OAKVILLE BEAVER, Wednesday, February 22, 2006 47 Y o u r G u id e to Em ploym ent and T rain in g O pportunities wmmmrnm G reat C o ve r Sharon Graham, CPRW Principal Consultant, Graham Management Group Executive Director; Career Professionals of Canada A cover letter is an introduction, a sales pitch and a proposal for further action all in one* Your cover letter demonstrates to your prospective employer, that you can organize your thoughts, arid express yourself clearly and appropriately. Tt reveals clues to your personality and your level of professionalism. A well-writ ten cover letter persuades the reader to pay special attention to your resume. Here are some rules of cover letter writing: 1. Personalize your cover letter whenever possible. Your cover letter should be addressed to a specific person whenever that 'information is available. `To whom it may concern" form letters are likely to indicate that the writer is indiscrimi nately sending their resume to everyone. 2. Customize your cover letter to suit the industry, company, and position that you are applying for. Make sure to tell the reader that you are interested in this specific position and explain why. Highlight the aspect s of your background that will be most relevant to the company. 3. Convey focused career goals. Even if you would be willing to take any job they would offer you, don't say so. 4. Be original. Give your prospective employer a taste of what is to come, not by simply summarizing the resume. Make sure that you back up your claims with unique examples. 5. Do not say anything negative about your employment situation or your life in general. This is not the place to explain why you left or are leaving an employer. Negatives are best delivered in person so that your personality and humanity can counter them. 6. Cut to the chase. A cover letter is not an autobiography. It should be short and sweet, brief and to the point. U should demonstrate that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in the job description and that you are interested in the position. Any superfluous information will limit the chances of having all your 7. Your cover letter should be easy to scan, ft should have a logical progres sion. Bunched up text and long paragraphs frustrate recruiters, who have to review many cover letters and resumes on an ongoing basis. 8. Talk more about what you can do for the prospective employer than about what they can do for you. Most employers hire people because they need to accomplish a task. Your cover letter should be centered on their needs, not your wants. Keep "I" and "me" to a minimum. 9. Avoid providing a salary history. This kind of information is more likely to cost you a job than not. If the job ad says that resumes without a salary history will not be considered, give a historical salary range and state that your salary requirements are flexible. 10. Check and recheck your co\jer letter for typos and other errors. Make sure to get other people's opinions of your letter before you send it. Keep copies of your cover letters easily accessible. Log how and when your let ters were sent so that you can follow up on them and retrieve them when your prospective employer calls. It goes without saying that you must have an outstanding cover letter. If you need assistance in developing a stellar cover letter, take advantage of the servic es of a Certified Professional Resumd Writer. By paying meticulous attention to your letter, you will stand out and make a strong first impression, which will ultimately lead to a job offer! Sharon Graham is Principal Consultant at Graham Management Group (www.GrahamManagement.com) and Executive Director of the Career Professionals of Canada. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer and F & I M ANAGER A r a r e o p p o r tu n ity to j o i n th e p r o g r e s s iv e te a m a t B u d d s ' S a tu r n S a a b Expansion has created the need for a dynamic, forward thinking, organized and detail oriented individual to head up the Business office. The ideal candidate has experience with Reynolds and Microsoft Office and the ability to work well with salespeople. He or she has a track record of successful product sales and high customer satisfaction. Please forward resumes to: sales @buddssaab.ca P58! Dudds D U E TO S T E A D Y G RO W TH W E R EQ U IR E: -3 1 0T T R U C KT E C H N IC IA N S ·4 T HY E A RA P P R E N T IC E S ·E X P .T R U C KP A R T SC O U N T E RS T A F F ·E X P .P R E PA N DP A I N TS T A F F W E O FFER: ·B E N E F IT P A C K A G E ·I NH O U S ET R A IN IN GS C H O O L ·4 L O C A T IO N SI NO N T A R