Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Add a Line to Your Resume: Fashion Show Volunteer (Part 2)
Click here to read Add a Line to Your Resume: Fashion Show Volunteer (Part 1)
2. the college shows (continued)
local fashion show
Another fashion show volunteer opportunity I got involved with was for non-profit company that facilitates massive clothing swap events throughout the entire country. I heard about the need for show volunteers in the school's office, collected the contact information, and sent out an email with my resume and a brief note that I would like to help out in any way I could and listed my relevant fashion show experience. When I got to the venue for the show day of to help the producers, I found that the person in charge had never really put on a show for the company before... she normally led the Chicago swap event and had the idea that a fashion show would be a good way to kick the event off that weekend.
For the first twenty minutes I tried to figure out who was in charge of all of the different elements of the show and found that no one really was communicating enough to know who was leading anything! When I realized this, instincts kicked in that if someone didn't start putting two-and-two together, there was no way a show was going to form out of the chaos. First I found out where all the models were and confined them to one area so that we could coordinate hair, makeup, fittings, and lineups. That took the longest time (in my experience, models tend to show up and act like they are hanging out at a friends house with a personal hairstylist at their beck and call; I'm not saying all models are like this, just the ones I have worked with). Next we made sure the staging, lighting, and music was all set and had the rehearsal to time out how long each model needed to walk in order to fill the entire song/make sure we didn't run out of music. Finally, we assigned the dressers to their models and got the first looks on the models and lined them up for the show... SHOWTIME.
RESUME LINE:
[Company/Show Title] Fashion Show; Production Assistant
* image from zimbio.com
3. the real deal industry shows
chicago fashion week
If you didn't know it yet, Chicago has a fashion week. During CFW, one can "Experience four days of runway shows, shopping events and FREE educational industry seminars. See cutting edge designs by local emerging fashion talents and stay ahead of the latest trends with previews of designer collections for the upcoming season."
I was looking on the Chicago Fashion Resource and googling Chicago Fashion Week, and skimming Craigslist to find volunteer opportunities for the big week. I believe I found my volunteer opportunity on Craigslist and replied to the call for help via email (after googling the company/show and finding a lot of information about the upcoming event). After reviewing my resume, the company contacted me and gave me instructions to help at the show. I got there early in the morning (the show was not until 8pm).
The producers were very prepared for this show as far as I could tell and everything went smoothly except a few things that came up as the day progressed. 1. a model went missing = lesson learned- have all the model's contact information on site day of the show. 2. the model lineup sheets were handwritten with red pen changes all over making it hard to read = lesson learned- know how to prepare a fairly organized model lineup (including model's name, lineup number, top, bottom, accessories, shoes). 3. the model lineup was switched last minute after I had finished typing everything up for the producers = lesson learned- roll with the punches and be prepared to type up/print multiple copies of the new lineup fifteen minutes before the show.
RESUME LINE:
Chicago Fashion Week [Company/Show Title] Fashion Show; Production Assistant
*image from http://www.nylonmag.com
new york fashion week
If you would like to read about a friend's experience volunteering at New York Fashion Week, click here.
2. the college shows (continued)
local fashion show
Another fashion show volunteer opportunity I got involved with was for non-profit company that facilitates massive clothing swap events throughout the entire country. I heard about the need for show volunteers in the school's office, collected the contact information, and sent out an email with my resume and a brief note that I would like to help out in any way I could and listed my relevant fashion show experience. When I got to the venue for the show day of to help the producers, I found that the person in charge had never really put on a show for the company before... she normally led the Chicago swap event and had the idea that a fashion show would be a good way to kick the event off that weekend.
