How many times have you replied to a job ad via e-mail by shooting them a copy of your resume and cover letter? I’m going to venture a guess and say at least 20 (but more likely hundreds of times) if you’ve been searching for any significant length of time. Here are some of the most notorious mistakes —and what you can do to greatly improve your chances of being noticed.

Attaching the cover letter to the e-mail.

What’s wrong with that, you ask? Most hiring managers aren’t going to open the cover letter and read it. They’ll go straight to the resume instead. Want to ensure your cover letter gets read? Copy and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Whoever received the e-mail will be much more likely to read it if it’s already right there in front of their face.

Writing your whole life story in the body of the e-mail.

Don’t go overboard with details; keep it short. The hiring manager won’t be willing to invest a lot of time reading your e-mail. Keep it short and to the point.

Providing information not relevant to the position.

Here is a great example. If I want to bring an additional resume/cover letter writer on staff, I’m not looking for someone with technical writing expertise, article writing skills, or journalism savvy. Those forms of writing aren’t relevant to what I need. I want a writer who has extensive expertise and certification in resume writing. If someone goes on and on in their cover letter (or in the body of the e-mail) about all their other writing experience, they will lose my interest.  Instead, I want them to tell me about their most relevant experience as it relates to my needs.  I want them to tell me about any resume writing experience they have. Give the hiring manager a brief overview of the most relevant experience you have, appropriate to the position they are trying to fill. This will pique their interest—rather than lose it.

Excluding information they’ve specifically asked you to include.

Depending on the position, the employer may ask you to submit a sample of your work, portfolio, hours of availability, or even salary requirements. Whatever it is they’ve asked you to include, make sure you include it in your cover letter. If not, you will most certainly be removed from consideration for failing to follow instructions. Following instructions and acknowledging everything the employer has asked you to address in the job ad not only saves the employer time but makes you look good. I can tell you this from experience because 9 out of 10 applicants will fail to address every stipulation the employer has listed. It happens to us all the time.

Not using a cover letter at all.

You are selling yourself short by not including at least a brief introduction. Especially if the employer outlines specific requirements. Take the time to write, “I see you need someone with availability to work nights and weekends; I would enjoy working these hours and am available to do so.” Or, “I have included a sample of my work for your consideration along with my resume. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Forgetting to tell them why you’re the best fit.

Let me tell you about one of  THE BEST cover letters I’ve ever seen: I could tell this person put effort into it—and she took the time to specifically and meticulously review our job requirements. She scrutinized the requirements and detailed in her cover letter how she had experience meeting those needs. It was applicable, relevant, and attention getting. It was probably one of the only cover letters that actually made us want to read the corresponding resume.

Using a boring closing statement.

Instead of using the same old boring line, spice it up a bit. One of the more daring cover letter closings I have read closed with, “Call today, don’t delay.” I applauded her boldness and had to call her. The closing was confident, feisty, and it certainly grabbed my attention. Not to mention the entire cover letter addressed everything she brought to the table as a potential employee and how these elements were relevant to meeting our needs.

What I am trying to get you to see is boring the hiring manager with details  not relevant to the opening—or not making the most of the space and time you’re getting is really to your detriment. Instead, take the time to write something catchy, relevant, and targeted to the position for which you are applying. Sure, it may take a few extra minutes—but in the end, if you get the interview, won’t it be worth it?

Is a micromanager the boss of you?

Join the crowd.

A recent workplace survey revealed that four out of five people-managers and workers alike-know firsthand the woes of being micromanaged. Micromanagers hurt productivity and morale-and often drive others away. In fact, one out of three people has changed jobs because of a micromanager.

The good news?

You’re neither hopeless nor helpless.

There’s a lot you can do to survive and succeed with a “my way” boss. But, first, you’ve got to understand his behavior-and exactly how he manages to disrupt people and performance.

Defining the behaviors

Micromanagers get a bad wrap-most often as “control freaks.” Yet, to really understand and deal with a “micro” boss, it’s important to know the five specific behaviors that define micromanagers.

• They exercise raw power — Micromanagers love to flex their muscles-asserting their power and authority just because they can. While unable to subordinate themselves, they control others with an uncompromising sense of entitlement and self-interest.
• They dictate time — Micromanagers like to control and manipulate others’ time. They don’t trust people to assess their own workload, so they routinely dictate priorities and distort deadlines. And while they guard their own time with an iron fist, they’re notorious for interrupting others, misusing and mismanaging meetings, and perpetuating crises.
• They control how work gets done — Micromanagers want everything to be done their way. After all, the boss knows best-or so they think. They dismiss others’ knowledge, experience, and ideas-no matter how good-then hover over them to make sure they’re doing things “right.”
• They require undue approvals — Micromanagers share responsibility, but not authority. As the bottlenecks of the workplace, they allow no one to move forward without their approval-even on routine or time-sensitive matters.
• They demand frequent and unnecessary reports — Micromanagers are driven to know what’s going on. They monitor others to death-requiring a stream of needless reports that focus on activity over outcomes.

Getting real

Taking personal responsibility is where the rubber hits the road. If you’re really serious about succeeding with a micromanager, it’s essential to understand the realities.

• You are not a victim — Victims have no options. You’ve got plenty of them. While the most extreme option is to quit, why not try to improve the situation before you pack up and go? Besides, micromanagers are everywhere!
• It’s not about fixing him — You can’t “fix” a micromanager or force him to change on his own. You can, however, find your own influence to defuse his disruptive behaviors.
• Your situation is what it is — Focusing on what your situation “should” be saps energy and creativity. Instead, deal in the real world by looking at your situation for what it really is.
• You can’t change everything — Some factors are well beyond your control, so get over them and focus your energy and influence where it will really pay off.

Defusing the disruptive behaviors

There are a variety of strategies for dealing with a micromanager. Again, none of them are about “fixing” him. Instead, they’re about working to defuse his disruptive behaviors-starting with some practical, sure-fire tips.

• Find out his agenda — Everyone has an agenda, especially the micromanager. Figure out what’s really important to him, then work with him-not against him.
• Take the information initiative — The micromanager is driven to know what’s going on. Don’t wait to be asked for information. Find out what he needs to feel confident and comfortable, then get it to him-ahead of time.
• Practice the “art” of communication — No one fears inertia more than the micromanager. Show that you’re in motion on priority projects by communicating in three specific terms- awareness, reassurance, and timelines.
• Stay clear on expectations — Confusion runs high with the micromanager-turning expectations into a fast-moving target. Clarify your conversations and agreements in a trail of memos and e-mails.
• Renegotiate priorities — The micromanager is notorious for piling it on. Come up with a simple, straightforward method-such as a numerical or color-coded system- for renegotiating the ever-shifting priorities.
• Be preemptive on deadlines — The micromanager loves to impose and even distort deadlines. Be the first to talk-offering a timeline for when you can do a task (not when you can’t).
• Play by the rules — The micromanager enjoys catching people in the act. Avoid being an easy target and play by the rules-particularly on policies regarding time and technology.
• Learn from the “best practices” of others — The micromanager backs off with some more than others. Watch them closely to learn the secrets of their success.
• Pick your battles — The micromanager will go to war on every issue. Don’t try to match him. Instead, pick the battles that are most important to you.

Taking the “I” out of micromanager

And what if you are a micromanager? You can overcome your own “micro” tendencies if you’re willing to confront and change them-before they compromise your career. Figure out what you’re afraid of. Seek 360 feedback. And get a coach to develop some new “replacement” behaviors.

How would you feel if you possessed a nicely polished resume that projects and elevates your level of professionalism? More confident? More positive? I bet!

Crafting a dynamic resume that is also a great selling tool is more time-consuming than 30 minutes. Yet, with the following quick and easy visual and marketing ‘styleover’ tips, you will begin to distinguish yourself from the job search mob in half an hour! That sounds good. Doesn’t it?

Tip 1: Check spacing and make sure your page margins are set to at least a .07 all around. This will not only ensure your resume is inviting but that it meets universal printing standards (abating printing issues).

Tip 2: Bold your name and enlarge the font to 16 pt. or 18 pt. Also, centering your name is a great way to make immediate impact.

Tip 3: Separate your personal contact information with a bullet or divider, providing great visual appeal and easy email and phone number identification.

Tip 4: Add your target Job Title to introduce your Summary or Profile instead of the more common labels such as “Qualifications Profile or just Summary.” This will help you add a great resume keyword right at the top and will lend to your expert image/ brand.

Tip 5: Edit your Summary or Profile, ensuring sentences end quickly; combine ideas and try to limit this introductory paragraph to five to six lines. This will help create a nice crisp look and you will deliver your marketing message more clearly.

Tip 6: Go through the rest of your resume and remove all orphan words (words left on a line by themselves). This just causes an unorganized look and it really isn’t necessary.

Tip 7: Bold resume sections (Employment, Education, etc.) and enlarge the font size to 14 pt. This will nicely separate the areas of your resume and guide readers through.

Tip 8: Group job accountabilities together in a paragraph form, separating from achievements. Keep the number of sentences to no more than six. People lose interest when paragraphs are long-winded. Plus, long sentences and paragraphs makes it easier for your message to become convoluted.

Tip 9: Separate your achievements (how you actually performed and the results you generated) from the job description. Bullet them to no more than five to six bullets; any more than that will look too busy and unwelcoming to the reader.

Tip 10: Ensure you have begun all bulleted sentences with action verbs.

Tip 11: Make sure all your bullets line up and match! Inconsistency screams sloppiness and conveys unprofessionalism.

Tip 12: Eliminate any hobbies or personal information (picture, marital status, age, religious associations). These do not belong on your resume.

Tip 13: Read the entire resume aloud to catch awkward phrases end errors. As you read aloud, analyze if what you have just read is relevant to your new career target, if not–remove it!

Tip 14: Check if you have created a second page that is at least a third full. There is no excuse for a second page with just a few lines on it.

Tip 15: Remove the phrase, References Available Upon Request—this is very antiquated and unnecessary.

The number one business killer is lack of cash.  More new businesses fail from lack of capitalization than any other factor.  Of course, this is especially true in times like these, when credit is harder than usual to get and much more expensive. 

Oddly enough, profit is not as important during a downturn as cash.  It seems like a paradox, but you can run an extremely profitable business that still fails because it doesn’t have enough cash.  Cash is the blood that has to pump through the business to keep it viable.  A profitable business with no cash flow will soon be a dead business. 

Given that cash flow is vital, your attention should be focused on doing the things that generate cash—especially closing deals quickly and collecting deferred payments—or that reduce its outflow.  Reduce expenses where you can, but beware of making cuts that hurt your potential for closing deals and bringing new cash in.  It may not hurt to reduce your building maintenance but cutting back on lead generation could have a serious negative impact on your future. 

Dr. Reed Holden, author of Pricing with Confidence: Ten Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table argues that survival must be the number one goal in difficult times.  “Survival pricing focuses on immediate pricing actions businesses need to take in order to make it through a deep and potentially long financial crisis,” he says.  He recommends using incremental cost pricing to keep money flowing into the system and searching for services that will keep customer costs low and service levels high.  You can read his nine other specific recommendations for avoiding death by cash strangulation at http://reedholden.wordpress.com. 

But most smart, experienced business people know how to manage their cash.  A bigger challenge is figuring out how to manage our attitude. 

In a financial downturn, panic is the enemy of good thinking and good manners.  We find business owners and managers forgetting to treat employees with respect, failing to be patient and empathetic with clients. 

A positive attitude goes a long way to establishing the momentum for success.  If you treat clients and opportunities without desperation, if you maintain an optimistic outlook, you pull others toward you.  That’s exactly the kind of attitude your clients and employees want to be near.  Not anger, not resentment, and certainly not fear.  No, they want to be near somebody who exudes confidence and a positive frame of mind. 

Plus, it’s worth making the effort to treat clients and employees with respect.  One thing we all know is that the economic climate will change again, and when it does you want your clients to have strong, positive memories of working with you through the bad times.  You want them to come back eagerly when things turn around. 

Sadly, maintaining an upbeat, respectful attitude is sometimes more difficult than maintaining cash flow!  It may be easier to track the numbers and make appropriate choices on pricing and cost containment than it is to monitor our own emotions and resist the temptation to succumb to fear or negativity. 

