This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Adrianne writes:
I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I found your
article on researching a company to be very useful.
I also understand that cover letters should be specific. But to
avoid writing “dear sir/madam,” I wonder what one can do if the
company’s human resources department does not want to divulge
the name of who is assessing the applicants?
The Career Doctor responds:
The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers
to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when
you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from job-seekers is the ever-increasing
difficulty in reaching or following-up with a hiring manager.
So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail,
or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can
get you the information — this is the real power of networking.
A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about
asking people for jobs — and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information —
about people, companies, and, yes, job leads. A strong network will provide
you with plenty of information and resources to help your job search. And
having this information will give you the inside edge in the job hunt.
Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the
whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now
and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there
helping you!
And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “Dear hiring manager,” or “Dear
hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
- applicants,
- companies,
- cover letters,
- hiring manager,
- human resources department,
- job hunt,
- job leads,
- job search,
- job-seekers,
- networking,
- reciprocation,
- technology trends
Why would you went to employ storytelling in cover letters — or indeed in any part of your job search?
Cover letters offer job-seekers great latitude to tell stories because letters are quite compatible with the narrative form.
In a cover letter, you can engage the employer, make an emotional connection, show results, and become instantly memorable by including at least one paragraph in the form of a powerful story. Not all employers read cover letters (about a third don’t),
but those who read, do truly read the letter, unlike the resume, which they almost always skim.
Quintessential Careers’ article on integrating stories in cover letters details the types of stories you can tell in a cover letter and provides examples of how to tell them. The article is excerpted from the book Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get a Job and Propel Your Career, releasing April 1, 2009.
Types of stories you can tell in a cover letter:
- Stories of early interest in your career path and determination to reach your career goal.
- Stories that depict your motivation, enthusiasm, and passion for the job you seek.
- Stories describing specific projects you’ve led or collaborated on, including results.
- Stories detailing problems you’ve solved for your employers.
- Stories describing other accomplishments and successes.
- Stories that reveal your personality.
- Stories describing long-term interest in, knowledge of, and admiration for the organization you’re targeting.
- Stories that describe how well you fit in with the organization’s culture, values, and mission.
- Stories — for new graduates — of how your education has prepared you for the targeted job.
- Stories that touch the heartstrings.
- Stories to back up your claims about yourself.
- Stories that tell how you are uniquely qualified for the targeted job.
- Stories that capitalize on networking contacts.
- Stories to explain unusual or potentially negative situations.
- Stories to explain a career change.
- Future stories that address employer needs and challenges and tell how you would address those issues.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
When it comes to cover letters, have you got writer’s block? Do you feel that if you could just start the letter, you’d be OK? Writing help is here with Quintessential Careers’ large collection of job-seeker cover-letter openers for all cover-letter writing situations. That opening paragraph is the most important of your letter, setting the tone and grabbing the reader’s attention to ensure he or she will continue reading (and then review your resume).
With this new Quint Careers tool-set, you’ll find dynamic cover-letter opening paragraphs, including more than 100 customizable openers — with accompanying sample paragraphs showing each opener in action.
The Customizable Cover Letter Opening Paragraphs and Samples include:
Customizable Opening Paragraphs for Cover Letters for …
- Uninvited (Prospecting) Letters
- Invited (Job Ad) Letters
- Letters for College Students and New Grads
- Letters for Students and New Grads of Graduate and Professional Schools
- Letters for Students Seeking Internships
- Letters to Recruiters, Headhunters, Executive Search Firms
- Referral Letters that Spring from Networking
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Linda Matias of Career Strides offers these sample opening sentences for cover letters:
- Sample #1: I am a dependable, quality-focused professional with a consistent record of meeting and exceeding employer requirements. As I am currently seeking new employment opportunities, I would like to present my resume for your review and consideration.
- Sample #2: I am writing to express my interest in your current opening for a ; therefore, please allow me to submit my resume for your review. Having served in sales and operational leadership roles for the past 10 years, with continued success in meeting business/operational goals, I am confident that I can make a valuable contribution to your organization’s future projects and initiatives.
- Sample #3: I noted your advertisement for a with a great deal of interest, as your candidate description appears to be an excellent match for my background and skills. Therefore, I have enclosed my resume for your review and consideration.
- Sample #4: I am a highly motivated employee with a consistent record of going the extra mile to meet corporate objectives. As I am currently seeking new employment opportunities, I would like to present my resume for your review and consideration.
- Sample #5: I am a conscientious, organized professional with a 15+-year career and a consistent record of meeting employers’ requirements and goals. As I am currently seeking new employment opportunities, I would like to present my resume for your review and consideration.
Certified in all three areas of the job search—Certified Interview Coach ™ (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), Linda Matias is also the author of How to Say It: Job Interviews (Prentice Hall Press, August 2007). You can contact Linda Matias at linda@careerstrides.com or visit her website www.careerstrides.com for additional career advice and to view resume samples.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anonymous writes:
I have applied several times to a particular company and just discovered,
much to my horror, that I had been spelling the city’s name wrong (at least
three applications so far). It’s a two-word name and I made it one word.
Worse, it’s a company I do business with regularly and that’s one of my “ins”
into the company, my “knowledge” of them, and yet I didn’t know such a
small thing. How embarrassing, but worse, how damaging to my credibility.