For the first twenty minutes I tried to figure out who was in charge of all of the different elements of the show and found that no one really was communicating enough to know who was leading anything! When I realized this, instincts kicked in that if someone didn't start putting two-and-two together, there was no way a show was going to form out of the chaos. First I found out where all the models were and confined them to one area so that we could coordinate hair, makeup, fittings, and lineups. That took the longest time (in my experience, models tend to show up and act like they are hanging out at a friends house with a personal hairstylist at their beck and call; I'm not saying all models are like this, just the ones I have worked with). Next we made sure the staging, lighting, and music was all set and had the rehearsal to time out how long each model needed to walk in order to fill the entire song/make sure we didn't run out of music. Finally, we assigned the dressers to their models and got the first looks on the models and lined them up for the show... SHOWTIME.
RESUME LINE:
[Company/Show Title] Fashion Show; Production Assistant
* image from zimbio.com
3. the real deal industry shows
chicago fashion week
If you didn't know it yet, Chicago has a fashion week. During CFW, one can "Experience four days of runway shows, shopping events and FREE educational industry seminars. See cutting edge designs by local emerging fashion talents and stay ahead of the latest trends with previews of designer collections for the upcoming season."
I was looking on the Chicago Fashion Resource and googling Chicago Fashion Week, and skimming Craigslist to find volunteer opportunities for the big week. I believe I found my volunteer opportunity on Craigslist and replied to the call for help via email (after googling the company/show and finding a lot of information about the upcoming event). After reviewing my resume, the company contacted me and gave me instructions to help at the show. I got there early in the morning (the show was not until 8pm).
The producers were very prepared for this show as far as I could tell and everything went smoothly except a few things that came up as the day progressed. 1. a model went missing = lesson learned- have all the model's contact information on site day of the show. 2. the model lineup sheets were handwritten with red pen changes all over making it hard to read = lesson learned- know how to prepare a fairly organized model lineup (including model's name, lineup number, top, bottom, accessories, shoes). 3. the model lineup was switched last minute after I had finished typing everything up for the producers = lesson learned- roll with the punches and be prepared to type up/print multiple copies of the new lineup fifteen minutes before the show.
RESUME LINE:
Chicago Fashion Week [Company/Show Title] Fashion Show; Production Assistant
*image from http://www.nylonmag.com
new york fashion week
If you would like to read about a friend's experience volunteering at New York Fashion Week, click here.
Add a Line to Your Resume: Fashion Show Volunteer (Part 1)
a.k.a. Something else to do while in college to get ahead of the people not doing anything.
Usually when I think of volunteering, images of senior citizens and yard work pop into my head. While I adore senior citizens, the idea of volunteering to be around them does not seem, ehh, humane (because we also volunteer to do yard work).
Regarding the fashion industry, there are many obvious, and not so obvious ways to get involved by working for free! One of the most exciting volunteer opportunities you can be a part of is working on fashion shows. Helping out at a fashion show helps you with your production, organization, design (stage, choreography, promotional materials, etc), and 'dealing with pressure and limited time' skills.
I have gained some experience (that I have touched on during interviews) throughout college (AND in high school; yeah, you should start volunteering that soon). While I wasn't working on the fall/winter Marc Jacobs shows by any means, it does look good to potential employers to see that you have been exposed to a few fashion show elements.
1. the high school shows
local fashion show
My junior year of high school, I was looking at some Facebook fan pages that featured events going on in and around my (small) town in Michigan and saw a call for models for a fashion show with proceeds benefitting a local charity. I immediately replied to the call and ALSO inquired about possible styling opportunities (explaining to them my passion for fashion). The show's producers replied that I was chosen to model and that they could use my help with styling as well as dressing during the show. In case you are unaware, dressers are a key piece of the fashion show puzzle. During a typical fashion show, one model may have 2-3 dressers to help her quickly switch from outfit to outfit & keep the items organized and safe (aka on hangers, off the floor, and untangled).
RESUME LINE:
[Company/Title/Theme] Fashion Show; Stylist/Dresser
school fashion show
My senior year of high school we had a little thing called prom. In addition to prom each year is a prom fashion show. My senior year I decided to volunteer to produce the fashion show. This involves, picking a theme for the show, contacting retailers about borrowing dresses and tuxes, and deciding on decorations, staging, music, lighting, crew, choreography, rehearsals, models, videography, determining a model lineup, securing dressing space, developing promo materials, and hmm, I might be forgetting something.
