Resume Cover Letters

Since I am 21 years of age, fresh out of college, with businesses that I can run from anywhere, anytime, this is just about the only time in my life when I will have the ability and flexibility to move out to a mountain resort and work.  A friend of mine and I were talking about this when she told me about this amazing College Program that Vail Resorts has to offer.  I checked it out and found it to be so enticing that I couldn’t afford to pass up the opportunity to apply for the potential to gain experience working at a world-class ski resort like Vail.

Clearly being interested in their College Program, I applied. Knowing there are probably tons of people that apply to this program, I didn’t want my application to be generic. It also helps that I am the type of person that always strives to stand out, and to me, a cover letter is a great way to do so.

Now that we have established why we are talking about cover letters, lets briefly define what a resume cover letter is for all intents and purposes.  A resume cover letter is a pretty self-explanatory thing, so to spare you the misery, we’ll say it is simply a one page attachment to your resume.  In a nutshell, this document serves the purpose of expressing your interest in the position and introduces you and your qualifications to your potential employer.

The reason I like cover letters is because they allow you to manage your potential employer’s first impression of you as a job candidate and act as yet another way for you to distinguish yourself.  This is the reason why resume cover letters are so important. Especially with the current state of the job market, the need to for you to distinguish yourself to potential employers is more paramount then ever.  Besides, if you don’t use one, people like me will…so be mindful of that!

Since your resume cover letter is invariably the first thing that potential employers will look at, here are some questions you should ask yourself when crafting yours:

• What do you want them to know about you at first glance?
• What would you like to highlight about yourself? 
• Do you possess any specific qualities or skills that the job you are applying for demands?  *Be sure to read the job qualifications and have them handy as you design yours
• What makes you different then most?

Obviously, a resume cover letter is called a cover letter for a reason.  Here are some things you can include in the letter:

·     State which position you are applying for

·     Show why you are a strong candidate for the position

·     Explain how your skills and education relate to the job

·     Highlight some accomplishments

·     Thank the person for considering your resume

As promised, GREAT resources on resume cover letters:

Cover letters: types and samples

Click here for a great, FREE resource on Resume Cover Letter Tips.

Great article on the importance of resume cover letters from the Chronicle of Higher Education called What You Don't Know About Cover Letters

My intention is to motivate you to create a resume cover letter of your own and help you along the process.  What you find here and on around are guidelines and “best tips” that you should learn and customize to your style.  I tend to “Jeff-a-size” things a little more than most.  You will find a copy of my resume cover letter I made for Vail below to see what I mean.

It is also ok to be bold.  Some people feel more comfortable being bolder than others.  I have always liked to be different and so I add in the logo of the company that I am applying to in the cover letter.  For the resume cover letter I wrote for Vail, I was bolder than most writing, “I’m just the guy you’re looking for.”  It suits my personality though, as I like to have fun with everything I do.

Remember; use a resume cover page to distinguish yourself and highlight why you are a good fit for the position! And also remember to follow up!  Tune into to Success Advice Podcast # 1 on follow up for some great follow up tips and also check out tips for Successful Interviewing.  Good luck with your application process and job hunt!

Tune into Success Advice Podcast # 6 on Resume Cover Letters for an extra tip!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

P.S. - I start at Vail Resorts next Monday, November 2nd if you were wondering!

           

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 20 - The Value of YOUR Personal Mission Statement

A mission statement is defined as a clear and concise written statement defining the purpose of an organization, what it is, and what it stands for.  It is a powerful statement that guides all of the operational decisions, goals, objectives and strategies that an organization partakes in.

The reason a mission statement is so powerful is because it acts as the guideline to constantly remind employees and executives within an organization what its purpose is and what they stand for to ensure that their everyday actions, behaviors, and decisions are consistent with its purpose (and mission statement).

Likewise, a Personal Mission Statement is a clear and concise written statement that defines YOUR individual purpose, who you are, and what you stand for.  This is a powerful statement that should guide all of the decisions you make, the goals and objectives you set, and the strategies you put in place.

Having a written Personal Mission Statement helps to ensure that your daily actions, behaviors, and decisions are consistent with YOUR individual purpose, who you are, and what you stand for.

