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Cover Letters

cover letters

Cover Letters provide important insight into who you are, and the skills you are going to bring to a prospective company. The following authors have graciously shared their insight on what you should include for various positions, how to catch an employers attention, and the do’s and don’ts of cover letters.. 
 

Row of students standing at SFU Surrey
Blog
Why Adding Pronouns on your Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Profile Matters

Learn how and where you can add your pronouns to your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profiles! 

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The Perfect Cover Letter That Will Get You Hired

I can write a solid resume, interview well, and make sure that my online presence is on point. The one thing that’s always been a struggle? The dreaded cover letter. Continue reading as I highlight some of my top tips to selling yourself and securing that interview.

Smiling student connecting with others
Blog
Career Peer Experiences During COVID-19: A Wonderful Opportunity

Who are SFU’s Career Peers? What was it like to be onboarded and trained remotely? What are they up to on the (virtual) campus this semester? Sharon Gill, a Career Peer at Career & Volunteer Services at SFU, tells us all.

Letters
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“What Do You Study in Communication?”

“So, what exactly do you study in communications?”

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Are You Putting Your Best Foot Forward or in Your Mouth?

If an employer you applied to never gets back to you, it’s easy to get down on yourself. We’ve all been there. Learn from my failures to put your best foot forward when applying for jobs. 

two people laughing while having a coffee together
Blog
The Cover Letter Blind Date

We’ve all been there, wanting to impress our cute blind date -- feeling great in the moments when the conversation flows – and not so much in the moments when it stalls out.

Student searching for work on computer
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Seek and Ye Shall Find: 5 Tips for Co-op Job Seekers

Truth be told, finding the first co-op job can take a very long time. Don’t panic! Here are 5 tips to help keep you on track, motivated and increase your competitiveness in your co-op job search. 

The author
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How to Write an Awesome Cover Letter

Applying for jobs can seem tedious and through my experiences, I have compiled six tips that can help you improve your results and get noticed!

Peer helping another person
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Cover Letters: Secrets to Capturing Your Employer’s Attention

Cover letters. The bane of everyone’s work search. A great cover letter doesn’t just happen by itself; rather, it is the result of you taking the time to do your research, and writing effective and meaningful information in a few well-worded sentences.

Student meeting with an advisor
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Resumes, Cover letters, Interviews and Volunteering: Remaining Professional for Unpaid Experiences

Kerri shows you where to find SFU's resources for building your resume, coverletter, and interview skills. Read on to find out how to use this to get volunteer positions.

Person writing in a book
Blog
How To Write Your Way Into Grad School

Harsimran Kaur is a Career Peer Educator with SFU Career Services, and a third year student studying health sciences, kinesiology, and psychology. Her passions revolve around helping people, and she aspires to a career in emergency medicine and epidemiology.

Interview
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How To Create A Winning Job Proposal

So you want to work for a certain employer, but they don’t have any job openings. What do you do? One option is to create a “job proposal” for the new position you’re aspiring to. Here’s how to do it.

two people shaking hands, smiling
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5 Must-Know Tips for Successful Job Search

Finding a job after graduation is definitely a nerve-wrecking thought and thing to do. However, with some preparation and tips in advance, job searching can become less tedious. Find out how you can prepare for job searching and what you should expect during your job seeking journey!

multiple pieces of a deconstructed electric razor
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The Key to a Great Cover Letter: Deconstructing the Job Description

Feeling nervous or unqualified as you apply for a job? Struggling to set yourself apart? Learn how to deconstruct the job description so that you can feel comfortable marketing yourself in your cover letter!

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Helpful Hints for Cover Letters

Cover Letters can be difficult to understand how to write or even what to write.  If you feel stuck or if you simply need more advice, here are some helpful hints from SFU Career Services.

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Writing an Effective Cover Letter

A cover letter is your chance to show enthusiasm for a particular job position and a complementary marketing document to your resume. Like the resume, a cover letter should stand out, be easily readable, relevant and avoid any spelling mistakes!

a older man and a women sitting at a table having a conversation
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Resume Tips from the BC Public Service

Getting your foot in the door with an organization isn’t always easy, but there is help. If you’re looking for a position with the BC Public Service, they’ve offered up some resume tips to help hopefuls get to the next stage of selection.

Letter with a pen
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3 Mistakes & 3 Tips - Cover Letters

It's been an hour, and there's nothing but a blank screen staring back at you. The job posting closes in another couple hours, and you need to submit a cover letter to go with your resume. But where oh where do you start? Here's 3 things to avoid, and 3 tips for writing your next cover letter!

Bull attacks
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OLE! Targeting Resumes and Cover Letters

This is the time to grab the bull by its horn.  Learn to target your resume and cover letter to win your dream job.   

person using apple pen to write on ipad
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Three Mistakes and Three Tips: Cover Letters

It's been an hour, and there's nothing but a blank screen staring back at you. The job posting closes in another couple hours, and you need to submit a cover letter to go with your resume. But where oh where do you start? Here's 3 things to avoid, and 3 tips for writing your next cover letter!

girl talking and looking forward
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How To Talk About Yourself Without Being An Arrogant Jerk

Did Greenday get it right?  Are nice people no more than spineless wimps, waiting to be crushed by the world's more fortitudinous vertebrates? Cathy Keates offers an alternative point of view.

picture of Marcia smiling
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Marcia Tells It Like It Is: Cover Letter Info You Oughta Know

This fictitious and funny article provides you with some insight into important elements to consider in your cover letter. Communication Co-op Coordinator Marcia Shimizu gives the dirt on what not to do when writing a cover letter. 

a man working on his ipad
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Branding Yourself

You have the skills, the experience, and you know you can ace that interview. Now how do you get noticed so that you will be invited to an interview?

a flatlay of a book that said "Failed It"
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Top 10 Reasons I Won't Hire You

Ever wished you could get into the mind of an employer to find out what not to do during an interview and what might cause your résumé and cover letter to be relegated to the “not worth considering” pile? Co-op employer Shona Taner lists her Top 10 tips on how to avoid that fate.

A girl is looking at the computer screen.
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Cover Letters: The Beginning Is All or Nothing

Has someone ever told you that your cover letter needs to have an “eye-catching” and interesting beginning? Well, this is no myth.  Recently, my sister who works in Human Resources has told me horror stories about the cover letters that she is subjected to reading.

Group of people gathering around a table, looking at a document together.
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Details Matter – In Defence of Grammar Police

Grammar police can be annoying. Infuriating, even. Yet, I can’t help but feel a small triumph whenever someone exposes themselves as actually caring about proper spelling and grammar.

a woman in the office smiling on her phone
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The Evolution of the Cover Letter

The cover letter has changed dramatically.  There is no longer one style of cover letter, today there are three different types.  Read on about each distinctive type and learn how to choose the most suitable style to stand apart from the competition.

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