bother typing in a URL. Make your text catchy, just in case they do read it : If you have interested an employer enough that they read your full cover letter (keep it short, though), then make sure that what you do write is well written. Aside from making sure its grammatically perfect, make it an interesting read, too. Add a bit of humor, or a clear opinion about something. If your cover letter is just rote information, then its no more informative than your resume.