Writing one is not enough, however, you MUST believe every word of it.  If you do commit to writing one, here are some steps to help establish a powerful Personal Mission Statement:

• Find a quiet time to brainstorm about YOUR individual purpose, who you are, and what you stand for (keep in mind this can be about today and your future!)
• Reflect on who you are/who you want to be in all areas of your life - personal, business, relationship, family, etc.
• Identify your values
• Start stringing them all together into a short Personal Mission Statement that is clear and concise 
• *The key* Make sure that you believe every word you write!!! 
• After you are finished writing it, read through it and if you feel confident about it, sign and date the bottom as a seal of your personal approval (feel free to update it as needed)

Now you have YOUR very own Personal Mission Statement!  Remember, this document will govern the daily decisions you make, the goals you set, and your behaviors and action.  The true test to its accuracy is to see how tightly you can stick to it...if you don't deviate from it - that means it truly defines you!

You now are armed with YOUR Personal Mission Statement to guide you on your mission to achieving your ultimate dreams, goals, and aspirations!  Be proud of it!  After all, it is who you are and what you stand for!

The reason I took the time to write about this is because recently, I took the time to empower myself with my very own Personal Mission Statement!  Have a look at mine:

Jeff Greenstein's Personal Mission Statement

My time, energy and resources will be invested daily to reach my goals.  I will continue exercising, keep and refine my healthy diet, and become both toned and fit.  I will be the best, self-disciplined salesperson I can be.  I will be a great friend, boyfriend, fiancee, husband and father.  I will provide for myself and my family.  Nothing will stop or slow me down.  Failure is not an option.  I will learn from my mistakes and from the lessons of others.  I am open to opportunity and help, and will help where I am capable.  I will leave a positive impact on others and the world.

Signed,

Jeff Greenstein 

Written 6/21/09

Updated 8/23/09

I hope mine will help motivate you to write yours!!  Good luck!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 17 - Patience IS a Virtue!

As you may have already noticed, most of my blog posts are inspired by real life events and this one is no different.

Every evening I go to the gym and last night, I happened to go the gym here in Tulsa, OK when they were filming the TV show "The Biggest Loser."

I am not sure if I mentioned this on the blog yet, but I am writing a TV show that I am going to be pitching to several networks in Hollywood, CA in the near future.  The reason I tell you this (or reiterate this) is because I found out that NBC flew out from Hollywood, CA to film this show on this particular night.

Me being the outgoing guy I am, I walked up to one of the network employees, introduced myself to the gentleman named Marcus, and started talking with him.  I mentioned that I am writing a TV show that I plan to pitch out in CA and that NBC was one of the networks I was particularly interested in speaking with.  He pointed out the producer to me, who was busy filming the show, and I told Marcus I'd like an introduction to him, which he said could be done.  I also asked him for one of his business cards, but he pointed to a bag where they were shooting, saying that is where they are.

I finished my workout and waited around for about ten minutes to try and speak with the producer but they continued to film the show.  I asked Marcus how long they would be and he said maybe fifteen minutes or so.  Since I had about fifteen minutes, or so I thought, I went into the locker room to shower and change.

When I walked out of the locker room with determination to meet the producer of the show and exchange business cards, I noticed to my dismay that they had already finished filming, packed up, and left.

The moral of this story is that Patience IS a Virtue!

From now on, whenever there is something I want, or someone I want to meet, I will wait patiently in plain site until it is the opportune moment!  I let this one opportunity slip through the cracks, and I sure won't let it happen again.

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 15 - Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

It is certainly funny how life works.  Just the other night while I was in New Orleans, I made friends with Lloyd, the night manager at the hotel I stayed in.  We ended up talking about our goals in life, leading me to tell him about my blog and the Collegiate Performance Magazine.

I told him that my goal is to become a professional speaker, a business coach and consultant, to publish the book I am writing, and to film the reality TV show I am writing.  Likewise, he told me about his goals.  Lloyd was my first inspiration for writing this blog post since we spoke about what was keeping him from reaching his goals or Achieving HIS Full Potential. 

Life works in miraculous ways.  The second motivation of why it was imperative for me to create this post was revealed to me while driving from New Orleans to Tulsa yesterday as I was listening to podcasts by people I like.  This one in particular by Scott Smith of the Daily Boost called “How to Achieve Your Full Potential,” ironically was exactly about what Lloyd and I had talked about – our own Human Potential.

