An outstanding cover letter can help you stand out from the competition and win you that crucial first interview. Find out how.

By Nazry Bahrawi

You can think of a cover letter as a preface to what you’ve written in your résumé. “A badly written cover letter can spoil that first impression and damage your chances of an interview,” says Shao-Ning, Director of JobsFactory.

“The purpose of a cover letter is to promote your skills and experience as a single package,” continues Shao-Ning. “It should complement and not duplicate your résumé. It should explain your interest in the job or the organisation, and talk about your achievements. It is a chance to let the employer get a feel of your personality.”

This is in sharp contrast to your résumé, which is essentially a concise record of your education and employment information. The cover letter, on the other hand, offers you a chance to describe yourself in slightly greater detail. Let us go through some pointers on how you can write a winning cover letter.

General: Leaps over tall buildings in a single bound; is more powerful than a train; is faster than a speeding bullet; walks on water, and gives policy to God.

Colonel: Leaps over short buildings in a single bound; is more powerful than a Subaru WRX; is just as fast as a speeding bullet; walks on water if the sea is calm, and talks to God.

Captain: Scores high marks for trying to leap over buildings; is run over by trains; can sometimes handle a weapon without inflicting self-injury; can doggie-paddle, and talks to animals.

How many feet do mice have?

Original reply: Mice have four feet.

Manager’s comment: Elaborate!

Revision 1: Mice have five appendages; four of them are feet and one is a tail.

Manager’s comment: What? Feet with no legs?

Revision 2: Mice have four legs, four feet and one tail per unit-mouse.

Manager’s comment: You’re being too confusing! Is that a total of nine appendages?

Revision 3: Each mouse comes equipped with four legs and a tail. Each leg is equipped with a foot at the end opposite the body; the tail is not equipped with a foot.

A young undergraduate came running in tears to her father. “Dad, you gave me some terrible financial advice!”

“I did? What did I tell you?” asked her father.

“You told me to put my money in that big bank, and now that big bank is in trouble.”

“What are you talking about? That’s one of the largest banks in the country,” he exclaimed. “There must be some mistake.”

“I don’t think so,” she sniffed. “They just returned one of my cheques with a note saying, ‘Insufficient Funds’.”

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year but never keeping them? Here are some resolutions that you can actually accomplish! Enjoy!

1. Read less.
2. I want to gain weight. Put on at least 10kg.
3. Stop exercising. It’s a waste of time.
4. Watch more TV. You’ve been missing all the good stuff!
5. Procrastinate more.
6. Drink. Drink some more.
7. Start being superstitious.
8. Spend more time at work.
9. Bring lunch to the office. You won’t have much time to eat anyway.
10. Take up a new habit, such as instant messaging during office hours!

Much ado about olives.

ByJohn Yip

Fresh blood! That’s right, we’re referring to you misty-eyed fresh graduates with those bright, happy faces. You guys look like such a bunch of eager beavers that you almost make our hearts bleed. With joy. Well, let’s not sound too bitter on our first meeting shall we? A grand welcome to the world of work (muahahaha)!

By Joshua Rayan

You’ve received the call, and you’ve clinched a job interview. Congratulations! But don’t put down your guard yet, because there is still much to be done to make the most of that crucial interview.

By Rina Lim

Can Singapore become a global city of the arts, comparable to world cities like Paris and London? The Government certainly thinks we can, and it has pumped in a lot of resources to make it a reality. As it turns out though, the most critical transformation will come from within.

By Faith Ng and John Yip

Engineering is one of the main drivers of economic growth in our world today. Take advantage of this trend by studying the subject at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).