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Preparing Your Search

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As was talked about above, you need a cover letter and resume before you even look for an accounting job. Otherwise, you are fighting a loosing battle. If you are not sure how to create a cover letter or resume, here are some suggestions that may help:

· Cover Letter Tips: Whatever you do, don’t treat your cover letter like second hand crap. The cover letter is what the hiring manager looks at first. This is what will get your resume noticed. In order for your cover letter to be appropriate there are rules you have to follow:

o Always include one with your resume. Even if the hiring manager did not request it, always include one. It is proper business etiquette.

o Get to the Point. The hiring manager is a busy person so don’t waste his or her time. Be concise with what you are trying to say quickly. When writing your cover letter, break up the paragraphs into shorter sentences so the letter is easier to read.

o When sending email do it right. Some companies require you to send a cover letter by email. If they do, don’t condense it. Don’t just send a one-liner that tells the hiring manager to consider your attached resume. Be professional. Write full short paragraphs about yourself in the body of the email and refer to the resume.

o Make it Personal. When you send a letter make sure to send it to a specific person. If you find a blind ad, don’t just send it without a name; do research to find that name.

o Focus on what the employer needs not what you need. If your sentences begin with an “I” or “my”, you won’t win over the employer. Find out what the employer needs and focus on that. Find out what qualities they are seeking in an employee and gear your writing in that direction.

o Originality works best. Employers are tired of seeing the same old cover letter. Show some originality when you do your next one and it might stand out more from the rest.

· Resume Tips: There are various resumes that can be used. However, some are not good to use while others are proper. You may not like already prepared resumes so you may want to create on from scratch. Here are some tips you can follow to help you write an really good resume that can get noticed:

o Keywords – Nowadays recruiters scan job boards using keywords as the tool to find what they are looking for. In order for your resume to appear on top, you had better make sure your resume is keyword rich. The way to do this is by studying a classified ad and see what words are being used. Also, talk to recruiters and find out what keywords are being used in the market. This way you can use words that are appropriate to your resume. And of course you can always check out online resumes and see how they are written.

o Create Strong Titles – The first thing that hiring managers see is the title. When you write the title make it specific to the job or industry you are seeking.

o Creating a career summary – Because hiring managers are busy people you need to write an effective summary. If you aren’t sure how to do it keep in mine these six points: conduct research on what your job will be. Write a list of the common job requirements are and include this in your summary. How about your credentials? If there is one aspect of the job can you make it up with credentials? Make sure you emphasize your credentials and the results you can give the employer.

Salary History – You may not be aware but providing a salary history has its negatives. If you provide a salary history higher than what the employer is willing to spend, you are out of luck. On the other hand, if your salary history is too low, the employer may think you are not that good. The best way to overcome this is by telling him or her that you will discuss salary once the both of you have agreed to talk. If you need to include it, make it work for you and not against you, by including your key accomplishments so the employer can see your true value.

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