We all have goals, dreams and aspirations.  In this podcast, Scott speaks on why some are successful in achieving theirs and why others are not.  Those that are not yet successful all have one thing in common – constraints, or things that hold them back.  

To successfully achieve your ultimate goals, dreams and aspirations one must:

1. Recognize what your constraints are
2. Remove your constraints so you can move forward
3. Move forwards to Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

You can achieve anything and everything you set your mind to.  Don’t take it from me; go listen to Scott’s podcast to hear it first hand!  He ends the podcast powerfully by saying - “You have all the potential in the world.  You have some hope that believes you can get there.  You have the faith that it’s within you right?  You have that.  You have the frustration that says you have all this potential. If you can only remove the constraints, your on your way!” 

My constraint was the full-time commitment that my college education demanded of me, which diverted my focus, time, and effort away from growing my business.  On August 8^th, I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Marketing and a concentration in Sales eliminating my constraint. 

I am now moving forwards to Achieving MY Full Potential.  There is nothing holding me back.  I have embarked on my journey with my compass pointing me daily towards Achieving MY Full Potential. 

What is holding you back?

Listen to Scott’s podcast on iTunes called “How to Achieve Your Full Potential!”  Invest in yourself!  Don’t let anything stop you and Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 13 - Success is Paid in Advance

One of my mentors, Dr. Jeff Magee, gave me some wise advice not long ago. He said, "Success is Paid in Advance."

As I make the transition this Saturday from college student to full time business professional, this piece of advice has never resonated more strongly...allow me to share with you why.

I am an ambitious young professional with many goals in sight. My goal is to help others become successful through business coaching, consulting, writing, speaking and more. You may be wondering, "how is a 21 year old recent college graduate going to achieve these grandiose goals?"

It is this very question that inspired me to write this blog post entitled "Success is Paid in Advance."

The answer to that question in my mind is simple. I do not plan on becoming any one of these things overnight. I am aware that success is paid in advance, thus I am prepared for the long journey and hard work ahead of me.

Success is a journey of self-discovery. It is crucial to realize this to prepare yourself to work harder then you ever have before, longer hours then you ever have before, and to pay your dues for the sake of learning and experience.

As we near graduation and eventually graduate, we all experience the same streams of thoughts flowing through our minds. Most of these thoughts surround the question, "what am I going to do now?" This is the moment we have been working towards our entire lives! Many expect to graduate and get a job paying a nice salary...but largely, this is not the case. Don't be discouraged if you are not one of those few! Remember that determination, commitment, consistency, passion, a desire to succeed, positivity and hard work are what breeds success.

The take away from this lesson is this:

On our journey for success, we all need to...

1. Decide what it is that you want to do/become
   
2. Write down the goals and steps you must achieve to get there
3. Commit yourself unreservedly to attaining these goals
4. Prepare for the journey ahead of you...remember "Success is Paid in Advance!"
5. Be willing to work hard and give it your all
6. Stay Positive and HAVE FUN!!!

One of the best ways to stay on top of your goals is to lock onto your target. Once you write down the goals you must achieve to get there, create a daily action plan of actions and do a little every day! Please view my blog post entitled "The Power of Doing A Little Everyday" to see why this works so well!

Questions? Comments? Please blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 12 - Get "It" Done!

As I type this blog post, this topic is one that is painfully relevant.  Since my last post, I have been jotting down ideas for my future posts. There was, however, one missing element.  I never took the time to actually sit down and Get "It" Done.

When I look at the phrase "Get "It" Done," I see two distinct definitions:

Get "It" Done-

1. Taking the necessary action (and time) to see "it" through
2. Doing everything within your power to ensure you accomplish whatever "it" is you need

We all practice definition #1 in our lives as we accomplish our goals and objectives.  It is definition #2 that I strive to achieve in my daily life.  

For this definition to hold true, you must recognize where your individual locus of control falls.  We are all accountable for our own actions.  Likewise, we all have the potential to do everything we dream of.  In order to achieve our dreams and goals, you need to be willing to take your life into your own hands, taking accountability for the things that you really want.

locus of control- One's belief about what causes the good and bad results in their life

• External - The degree to which you associate your fate, fortune, failures (and successes) to external factors as opposed to internal factors.  [Ex. Blaming tardiness on bad traffic (traffic being the external factor)]
• Internal - The degree to which you associate your fate, fortune, failure (and successes) to internal factors as opposed to external factors [Ex. Taking accountability for the poor grade you received on an exam for not studying harder (you not putting forth enough effort to study being the internal factor)]

*TIP* - Develop a winning attitude and an internal locus of control!  Together, this will allow you to hold yourself accountable for your results (positive or negative), ultimately achieving greater levels of success.