The end of the year is a good time to reflect on your business’s progress over the past year and plan how you want your business to develop. Do you want increased success in 2010 or the chance to enjoy the success you’ve achieved more? These top 10 New Year’s resolutions are designed to help you strike a better work-life balance, so you can achieve a truly satisfying success in the New Year.

1. Learn how to delegate and do more of it.

There are so many things to do when you’re running a small business, it’s easy to delude ourselves that we need to do all of them. Then we wonder why we’re so tired and frazzled and have no time to do anything else! Determine Your Personal Return on Investment, and decide to let someone else do some of the tasks for a change. Delegation is the key to a healthy work-life balance.

2. Promote your business regularly and consistently.

Too often the task of promoting a small business slips to the bottom of the to-do list in the press of urgent tasks. If you want to attract new customers, you have to make promotion a priority. Make a New Year’s resolution to hire a marketing expert, or take the time to create a marketing plan on your own and follow through.

3. Make business planning a weekly event.

Planning is vital if you want a healthy, growing business. Business planning lets you take stock of what worked and what didn’t work, and helps you set new directions or adjust old goals. So why do it just once a year or once a quarter? Set aside time each week to review, adjust, and look forward - or even better, make business planning a part of each day. Not only will this help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on track, but you’ll feel more focused and relaxed.

4. Learn something new.

What you choose to learn may be directly related to your business or completely unrelated. Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension of interest to your life - another important part of achieving a healthy work-life balance. Depending on how you choose to learn, you may meet new and interesting people, who may become customers, colleagues, or friends. How will you find the time to learn something new? By delegating, remember?

5. Join a new business organization or networking group.

There’s nothing like talking to other business people for sparking new ideas, refining old ones, and making contacts. Whether it’s a group specifically designed for networking or an organization dedicated to a particular type of business, in person or over the Net, making the effort to be a part of a group will revitalize you and your business.

6. Give something back to your community.

There are all kinds of worthy organizations that make a difference in your community. Make a New Year’s resolution to find a cause that matters to you, and give what you can. Make this the year that you serve on a committee, be a mentor, volunteer, or make regular donations to the groups in your community that try to make the place you live a better place. And those that give get.

7. Put time for you on your calendar.

All work and no play is a recipe for mental and physical disaster. So if you have trouble freeing up time to do the things you enjoy, write time regularly into your schedule to “meet with yourself” and stick to that commitment. If you won’t invest in yourself, who will?

8. Set realistic goals.

Goal setting is a valuable habit - if the goals lead to success rather than distress. Make a New Year’s resolution that the goals you set will be goals that are achievable, rather than unrealistic pipe dreams that are so far out of reach they only lead to frustration.

9. Don’t make do; get a new one.

Is there a piece of equipment in your office that’s interfering with your success or something that you lack that’s making your working life harder? Whether it’s an old fax machine that’s a pain to use, or the need for a new employee to lighten your work load, make a New Year’s resolution to stop putting off getting what you need. The irritation of making do just isn’t worth it.

10. Drop what’s not working for you and move on.

All products aren’t going to be super sellers, all sales methods aren’t going to work for everyone, and all suppliers or contractors aren’t going to be ideally suited to your business. If a technique or a product or a business relationship isn’t working for you, stop using it. Don’t invest a lot of energy into trying to make the unworkable workable. Move on. Something better will turn up.

Achieving a healthy work-life balance is like maintaining a good relationship; you have to keep working on it. But if you apply these New Year’s resolutions throughout the year, your success is guaranteed!

So how should you behave when your boss is the host?   Some business experts who have seen the best and worst office party behavior were recently polled.   What follows is a list of their tips for “Surviving Your Holiday Office Party with Your Face and Your Job Intact.”

1. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Even if your boss is named Ebenezer, you should show up at your company office party.  “You cannot skip these parties,” said Margery Sinclair, etiquette teacher and head of Good Manners are Good Business in Glendale.  “You have to put in an appearance.  This is an extension of the business office.”

