Insider Tips - 29

We continue this Insider Tips, and next, with more hints for new practioners. We continue to hear from lots of students. As an aside, the closer summer gets, the more applications we receive for part-time or intern positions. Unfortunately, we have no opportunities this year. Try again next year! And for those of you in the throes of creating a catchy CV and cover letter, here are some hints for doing just that:

1. Make your covering letter short and snappy and less than a page. As far as we're concerned, we want to read why you'd be an asset to our company so try to create something aimed just at us. Most companies feel the same way. In other words, skip the form letter approach. Always find out a little something about the company itself.

2. Take the time to spell names correctly and check titles. Don't address the letter to "Human Resources" or "Head of Advertising" or (the worst yet) "To Whom It May Concern".

3. Once you've found out a little about the company you're hoping will offer you an interview for, let's say, an entry-level position or summer job, invent a couple of concrete ways in which you think you could contribute. For example, if the company is heavily into entertainment, you could suggest that you could work on checking and updating their contact database for entertainment editors because: a.) you know how time-intensive the process is but how vital it is to have the list up-to-date, and b.) you're incredibly computer-proficient. It doesn't matter what you suggest, as long as it's appropriate to the job you're seeking. It's really a way to indicate enthusiasm, initiative, an understanding of the company's business, and some real skills at the same time.

Contact Davidson Communications for any help you may need in writing and releasing news or statements, and for appropriate follow-up. Do not contact Davidson Communications for job positions this summer.