A couple of weeks ago I asked some experts to revisit a cover letter I wrote early in my career. Their reviews? “Verbose and methodical”; “does not capture my attention”; “vague.”

Well, fair enough. The revised version they offered up would’ve delighted 24-year-old me, with whom (and I realize I’m biased here) it’s easy to sympathize: When you’re only a few months or years into your career, you’re inexperienced as both an employee and as a job seeker. With so little by which to sell yourself and scant sense of how to do it strategically, it’s inevitable that you’ll write clumsy, boring, and (yes) “vague” cover letters and resumes at first...READ MORE HERE