Yate - Knock em dead cover letters: cover letters and strategies to get the job you want

Throughout this book, the words mail, letter, and email are intended to be interchangeable, unless otherwise noted. Written communications can be delivered by either email or traditional mail, with the majority of us using email for most communications today. However, you shouldnt ignore traditional mail, because when you do something other job hunters arent doing, you stand out.

As no one gets much traditional mail anymore, when you follow my directions and identify recruiters and hiring managers by name, you can send your resume by email, and by traditional mail as well: Your envelope will stand out and offer a break from the computer screen.

I know this sounds crazy so let me give you an example. I gave this advice to a client from Microsoft. He objected that he was with a leading tech company and would look foolish sending traditional letters. Then he sighed and said, Well you seem to know how things work, so Ill give it a shot. On a Thursday he sent out five letters; by the following Wednesday he had received three calls in response. On Wall Street they call going against general consensus contrarian thinking, and when, like this, it is based on sound thinking the results are often remarkable... Oh, and one of those calls led directly to his next job.

When you integrate this clever little tactic into the four-approach plan of attack you learn in Knock em Dead, it can quadruple the number of your job interviews.

Also effective when sending your resume to someone by email, is to also attach the cover letter as a second document with your resume. This means that when the resume is circulated physically, the cover letter is more likely to go with it. One note of caution: Never put a cover letter followed by your resume into one document. It doesnt work; the letter may get read but the resume very often gets overlooked. If you try this, be sure to attach two separate documents.

There is one type of job search letter that you will always want to format and print out as a traditional letter: your resignation letter. These letters are important because your career is likely to span fifty-plus years, and you have no idea whom you will meet again and under what circumstances. Thus in leaving a company you always want it to be on good terms.

Resigning by email will be seen as insulting and unprofessional. A resignation really has to be done in person, and youll find that using a printed resignation letter can help ease an always-difficult situation. Heres how you do it with the most finesse and least awkwardness:

1. Have the resignation letter typed and in an envelope.
2. Ask for a meeting. This may happen immediately, so always have the letter ready before making the meeting request. Walk into the managers office, sit down, and say, I need to give you this. Offer the letter and sit quietly while your manager reads it. The letter does all the difficult work with words youd likely never be able to get out in such a stressful situation.

There is a section with well-worded resignation letters later in the book. When worded along the suggested lines, the conversation that follows should be smooth and focused on the transition. The result is that you avoid coming across as angry or a bumbling idiot. Instead you are seen as a poised professional doing things the right wayand as you dont know when youll meet again, leaving a good impression is always the smart move.

A good cover letter and subsequent follow-up letters can speed your candidacy through the four stages all employers go through in the recruitment, screening, and selection cycle. They wont win you the job in and of themselves, but they can make a big difference in the way you are perceived, helping you stand out from the competition. The four stages are:

1. Long-list development. Multiple recruitment strategies to develop the largest manageable field of qualified candidates, usually ten to twelve.
2. Short-list development. The long list of candidates is screened for best-fit-to-the-job, reducing the long list to four to six candidates. Those who make the cut become the short list, and are invited in for an interview, after first passing the additional screening of a telephone interview. A folder is created for each candidate, including both print and electronic docs.
3. Short-list prioritization. Through a series of interviews, usually one, two, or three, the short-list candidates are ranked for ability and fit.
4. Short-list review and decision. Each candidates folder is reviewed one last time before the final decision. The folder will include your resume, the employers notes, and any cover and follow-up letters you have been smart enough to send during the interview process. These letters make additional points, clear up mistakes and omissions, and serve to brand you as a competent professional.

C HAPTER 1:
Cover Letters: The Secret Weapon of Your Job Search

Cover letters are the secret weapon that adds a personal dimension to your job search and multiplies your impact. The five components that make a cover letter work.