Cliché cover letter lines to avoid when applying for jobs

Cliché cover letter lines to avoid when applying for jobs Alright, time to hold my hands up: I’m guilty. Guilty of once googling best media cover letter examples, and rearranging the words and details before sending it off to a prospective employer, hoping that I would emulate the success of this anonymous case study on a random recruitment site. Did that application get a response? Did it heck. Nobody enjoys writing a cover letter (well if you do, perhaps you should consider a new hobby), but its necessary that they are of a high standard. This is your chance to demonstrate why you are unique and tailor-made for a job and using generic lines that every student and their dog uses will NOT make you stand out. Instead, you should rack your brain for alternatives that are original. To get you started, here’s some examples of the buzz phrases in cover letters, and how to swerve them. Big time. “I’m applying for [insert company/role here]” Whatever you do, don’t do the machine gun CV approach. In other words, your cover letter should be completely different for each role. Don’t just copy and paste the name of the company, and whack over your generic cover letter that you’ve used for 60 other potential roles. What makes this role different to all the rest? An employer will be able to tell if you’ve thoroughly read the description. Mention things that the company or team have worked on that stood out to you to show them that you’ve researched! “I’m think this is a great opportunity.” Oh really? As opposed to just applying because you had nothing else better to do? Employers already know that they are offering an exciting opportunity. Obvious phrases like this just take up unnecessary space that you could use much more wisely. Instead, detail why this role is intriguing to you. Summarise your career journey up to now, leading into why this prospective job is the ideal stepping stone for you personally. “I’m great at XYZ.” Context people, it’s all about context. Don’t just say you’re fantastic at time management, or that you’re super-organised. These sort of statements don’t mean jack without something to back it up. Instead, perhaps discuss how you managed to balance your studies and extra-curricular work in university, and this is what proves your experience with time management. Even better, if you have professional experience, use that. Present the employer with facts, not wishy-washy claims. “Outside-of-the-box” (or any other buzzwords/phrases) Business jargon has a bad rep for a reason. If you use words and phrases such as this because you think an employer will be impressed, then let me be frank: they won’t be. Instead they’ll most likely be melting into a big pool of cringe, as they hear phrases like this in every weekly meeting. Get creative with your language and show your own nuanced tone and style. There’s many ways to avoid phrases like the above, such as replacing it with words like “innovative”. And again as demonstrated before, give context for when you’ve lived up to adjectives such as these. just please, whatever you do, don’t use “groundbreaking”. Ugh. “My skills include this, that, that other thing, that other other thing…” Your CV is the place to detail your lists of skills. You’ll most likely even have a dedicated section on it. DON’T just rehash what you have in there on your cover letter. It’s fine to mention key skills that are crucial to the role, but don’t waste space by listing every PC skill you have in your arsenal. Hone in on a few and give examples of when you’ve used them well. Ergo, if you used email marketing to send out a campaign, detail the system and mention the most popular edition that you ever sent out.   The main takeaways from each point here are that you should put in time and effort to your cover letter. Research the company beyond the job advert, show you have the skills to dig deeper and go above and beyond before you’ve even reached the interview stage. And whatever you do, avoid lines like the ones mentioned above! Stick to that, and your cover letter will be stellar, I guarantee.   Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

