Cover Letters

  Job Searching by Mail

  Does this sound like you’re going to do a mail order job search? Mailing out cover letters/resumes has
  become a popular job search method. This job search method eliminates immediate anxiety or immediate
  rejection, making it a common and tempting job search method.
 
  This job search method is similar to fishing. The more casts you make the more chance of getting a fish.
  One problem is that the fish have all the power to determine what will happen next. This same "power to
  determine" is given to employers who receive your resume and cover letter

  The most common mistakes made with cover letters and resumes are:

 

• Cover letters often tend to be a "form" letter. A common mistake is writing one letter and changing only the name of the recipient.
• Developing only one resume and using that same resume for all positions.
• Resumes that are too crammed together and lack sufficient "white space" to be easily reviewed. (Most readers give a resume 30 seconds of time to review.)
• A belief that the recipient must respond back to your inquiry.
• Lack of a timely follow-up call or follow-up correspondence.

 To beat the majority of your competition at getting an interview, avoid the common errors
 mentioned previously.

  To effectively use a cover letter and resume you must have:

 

• a specific person to receive the correspondence,
• a resume that clearly outlines your skills and abilities as they relate to each position you seek,
• a timely follow-up to correspondence (a telephone call insures that the person matches you to your skills),
• an alternate plan for your follow-up call in case the contact person tries to "brush you off " (you might ask for additional networking contact names or feedback on your skills, etc.),
• your telephone number in the last paragraph of the cover letter,
• an answering machine so the person can call you back and leave a message if you are not available, and
• a good tracking system which includes a job search tracking sheet for each letter sent and a job search calendar to plan follow-up calls and schedule interviews.

  Job Searching by mail can get you more interviews if you use some basic techniques and follow-up every
  correspondence with a telephone call. If you have sent a cover letter and resume to someone you have
  not talked to before, be ready to get around the gatekeepers who will be screening unscheduled callers,
  see the brochure "Getting Around the Gatekeepers".

  It is also important to have a short telephone script (card resume) that summarizes your skills
  and abilities. This will ensure that, in less than 40 seconds, you can provide a succinct, clear outline
  of your skills (see the Telephone Script brochure # 11).

  The Cover Letter is designed to cause the reader to want to read your resume. The resume is designed
  to cause the reader to want to visit with you and/or interview you. The interview is where the employer
  will determine if you get the job. Another option to the standard cover letter and resume is the Impact
  Letter, combining the cover letter, resume, and letter of reference into one hard hitting letter to an
  employer (see the Impact Letter brochure # 5).

  We have talked about both the cover letter and resume, but for now let's concentrate on the cover letter.
  The cover letter has many names, such as, application, networking, prospecting letter, etc. The cover
  letter serves to inform the reader of your reason for writing and to encourage the reader to carefully
  review your resume. For example, if you were applying for a current opening, you would send a letter of
  application; or, if you were seeking an unadvertised position, you would send out a prospecting letter.