If you've prepared it properly, the answers should be a series of ringing "no's" your resume should be a mere sketch of your life, a bare bones summary of your skills, education and experience.
To the general we must add the specific. That's what your letters must accomplish adding the lines, colors and shading that will help fill out your self portrait. This chapter will cover the kinds of letters you will most often be called upon to prepare in your job search. There are essentially nine different types you will utilize again and again, based primarily on what each is trying to accomplish. I've included at least one well written example of each at the end of this chapter.
Before you put pencil to paper to compose any letter, there are five key questions you must ask yourself:
- Why are you writing it?
- To Whom?
- What are you trying to accomplish?.
- Which lead will get the reader's attention?
- How do you organize the letter to best accomplish your objectives?
- Why?
Have you been asked in an ad to amplify your qualifications for a job, provide a salary history and college transcripts? Then that (minimally) is your objective in writing. Limit yourself to following instructions and do a little personal selling but very little. Including everything asked for and a simple, adequate cover letter is better than writing a "knock 'em, sock 'em" letter and omitting your salary history.
If, however, you are on a networking search, the objective of your letter is to seek out contacts that will refer you for possible information or job interviews. In this case, getting a name and address a referral is your stated purpose for writing. You have to be specific and ask for this action.
You will no doubt follow up with a phone call, but be certain the letter conveys what you are after. Being vague or oblique won't help you. You are after a definite yes or no when it comes to contact assistance. The recipient of your letter should know this. As they say in the world of selling, at some point you have to ask for the order.
Who?
Using the proper "tone" in a letter is as important as the content you wouldn't write a letter to your television repairman using the same words and style you would employ in a letter to the director of personnel of a major company. Properly addressing the person or persons you are writing is as important as what you say to them.
Some hints to utilize: the recipient's job title and level, his or her hiring clout (if they are just a pass along conduit, save your selling for the next step up the ladder), the kind of person they are (based on your knowledge of their area of involvement).
For example, it pays to sound technical with technical people in other words, use the kinds of words and language which they use on the job. If you have had the opportunity to speak with them, it will be easy for you. If not, and you have formed some opinions as to their types then use these as the basis of the language you employ. The cardinal rule is to say it in words you think the recipient will be comfortable hearing, not in the words you might otherwise personally choose.
What?
What do you have to offer that company? What do you have to contribute to the job, process or work situation that is unique and/or of particular benefit to the recipient of your letter?
For example, if you were applying for a sales position and recently ranked number one in a summer sales job, then conveying this benefit is logical and desirable. It is a factor you may have left off your resume. Even if it was listed in your skills/accomplishment section of the resume, you can underscore and call attention to it in your letter. Repetition, when it is properly focused, can be a good thing.
Which?
Of all the opening sentences you can compose, which will immediately get the reader's attention? If your opening sentence is dynamic, you are already fifty percent of the way to your end objective having your entire letter read. Don't slide into it. Know the point you are trying to make and come right to it.
How?
While a good opening is essential, how do you organize your letter so that it is easy for the recipient to read in its entirety? This is a question of flow the way the words and sentences naturally lead one to another, holding the reader's interest until he or she reaches your signature.
If you have your objective clearly in mind, this task is easier than it sounds: Simply convey your message(s) in a logical sequence. End your letter by stating what the next steps are yours and/or the reader's.
One More Time
Pay attention to the small things. Neatness still counts. Have your letters typed. Spend a few extra dollars and have some personal stationary printed.
And most important, make certain that your correspondence is send out quickly. The general rule is to get a letter in the mail during the week in which the project comes to your attention or in which you have had some contact with the organization. I personally attempt to mail follow up letters the same day as the contact; at worst, within 24 hours.
When To Write
- To answer an ad
- To prospect (many companies)
- To inquire about specific openings (single company)
- To obtain a referral
- To obtain an informational interview
- To obtain a job interview
- To say "thank you"
- To accept or reject a job offer
- To withdraw from consideration for a job
Answering an Ad
Your eye catches an ad in the Positions Available Section of the Sunday paper for an assistant publicist. It tells you that the position is in a large publishing company and that, though some experience would be desirable, it is not required. Well, you possess those skills. The ad asks that you send a letter and resume to a Post Office Box. No salary is indicated, no phone number given. You decide to reply.
