Enelow - Modernize Your Job Search Letters

MODERNIZE
YOUR CAREER
SERIES

MODERNIZE

Your Job
Search Letters

Get Noticed ... Get Hired

MASTER RESUME WRITERS

Wendy Enelow &
Louise Kursmark

Modernize Your Job Search Letters
Get Noticed ... Get Hired

Copyright 2017 by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark

ISBN 9780996680332

eISBN 9780996680318

Cover & Interior Design: Deb Tremper, Six Penny Graphics
http://sixpennygraphics.com

Distributor: Cardinal Publishers Group
www.cardinalpub.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a database or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Making copies of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Why an entire book about job search letters? It cant possibly be that complicated!

Why so many different types of letters? One would think that you could use the same letter every time you upload, email, or mail your resume.

What real purpose do job search letters serve? It seems as though no one reads them, so why bother?

The process of job search has become much more complex and competitive than in years past. To succeed, you must equip yourself with a portfolio of job search letters that will allow you to respond to different opportunities in a variety of ways: online, email, or good old-fashioned snail mail. (Yes, snail mail can still work in certain situations!)

In Modernize Your Job Search Letters: Get Noticed ... Get Hired, we begin with a chapter that outlines the strategies of effective job search letters. Youll find an in-depth discussion about the use of both traditional cover letters and modern-day e-notesa more concise, yet very informative style of letter that can be used as an email message or uploaded along with your resume when responding to a job posting.

In youll also find information about other essential modern letter-writing techniques and the ever-increasing importance of keywords for Applicant Tracking Systems (the technology that scans resumes, letters, and other documents to identify essential skills and qualifications).

Following that very important chapter, we introduce you to the 8 essential types of job search letters:

Job Posting Letters

Cold Call Letters

Recruiter Letters

Networking Letters

Referral Letters

Thank-You Letters

Letters for Challenging Job Search Situations

Job Proposal Letters

Youll find a chapter about each type of letter, with detailed explanations as to what it is, why you need it, when youll use it, and how to write it. In addition, each chapter includes 1030 different samples of that type of letter that you can use for inspiration as you write your own letters.

While not every job seeker will need each type of letter, youll certainly need a number of them, based on how you plan and manage your job search. Consider the following scenarios:

Responding to an online job posting: Youll most likely use a modern e-note to briefly, yet powerfully, communicate your qualifications that align with the companys hiring requirements. Job response letters can include all types of information, ranging from specific work experiences to special projects and notable achievements to strong academic credentialswhatever will instantly resonate with the employer.

Your e-note should convey a rich message of your value to that company for that specific position. And because it is short and to the point, it is quick and easy to read, an essential consideration for anyone whos hiring and has a multitude of candidate letters and resumes to review.

Writing to a recruiter: You can use an e-note or a more standard cover letter. In fact, your letter can be quite similar to the one you would send to a company in response to a job posting, assuming youre contacting that recruiter for the same type of opportunity.

However, often you will want to share information with a recruiter that you wouldnt initially share with a companysalary requirements, geographic preferences, special educational or health care needs for your children, and other more personal information.

Reaching out to your professional network: The tone, style, and substance of a networking letter will generally be quite different from the other 2 letters just mentioned.

Youll want to share your job objectives with your network contacts and remind them of the most notable experiences, achievements, or skill sets you have that relate to those objectives. Because youre writing to people you know, this letter is more informal. Your ultimate goal is to get referrals to their colleagues and contacts to further expand your network and uncover new opportunities.

Following up after an interview: The candidates who get the job offers are often the people who know how to play the job search game, and that means sending thank-you letters after every interview to each person that you metin person or virtually.

Well-written thank-you letters communicate that youre truly interested in the job opportunity and allow you to reiterate your most notable qualificationsthe things that make you unique, memorable, and distinctive.

Most importantly, todays modern job search letters are customized to each opportunity, sharing compelling and memorable informationskills, achievements, experiences, credentialsto position you as a top candidate. It might be that some people wont read your letters, but for all of those who do, your career story is what will set you apart fromand ahead ofothers vying for those same opportunities.

To provide you with the very best strategies and techniques to write powerful job search letters, we called on 50+ of our professional colleagues to contribute their letters to this book. With their contributions, you will enjoy a wide diversity of samples to help you write, format, and design powerful job search letters.

Be sure to use this book with its companionModernize Your Resume: Get Noticed ... Get Hired. With both books in your job search toolkit, youll be well prepared to tackle the competitive world of job search, stand out from the crowd of other candidates, clearly communicate your value, and win the offer.

And thats our goal in writing this book: to give you the tools you need to differentiate yourself from other job seekers and succeed in landing the opportunities that you want.

How to Use This Book

Weve structured this book to make it as easy as possible for you to find samples and information about the 8 distinct types of modern letters youll need to effectively manage your job search campaign.

a must-read for everyoneexplores the concepts, strategies, and techniques for writing and formatting modern job search letters and e-notes. We outline critical considerations for developing and presenting content in the most modern method possible to enhance the chances that your letters will get noticed, be read, and result in interview opportunities.

In each of the next 8 chapters, youll find detailed information on how to write and use each type of letter youll need in your search. We discuss what you want to achieve with each letter, share ideas for content, and give you a solid understanding of what your audience wants and expects. Pay special attention to if you face a challenging situationcareer change, military transition, post-incarceration, or a personal situation that may be a factor.