Use the power of letters to land the right job!
Don't spam! Your chances of moving beyond the original pile
increase every time you make a connection with a reader. You
actually communicate more when you prepare five targeted letters
than 50 generic ones.
Treat your cover letter as an opportunity to impress your target
employer. For example, when you arrange to send your letter to
the person making the hiring decision, you communicate that you
have researched the specific requirements of their company.
Contact the office and ask for the name of the manager
responsible for the department you are targeting before sending
your letter.
Do you have information to communicate to the person you have
selected?
If you have chosen a particular company as a target, you must
have something of interest to communicate. If you are unable to
think of anything that you believe would interest the reader,
you should not spend your time sending your resume or a letter
to this person. Instead, you should spend your time researching
companies in your sector, or any growth sector that hire people
with your abilities. When you select a target that is a better
match for your skills and experience, you will find that letter
writing can become a fairly easy job search task.
Focus on communicating that you are a perfect match!
You will generate more interest with a short informative letter
than a long document that places a demand on the reader's time.
Write a one-page letter with three or four paragraphs that is
organized to demonstrate how your background and abilities match
the immediate needs specified by the company. If you are not
responding to a specific advertisement, review a few online
advertisements or job descriptions that match the job you are
preparing to secure. Search for these description using the
title/s of the position you are targeting.
When you have found the right information, identify the key
points and requirements specified by the company. Start by
selecting positions that you match at least 75% of the key
requirements. Rate their requirements (based on your
interpretation) from most important to the least important then
match their top two or three requirements to your significant
accomplishments, even if this requires selecting skills that you
do not consider your most valuable.
Does this person have the skills we need to meet the
requirements of this position?
When you answer this question in your cover letter, you lead the
reader to your resume, and one step closer to landing the job
you really want. Your cover letter should match, but not repeat,
word-for-word the information detailed in your resume. Reword
the relevant accomplishments that you have chosen to highlight
in your letter.