RESUME LINE:
[School Name] Prom Fashion Show: A Knight on the Catwalk (Knight= school mascot); Producer
*image from http://jilliansformalwearofoh.com
2. the college shows
college fashion show
As I attend a school with a fashion design program, it is a given that we hold an end of the year senior fashion design showcase (fashion show). Because I am a part of the school's fashion association, I was immediately notified of the need for volunteers to work the show as greeters, check-in attendants, and seating attendants the night of the show (the fashion show production class takes care of the production aspects). By volunteering at the school shows, I have met a lot of people including: other fashion students, alumni (working in the industry), donors (people that can make things happen for the school), and many, many people that are seriously interested in what students can accomplish in the industry (=good for me!).
RESUME LINE:
[School Name/Show Title] Fashion Show; Event Assistant
*image from colum.edu
Usually when I think of volunteering, images of senior citizens and yard work pop into my head. While I adore senior citizens, the idea of volunteering to be around them does not seem, ehh, humane (because we also volunteer to do yard work).
Regarding the fashion industry, there are many obvious, and not so obvious ways to get involved by working for free! One of the most exciting volunteer opportunities you can be a part of is working on fashion shows. Helping out at a fashion show helps you with your production, organization, design (stage, choreography, promotional materials, etc), and 'dealing with pressure and limited time' skills.
I have gained some experience (that I have touched on during interviews) throughout college (AND in high school; yeah, you should start volunteering that soon). While I wasn't working on the fall/winter Marc Jacobs shows by any means, it does look good to potential employers to see that you have been exposed to a few fashion show elements.
1. the high school shows
local fashion show
My junior year of high school, I was looking at some Facebook fan pages that featured events going on in and around my (small) town in Michigan and saw a call for models for a fashion show with proceeds benefitting a local charity. I immediately replied to the call and ALSO inquired about possible styling opportunities (explaining to them my passion for fashion). The show's producers replied that I was chosen to model and that they could use my help with styling as well as dressing during the show. In case you are unaware, dressers are a key piece of the fashion show puzzle. During a typical fashion show, one model may have 2-3 dressers to help her quickly switch from outfit to outfit & keep the items organized and safe (aka on hangers, off the floor, and untangled).
RESUME LINE:
[Company/Title/Theme] Fashion Show; Stylist/Dresser
school fashion show
My senior year of high school we had a little thing called prom. In addition to prom each year is a prom fashion show. My senior year I decided to volunteer to produce the fashion show. This involves, picking a theme for the show, contacting retailers about borrowing dresses and tuxes, and deciding on decorations, staging, music, lighting, crew, choreography, rehearsals, models, videography, determining a model lineup, securing dressing space, developing promo materials, and hmm, I might be forgetting something.
RESUME LINE:
[School Name] Prom Fashion Show: A Knight on the Catwalk (Knight= school mascot); Producer
*image from http://jilliansformalwearofoh.com
2. the college shows
college fashion show
As I attend a school with a fashion design program, it is a given that we hold an end of the year senior fashion design showcase (fashion show). Because I am a part of the school's fashion association, I was immediately notified of the need for volunteers to work the show as greeters, check-in attendants, and seating attendants the night of the show (the fashion show production class takes care of the production aspects). By volunteering at the school shows, I have met a lot of people including: other fashion students, alumni (working in the industry), donors (people that can make things happen for the school), and many, many people that are seriously interested in what students can accomplish in the industry (=good for me!).
RESUME LINE:
[School Name/Show Title] Fashion Show; Event Assistant
*image from colum.edu
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Q & A with a future fashion student...
While I am not an industry professional with years of experience behind me, I am at a point where I can offer advice about what it is like to study fashion and marketing in a college setting. More recently I have received a few questions from people still in high school trying to decide what to do after they graduate.
