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Surefire Cover-Letter Technique:
Stories That Explain Job-Seeker Negatives

 

This article details one of the types of stories job-seekers can tell in a cover letter and provides examples of how to tell that type of story for job-search success.

 

Stories to Explain Unusual or Potentially Negative Situations.

 

It's very difficult to explain in a resume such situations as relocation, extended family-leave time, sabbaticals, illness, disability, unemployment, travel, returning to employment after business ownership, and other employment gaps. The cover letter lends itself much better to these situations, which represent another area for careful handling. You don't want to tell stories that raise more questions than they answer. Nor do you want to call undue attention to an issue that may not be important to the employer. Certainly, do not belabor the special-situation story:

When I took maternity leave from my high-powered consulting job with Accenture, I expected to be gone for just a few months. Little did I know that giving birth to a child with autism would not only take me out of the workforce for six years to attend to my son's special needs, but that it would inspire a whole new career passion as a special-education teacher. Now returning to the workforce with an education degree, I want to combine the communication skills honed through my past consulting experience with the knowledge I've gained as the mother of a special-needs child. I'm well prepared to design and deliver instruction, meet each child's special needs, and ensure that my students reach their full learning potential.

 

Return to main page of Surefire Cover-Letter Technique: Incorporating Stories

 

Purchase your copy today! Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get a Job and Propel Your Career

 

 

 

Quintessential Cover Letter Resources: Go to Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers, where you will find a collection of the best cover letter tools and resources for job-seekers, including articles, tutorials, samples, and more.

 

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

 

 

 

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