Your purpose in writing the objective (why?) is to secure a job interview. Since no individual is singled out for receipt of the ad, and since it is a large company, you assume it will be screened by Personnel.
Adopt a professional, formal tone. You are answering a "blind" ad, so you have to play it safe. In your first sentence, refer to the ad including the place and date of publication and the position outlined. (Chances are this company is running more than one ad on the same date and in the same paper, so you need to identify the one to which you are replying.) Tell the reader what (specifically) you have to offer that company. Include your resume, phone number and the times it is easiest to reach you. Ask for the order tell them you'd like to have an appointment.
Blanket Prospecting Letter
In June of this year you will graduate from a specialized four year insurance college. You seek a position (internship or full time employment) in a major insurer's underwriting department. You have decided to write to fifty top insurance companies, sending each a copy of your resume. You don't know which, if any, have job openings.
Such blanket mailings are effective given two circumstances: 1) You must have an exemplary record and a resume which reflects it, and 2) You must send out a goodly number of packages, since the response rate to such mailings is very low.
A blanket mailing doesn't mean an impersonal one you should always be writing to a specific executive. If you have a referral, send a personalized letter to that person. If not, do not simply mail a package to the Personnel department; identify the department head and then send a personalized letter. And make sure you get on the phone and follow up each letter within about ten days. Don't just sit back and wait for everyone to call you. They won't.
Just Inquiring
The inquiry letter is a step above the blanket prospecting letter; it's a "cold calling" device with a twist. You have earmarked a company (and a person) as a possibility in your job search based on something you have read about them. Your general research tells you that it is a good place to work. Although you are not aware of any specific openings, you know that they employ entry level personnel with your credentials.
While ostensibly inquiring about any openings, you are really just "referring yourself" to them in order to place your resume in front of the right person. This is what I would call a "why not?" attempt at securing a job interview. Its effectiveness depends on their actually having been in the news. This, after all, is your "excuse" for writing.
Networking
It's time to get out that folder marked "Contacts" and prepare a draft networking letter. The lead sentence should be very specific, referring immediately to the friend, colleague, etc. "who suggested I write you about..." Remember: Your objective is to secure an informational interview, pave the way for a job interview, and/or get referred to still other contacts.
This type of letter should not place the recipient in a position where a decision is necessary; rather, the request should be couched in terms of "career advice." The second paragraph can then inform the reader of your level of experience. Finally, be specific about seeking an appointment.
Unless you have been specifically asked by the referring person to do so, you will probably not be including a resume with such letters. So the letter itself must highlight your credentials, enabling the reader to gauge your relative level of experience. For entry level personnel, education, of course, will be most important.
For An Informational Interview
Though the objectives of this letter are similar to those of the networking letter, they are not as personal. These are "knowledge quests" on your part and the recipient will most likely not be someone you have been referred to. The idea is to convince the reader of the sincerity of your research effort. Whatever selling you do, if you do any at all, it comes through a meeting, not beforehand. A positive response to this type of request is in itself a good step forward. It is, after all, exposure, and amazing things can develop when people in authority agree to see you.
Thank You Letters
Although it may not always seem so, manners do count in the job world. But what counts even more are the simple gestures that show you actually care like writing a thank you letter. A well executed, timely thank you note tells more about your personality than anything else you may have sent. It says something about the way you were brought up whatever else your resume tells them, you are, at least, polite, courteous and thoughtful.
Thank you letters may well become the beginning of an all important dialogue that leads directly to a job. So be extra careful in composing them, and make certain that they are custom made for each occasion and person.
The following are the primary situations in which you will be called upon to write some variation of thank you letter:
- After a job interview
- After an informational interview
- Accepting a job offer
- Responding to rejection: While optional, such a letter is appropriate if you have been among the finalists in a job search or were rejected due to limited experience. Remember: Someday you'll have enough experience; make the interviewer want to stay in touch.
- Withdrawing from consideration: Used when you decide you are no longer interested in a particular position. (A variation is usable for declining an actual job offer.) Whatever the reason for writing such a letter, it's wise to do so and thus keep future lines of communication open.
