The title suggests these job-hunting tips are for Craigslist, but really they’re for any job applications. If you’re writing a cover letter, this article is a must read. 5 Craigslist Job Hunting Tips
Archive for the ‘Cover Letter Tips’ Category
Common Grammatical Errors: Between You and Me
Let’s start with a pop quiz:
Is there a grammatical error in the title of my blog?
If you answered “Yes” and believe that “Between You and I” would be correct, you have a lot of company. However, “Between You and Me” is actually the correct structure.
Why do so many of us say “Between you and I”? My guess is that at some point, maybe around age 8, you may have said to your mother something like, “Jimmy and me are going to the store.” She corrected you: “It’s ‘Jimmy and I’” and something clicked in your head, and you thought that if you’re talking about yourself *and* another person, you should always say “I” instead of “me.”
I’m here to set the record straight.
There are pronouns that belong as the subject of a sentence. They are: I, you, she, he, we, you, they, it.
Then there are pronouns that belong as the object of a sentence. They are: me, you, her, him, us, you, them, it.
The first thing you need to know is not to mix these two groups together! “Him and I” for instance takes one pronoun from the object group and one from the subject group. Mixing and matching is always incorrect no matter where in the sentence the pronouns fall.
“Between you and me” is a little trickier because our language uses “you” as both subject and object. Which group are we in here? Think about it: Would you say “Between us” or “Between we”? Of course you would say “Between us.” Now you know you’re in the object group which includes both “us” and (would you believe it?) “me.”
A nice easy way to determine what pronouns to use, when you want to include two subjects or objects, is to try out the sentence with just one of the subjects or objects and see how it sounds. For example: “I [not me] went to the store.” “He [not him] went to the store. Therefore, “He and I went to the store.” Notice “he” and “I” are in the group with “we.” “We went to the store” is of course also correct.
Another example: “Dave went to the store with him [not he].” “Dave went to the store with me [not I].” Therefore, “Dave went to the store with him and me” is correct.
I realize for some of you that last sentence might sound completely wrong and ungrammatical. Between you and me, I think it’s time to change that perception.
***
There’s a little quiz you can take on this topic at http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/73.html For more on this topic, see http://languagestudy.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_english_pronoun_system
Common Spelling Errors: It’s Time to Get Straight about How to Use It’s and Its
According to the readers of my blog, the distinction between “it’s” and “its” is the top pet peeve and common error out in the writing world. This article attempts to explain the distinction between the two words.
“It’s” is a contraction. Most of us have heard of and are familiar with contractions. Here’s how they work:
If you want to say “Here is” and be less formal about it, squash the words together and substitute an apostrophe for the last vowel (“I”) to create “Here’s.” If you want to say “Do not” less formally, squash the words together and substitute an apostrophe for the last vowel [“o”] to create “Don’t.”
This process of contraction is how we get many words such as: can’t; doesn’t; aren’t; there’s; and (drumroll please)… it’s!
How simple is that? If you want your word to mean “it is” or “it has” then just make a contraction: it’s.
Examples:
It is time for bed. = It’s time for bed.
It is a girl! = It’s a girl!
It has been raining for days. = It’s been raining for days.
These examples seem simple enough. I think where people get flummoxed is when they want a word meaning “belonging to ‘it.’”
Why is this one confusing?
When something belongs to Harry we add an apostrophe after “Harry” and say it’s “Harry’s.” When something belongs to the barber we add an apostrophe and say it’s the “barber’s.” However, when it comes to saying something belongs to “it,” the apostrophic form goes out the window, i.e. we do NOT use an apostrophe. Something belonging to “it” is “its.”
Why is there no apostrophe in “its”?
Note there are other times we do not use an apostrophe to show possession. When something belongs to “her” we say it’s “hers.” When something belongs to “him” we say it’s “his;” when something belongs to “us” we say it’s “ours” and when something belongs to “them” we say it’s “theirs.” There are many irregular constructions here. Yet somehow most people don’t make mistakes when it comes to these other possessive forms. It’s “its” that continues to baffle us.