Here is a real life example that I find amusing of how to take control of your life and Get "It" Done!  As of a couple weeks ago, I had only a few weeks left of one Marketing Strategies class until I graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and a concentration in Sales.  All that I needed to do was pass the class with a C or higher.  This week in particular, I had an extra case of "Senior-itis."  Instead of studying or reading the Harvard Case for the exam, I only skimmed through it once.  When I got my grade, the result, of a 68% on the exam, I knew precisely what internal factor caused this.  I realized that in just a few short weeks if I didn't get a C or better in the class I would not graduate.  I knew what I had to do...take control and Get "It" Done!  What did I do?  I prepared extensively for the next test by reading the Harvard Case several times, highlighting the important information, and talking about the case until I was confident I knew the material.  The result - I was the only person in the entire class to get a perfect score on the test, so the professor gave me 107%.  Today, I have a 98% average in the class and will graduate with the Dean's List Honors.

The moral of the story is simple.  I was not happy with my result - the 68%.  The "it" that needed to get done - graduate!  My locus of control - Internal, since I knew my lack of preparation was the cause.  What I did - own up to my mistake, laugh about it, and buckle down to do everything in my power to ensure that I graduate.

This is no secret.  Like Nike says..."Just do it."  Take control, do what you've gotta do, and Get "It" Done!

Do you procrastinate?  We all do...learn how to use active procrastination to get done what you need to, and put off the things that are not so important in Eat That Frog!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 11 - Invest in Yourself!

The inspiration behind this post is the Young Investors meeting I attended tonight at UCF thanks to my friend Doug Markovitz.

Here are some of the investment topics Doug moderated tonight:

• Hedging Against Inflation
  
• World Currency Trading (and how to use Forex.com)
  
• Investing in Healthcare (and Obama's Healthcare reform plan)
  
• Emerging Growth Companies

Doug read my Performance & Success Advice Blog, and asked if I would mind speaking about a few things in the meeting.

After going through the agenda of the meeting, Doug gave me the floor to say a few words.  The overall message I wanted to send was the need to harness the power we all have as individuals.

I found one of Mark Victor Hansen's tweets the other day to be very profound, so I brought the quote in to share with the group.  "Your state of mind creates your state of results."

My interpretation of that quote is that your attitude, your mental clarity, and how sharp your mind is will determine your success.

I shared another quote with the group that I found to be motivational by Howard Thurman: "Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.  Because the world needs people who have come alive."

I summed everything up by explaining the need to invest in the most viable investment out there - YOU!  Invest the time in yourself to find the things that make you come alive.  Discover your passion.  And once you do, invest in yourself more to sharpen your attitude and your mind!

I ended with one final quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer:  "Act as if everything you desire is already here...treat yourself as if you already are who you'd like to become."

By Investing in Yourself, you will arm yourself with the tools and resources, (image, attitude, a sharp mind, etc.) that will foster success in all areas of your life.

The most successful people in the world invest in themselves.  Do you?

Invest in Yourself by signing up for the Collegiate Performance Magazine and blogging with me here on my Performance & Success Advice Blog!  

The Collegiate Performance Magazine is a publication where the youngest, most successful individuals in the world contribute their "How-to" knowledge in easily digestible, 500 word or less articles.  

Sign-Up TODAY using the promo code College and you will receive a FREE month and the lifetime benefit of a 50% discount!

*TIP* - Some ways I invest in myself are:

• Listening to podcasts
  
• Reading books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
• Modeling and learning from other successful people
• Networking & Marketing YOU
• My Professional Image
• My Health & Fitness
• My Self-Discipline
• My Positive Attitude

BRAND NEW Performance & Success Advice Blog!

It’s time that we have a place to talk about the many aspects of success!  I will be blogging about different aspects that I think are important.  Please comment on these aspects or if there is something that you do not see, feel free to raise those questions and I will seek answers from credible professionals!  Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!