I decided to answer these questions as a post on this blog (even though my audience is a class of college students and professor) so that I can get your feedback on whether my answers are sufficient. Have I included enough detail in my answers? Would they have helped you when you were back in high school? Would you add anything?
What led you to decide you wanted a future in the fashion industry?
I knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry before I started high school. I was obsessed with fashion advertising campaigns and was always drawing my own women's clothing designs (even though they were pretty awful). I didn't realize the number of fashion jobs that were out there in this industry until my senior year, maybe even my freshmen year of college. I decided that marketing in the industry was for me as soon as I started taking a few marketing courses instead of all merchandising courses. It is really important to try out courses in a few different departments in college as soon as possible so that you become sure you are in the major that is right for you.
How did you learn about the fashion industry?
My high school didn't offer any fashion courses, so I spent a lot of time reading fashion magazines, Teen Vogue, Vogue, and Lucky.
*Image Credit: http://ingenyfashion.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/
I kept up with each fashion week season by watching the shows on Style.com, and following DailyFrontRow. I watched Project Runway, The Hills (to gain insight on LC's experience as a Teen Vogue intern), The City, What Not to Wear, America's Next Top Model, Make Me A Supermodel, and Running in Heels (show about Marie Claire interns).
In addition, I kept a serious tear-sheet binder. A tear sheet is a fancier name for page ripped out of a magazine (haha). I didn't even know the tear sheet thing until my first college fashion course teacher told us to bring in 10 tear sheets that represent the trends of the season. Now, my binder wasn't too organized so if I am going to suggest getting a tear sheet binder together (for inspiration/reference sake), I would say to make sure to label each tear with the designer/brand, year, season, and what magazine you found it it. By labeling, you will start to remember who designed what and when (in case it was from a spread and not from an ad with the designer's name across it), as you look through your book every now and then.
It is extremely important to have a knowledge database of designers and what they do each season if you would like to go into the industry. It is just expected of you.
Later in college I learned about WWD. It is pretty much the bible of the fashion industry. It costs a bit to subscribe on your own, but I'm telling you, it is worth it if you read it at least once a week (luckily Columbia College Chicago has a subscription for their students to access free!). A few other great websites that I started following in college are JCReport and FashionWireDaily.
Do you know anywhere kids can send in clothing designs?
I am not sure of any places that kids can send in clothing designs, but there is this great website that one of my new friends designed called WouldYouRockThis where you can upload your fashion illustrations and have them critiqued (and maybe even get yourself noticed). You may also want to look into some summer programs at the various fashion schools as they offer a mini-college experience and great insight into what exactly you will be focusing on for your 4+ years of post-secondary education; eg Studio 101, Camp FIDM , High School Summer Institute, Pre-College Academy, etc.
What are the most important things you've learned in college?
The things that I learned in college that helped me the most were not so much the actual technical fashiony things. The important things I learned were more about selling yourself and taking advantage of opportunities. Figuring out what your skill-set is and making sure key people recognize you for those things. When you get to college, you need to think of your peers not as competitors, but as the beginning of the network that can may be connected to the people that could help you find a job one day. You need to seek out any and all opportunities that relate to your interests and keep a record of what you participate in (so when you work on your resume, you don't forget anything).
You will learn everything in your courses that you need with time. The big thing is to ALWAYS do the best that you can. Even if it is the first assignment of an intro class, you still may be able to use it for your portfolio if you do a good enough job... and that teacher will remember you. Realize that there will always be slackers in your classes. There will always, always be people that say, "Oh, that project was stupid. I did it this morning before class." Do not be one of those people. Put your full effort into your work and it will push you to the front of the crowd.
What kind of classes do you take when studying fashion majors?
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion design.
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion marketing.
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion merchandising.
I decided to answer these questions as a post on this blog (even though my audience is a class of college students and professor) so that I can get your feedback on whether my answers are sufficient. Have I included enough detail in my answers? Would they have helped you when you were back in high school? Would you add anything?
What led you to decide you wanted a future in the fashion industry?
I knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry before I started high school. I was obsessed with fashion advertising campaigns and was always drawing my own women's clothing designs (even though they were pretty awful). I didn't realize the number of fashion jobs that were out there in this industry until my senior year, maybe even my freshmen year of college. I decided that marketing in the industry was for me as soon as I started taking a few marketing courses instead of all merchandising courses. It is really important to try out courses in a few different departments in college as soon as possible so that you become sure you are in the major that is right for you.
How did you learn about the fashion industry?
My high school didn't offer any fashion courses, so I spent a lot of time reading fashion magazines, Teen Vogue, Vogue, and Lucky.
*Image Credit: http://ingenyfashion.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/
I kept up with each fashion week season by watching the shows on Style.com, and following DailyFrontRow. I watched Project Runway, The Hills (to gain insight on LC's experience as a Teen Vogue intern), The City, What Not to Wear, America's Next Top Model, Make Me A Supermodel, and Running in Heels (show about Marie Claire interns).
In addition, I kept a serious tear-sheet binder. A tear sheet is a fancier name for page ripped out of a magazine (haha). I didn't even know the tear sheet thing until my first college fashion course teacher told us to bring in 10 tear sheets that represent the trends of the season. Now, my binder wasn't too organized so if I am going to suggest getting a tear sheet binder together (for inspiration/reference sake), I would say to make sure to label each tear with the designer/brand, year, season, and what magazine you found it it. By labeling, you will start to remember who designed what and when (in case it was from a spread and not from an ad with the designer's name across it), as you look through your book every now and then.
It is extremely important to have a knowledge database of designers and what they do each season if you would like to go into the industry. It is just expected of you.
Later in college I learned about WWD. It is pretty much the bible of the fashion industry. It costs a bit to subscribe on your own, but I'm telling you, it is worth it if you read it at least once a week (luckily Columbia College Chicago has a subscription for their students to access free!). A few other great websites that I started following in college are JCReport and FashionWireDaily.
Do you know anywhere kids can send in clothing designs?
I am not sure of any places that kids can send in clothing designs, but there is this great website that one of my new friends designed called WouldYouRockThis where you can upload your fashion illustrations and have them critiqued (and maybe even get yourself noticed). You may also want to look into some summer programs at the various fashion schools as they offer a mini-college experience and great insight into what exactly you will be focusing on for your 4+ years of post-secondary education; eg Studio 101, Camp FIDM , High School Summer Institute, Pre-College Academy, etc.
What are the most important things you've learned in college?
The things that I learned in college that helped me the most were not so much the actual technical fashiony things. The important things I learned were more about selling yourself and taking advantage of opportunities. Figuring out what your skill-set is and making sure key people recognize you for those things. When you get to college, you need to think of your peers not as competitors, but as the beginning of the network that can may be connected to the people that could help you find a job one day. You need to seek out any and all opportunities that relate to your interests and keep a record of what you participate in (so when you work on your resume, you don't forget anything).
You will learn everything in your courses that you need with time. The big thing is to ALWAYS do the best that you can. Even if it is the first assignment of an intro class, you still may be able to use it for your portfolio if you do a good enough job... and that teacher will remember you. Realize that there will always be slackers in your classes. There will always, always be people that say, "Oh, that project was stupid. I did it this morning before class." Do not be one of those people. Put your full effort into your work and it will push you to the front of the crowd.
What kind of classes do you take when studying fashion majors?
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion design.
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion marketing.
Here are some classes you may take if you are interested in studying fashion merchandising.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Get your colors in order with Pantone.
I think I discovered Pantone my sophomore year of high school when I was attempting to find out how to become a designer in the fashion industry. This was right before I stopped denying the fact that I had no patience to learn to draw or sew.
For those who have not felt the excitement of discovering Pantone, I will try and break it down a bit. In the simplest form, Pantone is a company that focuses on color communication. When it comes to the fashion industry, Pantone creates a color swatch card system that streamlines color needs and usage from the concept stage to the designer stage to the manufacturing stage.