How to Create Lucky Breaks to Advance Your Career

How to Create Lucky Breaks to Advance Your Career FREE Bonus Guide 8 Ways to Get Lucky Breaks to Advance Your Career Get the FREE Guide Have you ever wondered how some people got so lucky? Have you ever asked yourself, “How come they got that exciting opportunity?”, or “What did they do to get that promotion?”, or “Why them and not me?” Well, more likely than not, it’s because they took advantage of pivotal moments. Pivotal moments are opportunities for key people to see you in action. They’re times when what you do or don’t do, what you say or don’t say, can make a fundamental difference to your career trajectory. Looking back on your career so far, what turning points do you see? What were the moments when your actions or decisions changed the path you were on? Pivotal Moments Are All Around You It’s easy to miss Pivotal Moments without even knowing. Like letting a whole day go by without connecting with someone you’ve lost touch with because you simply didn’t even think of it as an option. Was there something you could have helped them with or a relationship you could have strengthened? Or ignoring the anonymous colleague you bump into regularly at the coffee machine to rush back to your desk. Could they be the connection to your next sponsor? Or not showing up at the event you paid to attend because you have so much work to do. Might you have landed a new client or opportunity? Pivotal Moments are often easier to see in hindsight. That’s one of the reasons we agonize about the things we should have done or shouldn’t have said when it’s too late. The reality is there are potential Pivotal Moments all around you every day. You just have to venture forth and capture them. Any of them could lead to your “lucky breaks” â€" the ones that help you advance in your career farther, faster and potentially in a different direction that you never knew existed. As the saying goes, “better lucky than smart”, so those lucky breaks are to be treasured. Pivotal Moments in My Career These are some examples of Pivotal Moments in my own career: Saying no to an opportunity to work in the highest-paid, most prestigious group in our division at the time (derivatives structuring) in order to take on a less impressive role, but one that suited my strengths much better (covering clients). This allowed me to shine, which led to… Taking the opportunity to transfer to London to start a new client coverage business for my employer, even though this meant uprooting my husband and our three young daughters from a very happy life in New York. We loved London so much that we still live here and I ultimately became European COO for the company. Saying yes to participating on a panel even though it would be a three-hour drive round trip and staying in a makeshift dorm room overnight. This turned out to be an opportunity to work for the President of the most innovative university in the US. Being the first in the audience to raise my hand and ask the question after a keynote speech, even though I was really nervous. This led to the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with the CEO of one of the top 10 corporations in the world. (The CEO was the speaker.) Each of these actions and decisions led to outcomes I hadn’t expected or planned for when I took them. In fact, they had a much bigger impact on my life and career than the seemingly ordinary things that I did to set them in motion. FREE Bonus Guide 8 Ways to Get Lucky Breaks to Advance Your Career Get the FREE Guide How to Create Your Own “Lucky Breaks” The good news is you don’t have to wait for “lucky breaks” to come around. You can start creating them yourself by capturing more of those Pivotal Moments. Here are three ways to start creating Pivotal Moments and “lucky breaks” in your career. Show up at different places No one gets the opportunity of a lifetime sitting at their desk all day long. And as a friend of mine likes to say, “motivation follows action, not the other way around”. So get into action! Show up at different places than your norm… even if you don’t feel like it. If you spend 12 hours a day unhappily grinding away at a list of tasks that just keeps getting longer, challenge yourself to step back and look for a better way to approach what you’re doing. And as you do that, make sure you’re freeing up time and mind space for showing up in new circles and new situations. Showing up is the first step to creating lucky breaks. Showing up is the first step to creating lucky breaks. Where are you showing up now and where do you want to show up going forward? How do you want to change things up? Come from a place of wonder and curiosity When you show up, you want to do it as your best self. Coming from a place of wonder and curiosity makes it easier to show up as the most delightful version of you because it’s about being other-focused, not self-focused. Instead of falling into the rut of being preoccupied with your own challenges and aspirations, you’ll be that refreshing person who’s more interested in the person you’re talking to. That will set you apart and make you instantly amazing to others! A great way to do this is to ask questions, especially open-ended ones. Then, listen to their answers as though they are the most important person in the world at that moment. Resist the urge to judge and instead appreciate what’s special about them. If you’re unhappy at work or in life, coming from a place of wonder and curiosity is essential. I find that lucky breaks are far more likely to occur when you’re fully in the moment and appreciating others around you. Being interested in the world around you brings out your positive energy, so don’t let your worries or dissatisfaction determine the vibe you give off. Lucky breaks occur when you’re fully in the moment and appreciating others around you. Being interested in the world around you brings out your positive energy. Be open to good luck Being open doesn’t mean going around seeking or expecting lucky breaks. It’s more about allowing lucky breaks into your life and seeing the opportunity rather than the challenge. As a serial entrepreneur I know says to himself every morning, “today could be the day I meet the person who will fund my new venture.” This is his way of remaining open and optimistic. In your case, it could be “today could be the day I meet the person who will become my best client, be my sponsor, or help my daughter get a new job”. Lucky breaks don’t always come with a name tag or flashing neon sign. Sometimes, you have to follow up a few steps before it becomes apparent. And it could be a multi-step process. The connection you make could be the connection that leads to the connection, or the stepping stone that leads to advancing your career and landing your dream job. When you learn to recognize a potential Pivotal Moment, you’ll be far more likely to be able to seize it. And that makes it easier to create those moments by putting yourself in a position to have more lucky breaks. The key is to be open and stay open to what emerges. Lucky breaks don’t always come with a name tag or flashing neon sign. The key is to be open and stay open to what emerges. By the way, that London transfer was a lucky break that I almost missed out on. When my boss’s boss asked me if I wanted the new role, I said no. After all, my husband had a job and our third child wasn’t even a year old. I only reconsidered it when I told my husband that I’d turned the offer down and he asked, “Why don’t you go back and at least find out what it is before we decide?” In the end, it turned out to be a great move for the entire family (our children are now global citizens) as well as for my career (I ended up becoming COO for the firm’s European business). And we still live here 20 years later. Start Creating Your Own “Lucky Breaks” Whether you’re having an amazing career, feeling stuck or something in between, Pivotal Moments are key to maintaining and gaining momentum. The good news is they’re all around you. Once you start noticing, you’ll be able to take advantage of them and even create those lucky breaks to advance your career. So be on the lookout for those Pivotal Moments when what you do or don’t do, and what you say or don’t say, can make a fundamental difference to your career path. Then, seize them and create more to maintain and gain the momentum you need in your career. Which of these steps would most help you create more lucky breaks to advance your career? Leave a comment and let me know. FREE Bonus Guide 8 Ways to Get Lucky Breaks to Advance Your Career Get the FREE Guide

