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Arts: Because I worked at the Smithsonian Institute for more than 12 years, I
am a highly experienced curator. What this means for you is that you will not
need to be understaffed for weeks while training a novice to assume full cu-
ratorial responsibilities.
Sales: Because I worked at your leading competitor for more than 15 years, I
am experienced in all aspects of selling telecommunications to growing busi-
nesses, so you can expect more immediate revenue growth from your sales
team.
Sales: You get a sales representative who can hit the ground running, thanks
to my experience in retail promotion, which I developed as a top account ex-
ecutive for Procter & Gamble.
Beautician: You will have a worker who is productive from day one because I
studied at the Avalon Beauty Academy, and I am knowledgeable in all as-
pects of hair styling and coloring.
Sports: Because I was the senior ski instructor at Aspen Ski Resort for 7 years,
I have become proficient in dealing with the public, and that means you get
a representative who can significantly enhance customer relations.
Technician: Because I am well versed in maintaining 4- and 6-color printing
presses, I achieved superior ratings at Dybold Paper Company. As a result,
you acquire a technician who can minimize unproductive downtime for your
company.
Use Worksheets 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3, and the preceding examples to create your
own self-promotional sentences. Write one for each quality you will be promoting
in your job search. Then, link these sentences together.
Voila! You have just written a paragraph (or two) that will constitute the body
of many jobhunting letters.

SAMPLE LETTERS
By completing the worksheets, you have taken an essential step towards writing
killer cover letters. As you incorporate the paragraphs you have just written into
your letters, you are fulfilling the second rule from Chapter 2’s “Ten Basic Do’s
and Don’ts for Writing Killer Cover Letters”—”Zoom, Don’t Resume.” This rule
requires that you focus on the needs of your employer rather than simply repeat-
ing the information listed in your resume. This advice holds true regardless of
your industry, and the following sample letters illustrate this key point.
Take a few minutes to read these sample letters. You’ll discover that they are
very similar to each other. Each has been written in response to an employment
advertisement in a different industry. Each is from an applicant in a different sit-
uation. They are presented here to illustrate that such details become immaterial

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