Just as following a sample letter can help you learn to write a letter, actually writing sample resume letters selling yourself can help hone your skills in marketing yourself to specific employers and job markets.
Learning to Sell Yourself
Life is filled with situations that require selling yourself if you want to be successful. Writing a resume cover letter is one of those situations. An effective letter will convince a potential interviewer to consider you for the position and to take a look at your resume. If you’re an introvert and feel that singing your praises doesn't come naturally, practice writing sample resume letters selling yourself. The goal should be to find the words that will convince the person reading it that you are the best person for the job. This takes more practice for some than others, but even if you have low self-esteem, if you practice marketing yourself in cover letters, as a bonus, it will better equip you to communicate your:
- Ambitions
- Experience
- Ideas
- Needs
- Skills
- Wishes
Write Sample Resume Letters Selling Yourself Using Key Words
Entire books have been written on the use of key words in resumes and cover letters. Things have drastically changed when it comes to selling yourself and your qualifications over the years. When it comes to resumes, some companies search databases for keywords, and if your resume doesn't contain those words, well, it doesn't get read.
When it comes to a cover letter, it's not so cut and dried. This is your chance to sell an individual — a real live person. It's worth the time and practice it takes to write sample resume letters selling yourself, because it might just make the difference between your resume being read or dropped into the dead-end file.
How to Sell Yourself Using Strong Words
Okay, you're sitting there staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper and wondering where to start. You understand key words work to help skills and accomplishments shine above those of other applicants in a competitive job market, but the how-to eludes you. The following steps can get you started writing your cover letter:
Step One
The first step is to jot down four to six accomplishments you'd like to highlight in your letter.
Step Two
Take this list of accomplishments and add strong words and key phrases to make it pop.
Step Three
Include a brief objective statement in your cover letter. This should include a short summary of the job opening for which you are applying. When writing your objective, take advantage of what you know about the position and tailor the wording to fit the job.
Step Four
You have the basics in place for selling yourself. Write your samples and let friends and family read them. Take their criticisms and feedback and polish your letter before you send it out with your resume.
Use Strong Words
The following list of words can be used to help you write an effective resume cover letter as well as your resume. You want to avoid non-specific verbs which water down your accomplishments. Instead use strong words like the following:
A
| accomplished | achieved | acquired | adapted | addressed
|
| administered | advised | administered | advised | allocated
|
| analyzed | applied | appointed | appraised | approved
|
| arbitrated | assembled | assessed | assigned | assumed
|
| assured | audited | authored | awarded |
|
B
| briefed | broadened | budgeted | built
|
C
| calculated | chaired | changed | charted | coached
|
| combined | communicated | compiled | completed | composed
|
| computed | conceived | conceptualized | concluded | conducted
|
| consolidated | constructed | consulted | contracted | controlled
|
| converted | convinced | coordinated | corrected | counseled
|
| created | cultivated | cut | |
|
D
| debugged | decreased | defined | delegated | delivered
|
| demonstrated | designated | designed | detected | determined
|
| developed | devised | diagnosed | directed | discovered
|
| dispatched | distributed | doubled | drafted |
|
E
| earned | edited | effected | elicited | eliminated
|
| empowered | endorsed | engineered | enhanced | enlarged
|
| enlisted | ensured | entered | established | estimated
|
| evaluated | examined | exceeded | executed | expanded
|
| expedited | explained | explored | expressed | extended
|
F
| find | filled | financed | flagged | focused
|
| forecast | formulated | found | founded |
|
G
| gathered | generated | granted | guided |
|
H
| halved | handled | headed | helped | hired
|
I
| identified | ignited | implemented | improved | incorporated
|
| increased | indexed | influenced | initiated | innovated
|
| inspected | installed | instituted | instructed | insured
|
| interviewed | introduced | invented | inventoried | invested
|
| investigated | issued | | |
|
L
| launched | learned | leased | lectured | led
|
| licensed | lobbied | | |
|
M
| maintained | managed | manufactured | matched | measured
|
| mediated | met | modified | monitored | motivated
|
| moved | | | |
|
N
| named | navigated | negotiated
|
AKC Recognized Breeds
| obtained | opened | operated | ordered | organized
|
| overhauled | oversaw | | |
|
P
| participated | patented | perceived | performed | persuaded
|
| placed | planned | posted | prepared | presented
|
| presided | processed | procured | produced | proficient
|
| programmed | prohibited | projected | promoted | proposed
|
| provided | published | purchased | pursued |
|
Q
| qualified | quantified | questioned
|
R
| raised | ranked | rated | received | recognized
|
| recommended | reconciled | recorded | recruited | redesigned
|
| reduced | referred | regulated | rehabilitated | reorganized
|
| repaired | replaced | replied | reported | represented
|
| rescued | researched | resolved | responded | restored
|
| revamped | reviewed | revised | |
|
S
| saved | scheduled | screened | selected | served
|
| serviced | shaped | shared | showed | simplified
|
| sold | solved | sorted | sought | sparked
|
| spoke | staffed | started | steered | streamlined
|
| strengthened | stressed | stretched | structured | studied
|
| submitted | substituted | succeeded | suggested | summarized
|
| superseded | supervised | supplied | surveyed | systematized
|
T
| tackled | targeted | taught | terminated | tested
|
| toured | traced | tracked | traded | trained
|
| transcribed | transferred | transformed | translated | transported
|
| traveled | treated | trimmed | tripled | turned
|
| tutored | | | |
|
U
| uncovered | understood | understudied | unified | unraveled
|
| updated | upgraded | utilized | |
|
V
| vended | verbalized | verified | visited |
|
W
| waged | weighed | widened | won | worked
|
| wrote | | | |
|
Sample Resume Cover Letter Resources
Use these sample resume cover letters to help you find the format and words to create interest in your resume: