I know most of you have a problem writing cover letters (and CV's) going by the daily emails we get. Here is a cover letter i did for a soft engineer. The cover letter has a bonus in that it addresses the all important question of where to put the salary requirement as requested by many employers.

Date

Dear (Employer),

REF: Job Application: Senior Software Engineer: Ref 02368

In response to your job posting for a soft Engineer, I have attached my CV for your review.

My background includes 7 years of C++ programming in a high volume transaction environment. I have a passion for coding and produce high quality code, of which I am very proud.

Most recently, my experience has been in the financial services industry and specifically Banks, producing systems to assist Financial Services clients maneuver the tricky world of portfolio planning and portfolio allocation. I am confident that my experience would be an asset to your organization.

I would like to schedule a time to discuss my qualifications and see how they fit with your needs for a Senior Software Engineer. Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a time. I am available by phone at XXXXXX or via email at bob@dash dash.com

I look forward to your response.

Signed.

Kimani xxxxx

As requested, my salary history is:XYZ Ltd: starting salary K'sh 80,000 current salary: K'sh 97,000+ Medical Cover
XYZ Software: starting salary K'sh 60,000 ending salary: K'sh 72,000

I always say the best post topics come straight from real job seekers (like you). And this week, my idea came from a former co-worker who recently went through the whole job search process. She had two questions: "What's the best subject line for an email in response to a job ad?" and "Should you attach the cover letter to the email, or copy and paste it into the body of the email?"

I always wondered this myself, so I did some research and here's the consensus:

Jane Kamau CV for Sales Manager Position

It's straightforward and informative. It tells the recipient who you are, what you're sending, and why you're sending it.

This isn't a concrete formula, however. Since some job ads require you mention a job reference ID number when you apply, you should substitute the name of the position with the number. Example: Jane Kamau CV for Sales Job REF #5527.

Best Way to Include Your Cover Letter:Copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email.

Why is this the preferred method? Three reasons my dear:
1) It gives the recipient one less attachment to open,

2) It gets to the point faster than writing the awkward "here is my CV and cover letter" mumbo jumbo, and

3) It gives you the ability to make an impact as soon as the recipient opens your email.

Be sure to attach your CV to your email. And as always, refer to the company's job posting and apply, using whatever guidelines they specify. Adhering to the employer's guidelines will not only ensure your documents get to the right place at the right time, it will prove that you pay attention to details and follow instructions!

Now start applying for those jobs and if you have more questions, post in the comments sections.

Chances are you went through several drafts of your CV before you submitted it to a prospective employer. You wrote and rewrote each line several times and had friends, family, even strangers proofread it or you even had a professional firm do it for you. But if you send it off without enclosing a cover letter, your hard work may never be seen. I recently had to read an email application for someone who had one line as a
cover letter. It really left me wondering about the seriousness of such a candidate.

Most HR managers, directors, recruiters or other decision makers prefer a good cover letter attached to a CV. Think of it as the first chance to stand out in a sea of applicants. Your cover letter, if done well, tells the hiring manager you are qualified for the job and a serious candidate. Perhaps more important is the opportunity to show your personality.

For this reason, many hiring managers discard any CV’s that don’t have cover letters. Omitting a cover letter tells the employer that you can’t make the effort to sell yourself and to save him or her some time. Writing a cover letter is an easy way to keep you in the game.

Here are some things to remember as you write your cover letter:
It’s your cover letter, not your memoirA lady once sent me quite a long cover letter and asked me to critique it and of course get back to her on what could be wrong. I had to actually take a minimum of 20 minutes off to read through it because it came to 2 pages of story after story which of course was irrelevant. Keep the cover letter to a few organized paragraphs that fit on one page. You want to give the reader a glimpse into your personality and your ability as an employee, but no one needs to know every little detail about your life. Being yourself doesn’t mean being your Saturday-night self. It means putting a little personality into your writing. Recruiters aren’t looking for jokes, but they do want to know a real person is applying for the job. Don’t copy someone else cover letter and send it as you. The point would be it is not you. Hiring managers read the cover letter before they (hopefully) flip the page to look at the CV. They might decide they don’t want to read the CV if your cover letter sounds like it’s restating the exact same information without offering anything new. Discuss a specific achievement or experience that shows your qualifications for the job. The cover letter and CV combined give you their attention for only two pages, so don’t waste it repeating yourself.
If your boss greeted you each morning by saying, “Hello, employee,” you’d be irked she didn’t know your name. Cover letters beginning “Dear Sir or Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern” leave similar impressions. If the job posting does not specify who will receive the applications, you are exempted and you are allowed to address it as such. If you do know the name of the person, use a formal title such as Mr., Ms. or Mrs. It adds a personal but professional touch that will be appreciated.
Sure, a paycheck would be nice, but hopefully you want this job for another reason. The company’s history, accomplishments and culture probably played a role in your decision to apply. Let the hiring manager know. It tells him or her that you’ve done your homework and are serious about being a member of the team.
Even though job hunts are increasingly taking place online, you still need to adhere to business etiquette. As you would on any professional correspondence, include your full contact information as well as the hiring manager’s name and company address. And of course, avoid any typos and grammatical errors, which include net speak (k? thx). You already know how important a cover letter is, so don’t rush through it. Treat it with the same care you used for your CV. Check your facts. Write several drafts, revise it and look it over again. Let your first impression be a good one.