The image below is of a Pantone Fashion Color Report. These reports come out for each of the fashion seasons and the are incredibly inspiring.
Click Here to See the Report for Fall 2010.
Some things you can do with these reports:
1. Get acclimated with the big colors of the upcoming fashion season.
2. View various designers sketch styles.
3. Find out why certain colors are so hot each season.
4. Discover the "Must-Haves," "Color Rules," and insight on fashion trends.
Click Here to read a Fall '09 article about Pantone in GD USA.
For those who have not felt the excitement of discovering Pantone, I will try and break it down a bit. In the simplest form, Pantone is a company that focuses on color communication. When it comes to the fashion industry, Pantone creates a color swatch card system that streamlines color needs and usage from the concept stage to the designer stage to the manufacturing stage.
The image below is of a Pantone Fashion Color Report. These reports come out for each of the fashion seasons and the are incredibly inspiring.
Click Here to See the Report for Fall 2010. Some things you can do with these reports:
1. Get acclimated with the big colors of the upcoming fashion season.
2. View various designers sketch styles.
3. Find out why certain colors are so hot each season.
4. Discover the "Must-Haves," "Color Rules," and insight on fashion trends.
Click Here to read a Fall '09 article about Pantone in GD USA.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Set up an opportunity for yourself: Part 1 Local Boutiques
Here is something to do today that has the potential to fill another blank line on your resume; in most cases it can be fashion related and get you a few contacts to add to your network; in all cases, it will be a great professional experience that you may be able to talk about at an interview. Note: If you are looking for a job right away, this isn’t the list for you. This list is for those with time to network an gain mini-experiences that could be useful to on the job hunt one day.
1. Find the closest mom & pop shop boutique to your house, or something that is not quite a large chain retailer.
2. Make up a resume or a business card (so contact can call you after you’ve spoken with him/her… instead of chicken scratching your name and number down later). Here is an example card Columbia has designed for its students.
3. Go into the store and ask to speak with the manager or owner (please).
4. Tell them about your fashion interests and mention you are a student and then do one more of the following:
a. Find out if they have any events coming up that you could assist them with (planning, execution, whatever).
b. Find out if you could help them stock items when new shipments come in (it is good to learn to deal with shipments and restocking if you have never done it before… this can help you get your first job in retail).
c. Find out if they have any interest in you working on company social media outlets for them (it is a great tool to know how to use these social outlets from a business perspective. It is now a necessity to understand these methods no matter what company you are working for… if you don’t know them, your job competition will.)
d. Find out if they would be interested in you interning one or two days a week so that you can learn the ways of a store; buying, visual merchandising, customer service, etc.
Note: I realize not all companies need to be using social media… but it helps to have experience that has taught you why a company doesn’t need to use them, over not knowing the difference either way.
1. Find the closest mom & pop shop boutique to your house, or something that is not quite a large chain retailer.
2. Make up a resume or a business card (so contact can call you after you’ve spoken with him/her… instead of chicken scratching your name and number down later). Here is an example card Columbia has designed for its students.
3. Go into the store and ask to speak with the manager or owner (please).
4. Tell them about your fashion interests and mention you are a student and then do one more of the following:
a. Find out if they have any events coming up that you could assist them with (planning, execution, whatever).
b. Find out if you could help them stock items when new shipments come in (it is good to learn to deal with shipments and restocking if you have never done it before… this can help you get your first job in retail).
c. Find out if they have any interest in you working on company social media outlets for them (it is a great tool to know how to use these social outlets from a business perspective. It is now a necessity to understand these methods no matter what company you are working for… if you don’t know them, your job competition will.)
d. Find out if they would be interested in you interning one or two days a week so that you can learn the ways of a store; buying, visual merchandising, customer service, etc.
Note: I realize not all companies need to be using social media… but it helps to have experience that has taught you why a company doesn’t need to use them, over not knowing the difference either way.
Do Not Skimp on the Cover Letter.
Obviously I’m not going to write out a full cover letter for you because I would not be able to write anything but what has turned into my own cover letter --though I am pretty open to a peer review and critique.