2. Mind your threads.  Dress appropriately. (Hint: Leave the “desperate housewife” lingerie look at home).  “Avoid the too-toos - too short, too tight, too transparent, too low-cut.  Cleavage is not in good taste at an office party,” says Sinclair.  Sometimes party invitations will specify festive attire, “but nobody knows what that means,” she said.  What it means is: bright colors.  Black is always sophisticated, but color says “holidays.”  If the party is being held at an elegant locale, dress up.  For women, that means pulling the better fabrics - silks, satins, velvets - out of storage.  men, it means an overcoat and shirt with a tie and “nice dress slacks,” Lewis said.

3. Watch the clock (in a good way).  Just like your mom told you: Arrive on time.”  But leave early, don’t overstay,” Sinclair advised.  “An hour and a half is time enough.  Tact is the pleasant side of truth, so if you say you have another party to go to, that’s all right.  Perhaps that ‘other party’ is for the two of you at home.”

4. Come with ‘tude in tune.  The party is being given for your benefit, so leave your Grinch personality and memories of lousy raises at home.  Elizabeth Meinz, special event coordinator at Trocadero, 1758 N. Water St. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), has seen employee attitude make or break holiday events.”  Guests should attend parties realizing that it is being given for their benefit,” she said.  ” So people should have some gratitude for the party instead of acting like, ‘We’re here and we should get whatever we want,’ and being ultra-demanding.  Come to enjoy yourself and realize a lot of planning has gone into this, so have a good time.”

5. Bag the booze. Career planning experts agree that staying sober is the most important “do” at any office party. Alcohol clouds judgment. At the time, you may feel that doing your Rambo impression makes you look dashing, but your boss may think differently when he sees the digital pictures of you wearing your silk polka dot tie as a headband with a plastic knife between your teeth. In fact, most company party horror stories begin at the bar.” Whenever they drink too much, things go wrong,” said Marc Bianchini, co-owner of Cubanitas, 728 N. Milwaukee St., and Osteria, 1028 E. Juneau Ave., venues that host dozens of holiday parties each year. ” They start having it out with their co-workers and it gets a little hostile.” Remember that you have to face your colleagues again on Monday, warned Dawn Rosenberg McKay, guide of the Career Planning Site on About.com (careerplanning.about.com).” The director of a graduate program threw a party for his fellow faculty and students at his house. He got so drunk that he tripped over his dog, who in turn bit him on his posterior,” McKay said in an e-mail. “Imagine getting up in front of a class after that . . . or running a staff meeting?” How much alcohol should you knock back? Several experts advise a one-drink maximum, but Sinclair has another suggestion:”A beverage is a beverage is a beverage. Having a drink in your hand makes you look sociable, but that just means liquid. It could be vodka, or apple juice or water.”

6. Mingle. Office experts suggest that parties are not the time to shrink into the wallpaper. Mike Halloran, program coordinator and instructor for the management development department at Milwaukee Area Technical College, suggests you prime yourself by learning the names of the senior corporate biggies who will be at the party too. Then, said Halloran: “Go around and introduce yourself to everyone at the party. Start at the top and work yourself down.”

7. Talk the talk. Now that you’re mingling, what do you say? The trick is coming armed with “the gift of conversation,” said Debra Fine, author of “The Fine Art of Small Talk” (Hyperion; $16.95).” Have two or three things to talk about in your head,” Fine said. “The worst time to think about what to talk about is when you don’t have anything to talk about. Tell people your name and help people play the conversation game with you. Have some ice-breakers ready.”Some suggestions: “Hi, what’s your connection to the firm?” “What are your plans for the holidays?” and “Bring me up to date on your life.” Guaranteed conversation deflators include: “Do you have kids?” (If the answer is no, there’s no place to go from there.) Also, Fine warns, at all costs avoid deadly faux pas like “Are those real?” - whether you’re referring to diamond earrings, or anything else. And under no circumstances should you traffic in office gossip. You never know who is standing behind you.

8. Skirt the flirt. This is an office party, not a singles bar.

9. Leash guests. First, make sure guests are welcome at your office event. Then find out if your colleagues are bringing significant others; you both may feel twitchy if you bring the only non-employee. Guests should also be savvy enough to follow the same rules you have to follow. “Their actions could damage your reputation as well,” McKay warned.

10. And, last, leave the leftovers. There’s nothing that says “greed” to your boss like seeing you try to sneak out the door with buffet booty in a doggie bag.