The writer is a HR Officer. Corporate Staffing Services.  Reach her on Email. bettercv@staff-kenya.com for CV writing and recruitment services. www.staff-kenya.com

So you’re handing in your resignation? Well assuming they don’t escort you off the premises straight away, they will probably ask you to hand in your resignation letter. Clearly you can’t say, “I hated my boss, I was offered more money elsewhere” when writing a letter of resignation! Well, you could, but you would end up burning some bridges.

I know of this chap who worked for a well performing Kenyan parastatal who was nasty in his resignation and the company ended confiscating his car cars, mortgage, and medical cover.

This article will cover how to write a resignation letter so you don’t end up killing your career a few years down the line!

An example of why you need to write a good resignation letter

A hypothetical situation.

You are in a job you hate probably toiling as a cashier when you have a CPA-K and the branch manager wont let you try finance department. Your boss is a tyrant and the pay sucks- you still live in an SQ somewhere in South B despite being 30 years. So you start looking for another job and after a while of ducking out for interviews, you are made an offer.Screw the boss. You walk out without a word – you don’t leave a resignation letter.

You wait a day like today and when the last salary is in your account you disappear into the thin air.

That’s fine at the time, but a few years down the line, your new employer has expanded and you have been promoted. You are going for a new contract for the firm which will mean big money. You head out to meet your new potential client and who are you faced with? Your old boss, now in charge of a new department / company / whatever.

Many careers these days are built and broken on personal relationships, so by writing a letter of resignation when you leave a job can help protect possible future relationships.In the short term, writing a letter of resignation can ensure you receive a decent reference from your ex-employer.

How to write a resignation letter
Writing a letter of resignation can be tough. You are handing in your resignation for a reason – either you don’t like your job or you have be offered a better one.

So it’s going to be tough to try and write an amicable letter that won’t anger your boss. A lot of employers do take a personal interest in their staff and can take it as a personal failure if a valued member of staff leaves. Remember, they also have to report to their boss and explain why their team / department / office is a member of staff down.
Your aim when writing a letter of resignation should be to create a document which your boss can hold in his / her hand and feel absolved of any blame or fault over your departure.
It doesn’t matter that they were wrong! You need to put your personal feelings behind you – now isn’t the time to say what you “really” feel!

Some areas you should cover when you write your letter of resignation:

* Thank your employer for your time there.
* Explain briefly why you are leaving.
* If your reasons for leaving are going to cause more ill-feeling then make something up!
* If you can’t think of anything then just use the catch-all excuse of being offered a better package elsewhere!

REMEMBER! “Always forgive your enemies….nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde. As much as you want to shout and scream at that boss who you hated, thanking them, even apologizing for your behavior can be the sweetest revenge! And it doesn’t hurt your career!

Example of a resignation letter

It’s hard to come up with an example of a resignation letter, because like covering letters and CV or resumes, they are fairly personal documents. But there are some general points you can remember.

* Personal opening. You know your bosses name, so use it. Open your letter with Dear Mr Kamau, Mutiso, chebet, etc.
* Get to the point. Your opening sentence (and subject line) should be brief and to the point. Subject: Letter of Resignation
* Briefly state your reasons. Note the points in the previous section about this.
* Make sure you have tied up loose ends. If you have work that someone will need to take over, create a separate document to attach to your resignation later which lists important stuff like urgent work or passwords, etc.
* Offer to stay a reasonable amount of time. More often than not, it won’t be taken up on, but it is a good parting gesture to make. Offering time to train up a replacement (or hire one) is a good way for your employer to remember you (ie, as oppose to just walking out).
* End professionally. Thank your employer for your time with the company, stating how much you appreciate it.

Your resignation is a fragile period of time. Writing a resignation letter isn’t easy – you need to handle it professionally or it could have a serious impact on your career in the future.

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