What is Mac Resume Writing Software?

What is Mac Resume Writing Software?Mac resume writing software is a wonderful tool to have. It can be used in creating and editing a resume for you, while saving you a lot of time and effort in the process.We all know what it is like to be in the position of having to back and shoulder problems. You can not just deal with it right now, you need a medical procedure in order to repair the damage that you have caused. Of course you do not want to see a doctor in order to get the problem fixed. Instead, you want to avoid surgery and have your problem looked at.However, most people do not want to take that chance, because they are afraid of what will happen. Well, the answer is simple, you do not need surgery to get the back or shoulders back into shape. In fact, it is as simple as taking some pain medication for a few days. This way, you will be able to feel better and be less likely to have pain issues that might prevent you from doing anything. This is also a great way to get rid of a ny swelling or discomfort that you may have around your back or shoulders.Back and shoulder pain can be very difficult to live with and overcome. In fact, if it were not for the great job opportunities available in this country, I would probably not be doing as well as I am today. However, even with this wonderful opportunity, many people still suffer from back and shoulder pain and discomfort.The same can be said for the other side of the resume. A great idea is to make sure that you do not forget to address all of the things that are important to you. This includes the business that you run, your previous employment and other skills you might have. Of course, your past employment is important, but it does not have to be all that important, especially if you are looking for a career change.Another thing that is often left out of a resume is the educational background that you have received, including the school you attended, where you worked, and any honors or awards that you may h ave received during your prior employment. While it is not usually considered in a resume, it is a good idea to include the things that might help you get a better job, such as a certification in your area of interest, or a relevant skill set.Time management is another great way to save time. If you have taken some time off from work recently, then now is the time to start filling out your application and getting the ball rolling. If you still have time left, you can take some classes to get yourself back into shape.The bottom line is that Mac resume writing software is a must for anyone who is seeking a career change. If you were in need of a job and do not have an employer that you know of, then you need to start using Mac resume writing software to get you the job you deserve.