You might notice something in common about all the examples where apostrophes are not used to show possession: they are all a part of speech we refer to as a pronoun. Pronouns are our shortcuts so that we do not have to keep referring to people and things by their name or other descriptor. They are a referential shortcut. They replace, or substitute for, nouns.
I will write more about pronouns in a future article where I will talk about the use of “I” and “me.” For now you can look at http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/pronouns.html for more information. Some examples of pronouns are he, she, they, you; her, him, us; our, their, and its.
Here’s your rule to remember: When forming a possessive PRONOUN, do NOT use an apostrophe. Since “it” is a pronoun, we do NOT put an apostrophe after it to make it possessive. Just as you would not write “her’s” or “our’s,” do not write “it’s” when you are intending to show possession.
It’s my fervent hope this article has cleared up some common misperceptions and that its contents will be distributed widely by its readers!
If you or someone you know is in need of writing or editing assistance, please contact The Essay Expert .
Common Spelling Mistakes: Lose vs. Loose
Do you know the difference between the words “lose” and “loose”? Do you wonder each time you write one of these words whether you’re spelling it right? Today I will not only give you examples of how to use “lose” and “loose,” but I will also give you a trick to remember forever which spelling is correct.
Lose: This word is a VERB. Some of its most common meanings are to come to be without something, to fail to keep track of something, to have someone die, or to fail to win.
Here is a list of some things you can lose: keys; money; a job; 25 pounds; loved ones; a game of pool, your virginity, or your mind.
Before you get lost in thought about all the things you might lose, let’s move on to our next word.
Loose: This word is usually used as an ADJECTIVE. It can mean free, unfettered, unbound, or lacking in restraint; a few of its antonyms (opposites) are firm, bound and tight. It can also be used as a VERB meaning to let go of, let shoot or fly, or set free.
Some things that can be or get loose are: Hair, knots, zoo animals, a sexually promiscuous person, a structure, an interpretation, vegetables in the grocery store, and teeth.
There are many idioms that use the word “loose” such as “let loose,” “break loose,” “cut loose,” “hang loose,” “turn loose,” and “on the loose.” And are any of you “foot loose and fancy free”?
I hope the difference between “lose” and “loose” is clear. Now, how will you remember which is which?
It’s easy. Whenever you find yourself loosely throwing a double letter “o” into the word loose, ask yourself, “Should I *lose* the “o”?” If you want a verb that means “to be without something,” then be without the extra “o”! If you want to say you “failed to win,” have the loser (not the looser) pay up the winner with the extra “o.” And if you think you might lose track of something, lose track of the second “o.”
If on the other hand, if you want your word to mean free, unbound, or anything loosely in that category, be free with your “o”’s! Dare I say, “Use them or lose them?”
If you have questions about this or any other spelling/grammatical issue, ask The Essay Expert.
Times Topics: Prepositions on the Loose
Whether you are writing a cover letter or business letter, press release or academic paper, it is important to place your prepositions carefully. Otherwise you might confuse your readers, or even say something you don’t mean. Times Topics: Prepositions on the Loose
The Art of the Cover Letter – from Lawyerist.com
Read this article in conjunction with my blog post, “What Color is Your Cover Letter?” and you will have many of the keys you need to getting your foot in the door for an interview. This article is geared toward lawyers but contains great advice for all job seekers and cover letter writers. The Art of the Cover Letter – from Lawyerist.com
What Color is Your Cover Letter? Cover Letter Tips from The Essay Expert
What Color is Your Cover Letter?
Most letters that come across my desk, both at the University of Wisconsin Law School and in my business, are some variation of gray. And gray doesn’t stand out. It just blends into the background.
A Little Gray is Okay
I don’t expect a lot from the first paragraph of a cover letter. That’s where you tell them what job you’re applying for, where you found out about it, and something very basic about you and your goals.
I don’t expect a lot from the last paragraph either. That’s where you tell them your resume is attached and that you look forward to discussing your qualifications for the position.
Time for a Paint Job
It’s the middle paragraph or two where color comes into play.
The grayed-out letters I tend to see look something like this:
“I have spent the last ten years gaining experience in X. At job A, I did B, where I gained experience in C. At job D, I did E, and gained experience doing F. At job G, I did H, and learned J. I therefore feel that I would be an asset to your company.”
