Articles provided by RE-Sterling.com

Grabbing the reader's attention is of paramount importance whether you realize it or not. Failing to attract and keep the attention of the reader most likely will result in failing to get an interview. Hiring managers are inundated with cover letters and resume and we all have busy personal lives. So how do you stand out from the crowd and get noticed?

There are many effective tactics to accomplish the task. Perhaps the most effective tactic is to write a headline that can't be ignored. It's not different than the headlines you see in magazines and newspapers. The articles you choose to read are the ones with the most intriguing headlines, aren't they?

And that's exactly the reason you want to use a headline on your cover letter. The fact is that most cover letters are dull and hiring managers are bored stiff going through them all so a cover letter with a headline will jump out of the pile and get read which is exactly what you want. When you see the results you get from sending cover letters with well-crafted headlines, you'll wish you started sooner.

What if you were in a crowded shopping mall and you noticed a close friend on the level below. Maybe your friend's name is Susan. What would you do to get Susan's attention quickly? You might flail your arms above your head and scream "Hey! Look up here!" That could possibly work. But an even better idea would be to yell "Hello! Susan! Look up Here!" Don't you think you'd have a better chance to get Susan's attention that way? If Susan hears her name, she's more likely to notice over everything else that's going on around her. Using someone's name personalizes the message and increases the likelihood of getting noticed.

Take that idea and apply it to the headline on your cover letter. Personalizing any message, including a headline, is an effective strategy. Put the person's name at the beginning of the headline. Doing so will personalize your message and increase the probability your cover letter is read. Cover letters and resumes with personalized headlines are so different, the reader can't help but notice them. And even better than that, the reader will be so engaged that he or she won't be able to stop themselves from reading it to fond out more. Give it a shot. You'll like the results.