IO ·P R O F IT S H A R IN GP A C K A G E · A D V A N C E M E N TO P P O R T U N IT IE S P L E A S E A P P L Y B Y F A X , E M A IL O R IN P E R S O N 8 0 5 0 L A W S O N R O A D , M ILT O N F A X : 9 0 5 -8 7 6 -1 7 1 9 c a r e e r s @ e x p r e s s w a y v o lv o .c o m TRANSPORTATION G R OUP LTD. The Sylvite Transportation Group , based in Burlington, Ontario - offers a fu ll transportation solution - the next generation o f Full Solution 3PL M anagement. We inte grate our entire resources into one seamless service p la t fo rm fo r both Canadian and International freight. We are experiencing growth in a number of our divisions - steel operations, dry van - Canada and U.S. loads, refrig erated division, logistics/brokerage, and cartage for L T L . EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: · Company Drivers · Owner/Operators · Dispatchers · Sales Agents · Customer Service Reps · Industry-Experienced Invoicing Clerks Sylvite Transportation Group Ltd. 4041 North Service Road Burlington, Ontario L 7 L 4 X 6 Email: hr@sylvite.ca Fax: 905-315-2084 contact Sharon directly at (905) 878-8768, toll free at (866) 622-1464 or by email; info@GrahamManagement.com. Th e C o m m u n ity C a re Access C e n tre (CCAC) o f H a lt o n W h it e h a l l HOMES & CONSTRUCTION LTD. A llo w u s to in tr o d u c e o u r s e lv e s ... We are an award winning custom home builder and renovator with offices in Oakville and Toronto. Client satisfaction, superior craftsmanship and proven are our strengths in the residential home building industry. We bring to the table challenging opportunities, a great work environment and the oppor tunity to be a part of the success of a great team. provides quality servicesfo r home care, referrals to nursing homes, and health information to Halton residents. Currently, we require a number o f skilled, motivated, and client oriented individuals to join our team! A d d a splash o f colour to y o u r Career I O u r te a m m e m b e rs th riv e in a busy service a tm o s p h e re a n d are s k ille d at sh a rin g th e ir lo ve o f g a rd e n in g w ith o u r custo m e rs. W e n e e d e n e rg e tic a n d a m b itio u s p e o p le ,to b e c o m e in te g ra l m e m b e rs o f o u r g ro w in g team ... Case Managers · full-time & part-time You w ill w ork and follow-up with clients to determine eligibility, assess needs, and arrange service delivery. You must be licensed to w ork in Ontario as a regulated health professional. You have a BSc in a health related discipline along w ith 1-3 years o f community experience o r the equivalent in education and experience. Keyboarding skills are required and computer abilities would be an asset. O p p o rtu n ity . .. We are looking for a team-building, charismatic Project Manager to lead the Oakville Operations Team. This position reports directly to the President. The Project Manager is responsible for the management of all Oakville building projects including procurement of trades, management of job sites and client interaction. Working closely with all Operations staff to ensure cost control and quality bench marks are met. Facilitating the information flow between all parties through clear communication with clients, architects, designers and internal staff is key. W h a t y o u b rin g to a s .... Experience with allaspects of Project Management including budget analysis, scheduling, team development and strong communication ability complete the necessary skill sets required. Must be able to manage tasks and deliverables while balancing multiple projects and using time strategically. Ability to develop the people side: teamwork, communications and collaboration in support of task accomplishment is critical. The successful candidate will also have extensive technical knowledge in residential high end custom construction. Please apply in writing to: Human Resources, CC A C of Halton 440 Elizabeth Street, 4th Floor Burlington, ON L7R2M1 Fax: (905) 639-5320 e-mail: hr@halton.ccac-ont.Qi We think all applicants; however, only those under consideration uHUbe contacted. CCAC HALTON L e t us k n o w h o w y o u ca n b e n e fit b u r te a m ! Email only to: re s u m e in MS W ORD fo rm a t to: P le a s e send H R @ T e rra G re e n h o u se s.c o m o r m a il to : H u m a n R e so u rce s , Terra G r e e n h o u s e s H e a d O ffic e , #8 F ifth C o n c e s s io n E a st, RR#1, W a te rd o w n , O N LOR 2H1 F a x :9 0 5 - 6 8 9 - 1 7 7 0 Applicants MUST specify the position for which they are applying. gabrielle@whitehallhomes.ca w w w .h a fto n .c c a c -o n t.c a w w w .terragreenhouses.co