Let's start with the first order of business which is grabbing the reader's attention. If you fail at the task of grabbing the reader's attention, you can all but forget about them being interested in calling you for an interview. With all that's going on in the world and in our lives, we're all busy. What's the best way to get noticed over the rest of the noise?

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?

If you think headlines are effective in newspapers, wait until you use a headline on your cover letter. You're not going to stand out by doing what everyone else does but put a headline on your cover letter and suddenly your different, interesting and worth a second look. Cover letters with attention-grabbing headlines have proven to be so effective that I wish I had discovered this tactic sooner.

Let's say you're walking along a crowded street and you spot a friend of yours on the other side of the street. Let say his name is Joe. How do you get Joe's attention? You could start jumping up and down and yelling, "Hey! Over Here!" That might work. A better way would be to yell "Hey Joe! Over Here!" That would be more likely to catch Joe's attention, wouldn't it? Because he hears his name. Personalization increases response dramatically.

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.

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