Regardless, I would like to dedicate this blog post to something that tends to be the more difficult, and terrible done portion of answering a now hiring ad.
I am not going to say that I know the best way to compose a cover letter, or even that I know exactly which cover letter will get you the job. I simply hope to make a few points about what you might want to consider adding into the next CL you have to write. Note: these are all points of advice I have accumulated from the Marketing Yourself course (Columbia College Chicago- highly suggest you take this class no matter what your major is; look it up!), as well as from my mentors and some other people that have looked over my work.
Key Points to Make –
1. Mention why you are interested in the company and position you are applying for (it is very important to send them a “personalized” letter and not just a general cover letter. If for example, you aspire to intern for Elle Magazine, you will want to search their website for a Media Kit. This will have information like the magazines mission statement, demographics, readership and ad rates.
2. Make a statement deeming why the company should hire you that will stick in the HR person’s brain.
3. Look at the job description and explain at least two of the points from your resume more in depth (approximately 2-3 sentences). Do not say my strengths are organization, blah, and blah. Be specific and give details of your experiences that support the qualities they are looking for in a new hire.
4. Thank your reader for their time, offer them a few ways to contact you with any questions, and let him/her know that you will be following up with him/her in x amount of time (two weeks is good), and MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP (if you’re not going to follow up, don’t even bother applying for a job). Click here to read more about following up.
Formatting –
1. Match your resume design to your cover letter design. Use a template!
2. In your heading you will want to include a direct contact name for the company if at all possible. If you have someone's email address but do not have his/her full name, Google the email address -- you will find it.
Distribution –
1. Before you send out your cover letter have three people read through it, print it out and read it yourself (and make sure it prints right and no margins are cut off).
2. Sometimes companies want you to paste the cover letter in the actual email message and only attach the resume.
3. Sometimes companies want you to attach both the cover letter and resume. If this is the case, I have been told that you should write something like:
Here are some more tips from someone who I feel is one of the best professional development coaches out there.
Regardless, I would like to dedicate this blog post to something that tends to be the more difficult, and terrible done portion of answering a now hiring ad.
I am not going to say that I know the best way to compose a cover letter, or even that I know exactly which cover letter will get you the job. I simply hope to make a few points about what you might want to consider adding into the next CL you have to write. Note: these are all points of advice I have accumulated from the Marketing Yourself course (Columbia College Chicago- highly suggest you take this class no matter what your major is; look it up!), as well as from my mentors and some other people that have looked over my work.
Key Points to Make –
1. Mention why you are interested in the company and position you are applying for (it is very important to send them a “personalized” letter and not just a general cover letter. If for example, you aspire to intern for Elle Magazine, you will want to search their website for a Media Kit. This will have information like the magazines mission statement, demographics, readership and ad rates.
2. Make a statement deeming why the company should hire you that will stick in the HR person’s brain.
3. Look at the job description and explain at least two of the points from your resume more in depth (approximately 2-3 sentences). Do not say my strengths are organization, blah, and blah. Be specific and give details of your experiences that support the qualities they are looking for in a new hire.
4. Thank your reader for their time, offer them a few ways to contact you with any questions, and let him/her know that you will be following up with him/her in x amount of time (two weeks is good), and MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP (if you’re not going to follow up, don’t even bother applying for a job). Click here to read more about following up.
Formatting –
1. Match your resume design to your cover letter design. Use a template!
2. In your heading you will want to include a direct contact name for the company if at all possible. If you have someone's email address but do not have his/her full name, Google the email address -- you will find it.
Distribution –
1. Before you send out your cover letter have three people read through it, print it out and read it yourself (and make sure it prints right and no margins are cut off).
2. Sometimes companies want you to paste the cover letter in the actual email message and only attach the resume.
3. Sometimes companies want you to attach both the cover letter and resume. If this is the case, I have been told that you should write something like:
Here are some more tips from someone who I feel is one of the best professional development coaches out there.
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