I hope you agree with me that it’s time for a makeover!
Painting Your Passion
Stop blending into the background! The cover letter is your opportunity to paint yourself in bright, eye-catching colors — as someone who would bring personality and flair to a position, or true problem solving or negotiating skills, or, at the very least, some passion.
How do you do that? Tell a story that shows them who you are.
If I were writing a cover letter, for instance, I might talk about how I won the trust of a contract manager who had been ready to pull a contract from my organization. One of my clients wrote about how he successfully negotiated a conflict at work and obtained payment from a customer who was refusing to pay. Another wrote about his quest for the perfect problem to solve.
These stories will catch an employer’s eye and paint a picture of a real person, with experience and attributes that reach beyond a list of resume bullets.
Take My Advice!
I’d like to share with you the following letter, which I received from a student at the University of Wisconsin:
Thanks for our talk earlier today. I appreciated your straightforward honesty. I felt like a naive kid who was suddenly given a cover letter awakening.
Now, I took your advice withOUT a grain of salt. I took it straight and changed most everything. I am ashamed to call the last documents I sent you “cover letters.” I wouldn’t have wanted to interview me. Sad. In these new cover letters, every sentence gives information that cannot be quite gathered from my resume. I really tried to pour some personality and passion into these and keep the reader’s attention. I can actually be proud of these letters.
This student says it well. Give them new information, NOT a regurgitation of your resume. Pour in some personality (purple?), passion (red?) Throw in some anecdotes (green?) And you too will be able to say you are proud of your cover letters.
You’ll be a lot more likely to get that interview, where you really get to show them who you are.
Want help with your cover letters? Go to The Essay Expert’s Cover Letter Services
A Cover Letter is Not Expendable – from The New York Times
Some job seekers still treat cover letters as throw-aways. In a competitive market, that strategy doesn’t work! Put some effort into your cover letters and get yourself noticed! For assistance from The Essay Expert, go to our Resume and Cover Letter Services page and click on the Cover Letters package. For the NYT article, Click Here.
Cutting Your Writing Down to Size
“I apologize for writing such a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.” – Mark Twain
It’s debatable what the actual quote is and whether it is actually Mark Twain’s, but either way it’s a great statement of the truth. It does indeed take longer — much longer — to write a short letter, blog post, essay, resume, etc. than it does to write a long one.
I have frequently taken two-page resumes and cut them down to one without loss of content. Five-page single-spaced personal statements reduce to 500 words. Remarkable right?
A recent example: Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with Chris Kokalis, social media marketing expert, on his May 18 blog post http://tinyurl.com/oms6tr (a.k.a. http://marketingtips101.blogspot.com/)* We wrote the ?perfect? blog post and then went to post it on LinkedIn. The post was 5,504 characters long — 1,777 characters over the LinkedIn limit!
In 15 minutes, we had cut the blog down to size.
How did we do it? Here are some tips to help you make the grade:
First, look for anything that could be characterized as “window dressing.” That’s the stuff you write around the important points! Find the nugget and stick to it!
Second, are you repeating yourself? Stop! Once is enough. We get it.
Third, stay organized. Often the source of rambling language is simply lack of organization and focus.
Fourth, ask yourself about each and every sentence: How many words can I remove from this sentence and retain its meaning? Go ahead… remove those extra words! You can do it! (Yes, there are extra words in that last sentence. Can you find them?)
Fifth, if you’re really in a bind, remove or reduce the space between bullet points or paragraphs. Only take this drastic measure as a last resort. White space is a prized commodity, especially in a blog or resume!
And my last tip: If you remove something and your message no longer transmits, put it back in! There?s always somewhere else you can cut out.
The process takes time, but it’s worth it. Your newly trimmed writing will be snappy, punchy and geared to today’s short attention spans! If you are reading this sentence, I’ve followed my own advice.
Brenda Bernstein, www.TheEssayExpert.com
*Thankfully, it’s easier to shorten the name of a link than to shorten a piece of writing! Just go to http://www.tiny.cc/