I just applied for THE position I had been waiting for and it was after I mailed
that letter that I realized the mistake I had been making. I was hoping so
much to finally get an interview with this company and now this. Is there any
way to recover from this error? Should I follow-up with an “at least I’m
consistent” light-hearted, letter or hope they didn’t notice as it was going to
a different department?
The Career Doctor responds:
If the job you are applying for is that of an editor or proofreader, then perhaps
it’s a major blunder, but otherwise I think you can just let this error be. In the
great scheme of cover letters, it is MUCH more important to get the name of
the hiring manager and name of the company spelled correctly — and I am
assuming you did that.
Look at DeLand, where I am based. Most of the mailed correspondence I get
spells it as Deland, and don’t even get me started about how people pronounce
it. Regardless, while I would of course recommend all job-seekers have perfect
spelling and grammar in your cover letters, I would not make a big deal of your
oversight.
I might be concerned, however, about someone who has applied for three
different positions within the company. Are the positions similar? Do you
have any sense why you were not interviewed for the previous positions? If you
do have a few contacts within the company, I would ask them whether there is
any “word” on your reputation from the people within the departments you are
applying to.
And speaking of cover letters, wanted to share this comment from a job-seeker
who had asked me how to make a bigger impact with his cover letter for an
internship — and I told him to deliver it to the manager personally, but when
doing so to be prepared for an on-the-spot interview, which is just what happened:
“Just writing to thank you again for your advice with my cover letter for an
internship and how to deliver it. I found the manager’s name, and went to
deliver my letter to her today. She was so impressed with my initiative of
actually delivering the letter by hand, that she interviewed me on the spot,
and wants to set up a more formal interview in the near future. Thanks so
much, your edits and advice about actually hand-delivering the letter were
invaluable, and I really appreciate your time.”
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Adrianne writes:
I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I found your
article on researching a company to be very useful.
I also understand that cover letters should be specific. But to
avoid writing “dear sir/madam,” I wonder what one can do if the
company’s human resources department does not want to divulge
the name of who is assessing the applicants?
The Career Doctor responds:
The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers
to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when
you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from job-seekers is the ever-increasing
difficulty in reaching or following-up with a hiring manager.
So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail,
or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can
get you the information — this is the real power of networking.
A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about
asking people for jobs — and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information —
about people, companies, and, yes, job leads. A strong network will provide
you with plenty of information and resources to help your job search. And
having this information will give you the inside edge in the job hunt.
Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the
whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now
and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there
helping you!
And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “Dear hiring manager,” or “Dear
hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
- applicants,
- companies,
- cover letters,
- hiring manager,
- human resources department,
- job hunt,
- job leads,
- job search,
- job-seekers,
- networking,
- reciprocation,
- technology trends
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Anna writes:
I just wanted to say a big thank you for creating such a brilliant website. I don’t
know what I would do without it — it’s my source.
I’ve been sending out cover letters which (at the time) I thought were very good, but I then
came across a job ad where they said they are expecting high volumes of responses. It was a job
where I didn’t have the exact experience they required so I thought I would change tactics and try out your
2-column dynamic cover
letter and see whether I would get offered an interview.
Well, I DID and as soon as I sat for the interview, the first thing he said was that he was very
impressed by my cover letter and that all the information was in front of him easy to read.
Quick question for you. I just had the interview yesterday… how soon should I follow-up?
The Career Doctor responds:
Our mission in everything we do at Quintessential Careers — including
this blog — is to empower job-seekers like you and help you succeed, and I am so
happy that you were able to use the information on our site to help obtain the interview.
So many job-seekers seem to think that most of the work is done once they get the interview —
and I guess I see the logic of that because so much focus is put on obtaining the interview —
but really the interview is just an interim step because your goal should be the job offer.
Did you send a thank-you note? A short note thanking the interviewer and reminding him/her
of your key selling point is your first line of follow-up, and should be completed as soon as
possible after the interview.
Your next follow-up partly depends on the information you received at the interview. If the company
is close to making a final decision, then I would follow-up sooner than later. Typically, job-seekers
should follow-up once a week by politely contacting the hiring manager and expressing your
continued interest in the position and the company.
Read more about following-up after job interviews in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Today’s posting is a guest entry from the “Career Doctor,” Randall S. Hansen, PhD
Tanya writes:
I saw your web site while searching for advice on cover letters. Someone told me that
cover letters are really obsolete, yet I find a lot of stuff written about them. So, what’s
your advice? Should job-seekers like me really still be concerned with writing cover letters?
The Career Doctor responds:
I wonder where some of these ideas come from, but I can tell you as directly as
I can that cover letters play a vital role in the job-search process when done correctly.
Cover letters should entice the reader, draw him/her into your story — enough so to
turn the page and review your resume.
Is that all, you may ask? Yes, that’s the function of a cover letter — to get your resume
reviewed a little more carefully than without it, which in turn, ideally, leads to an invitation
to a job interview.
A cover letter specifically addresses the job you are seeking and how your unique
attributes make you the ideal candidate — the perfect fit — for the job and the organization.
Here’s a quick rundown of what your cover letter should entail.
First, the length. Always err on the side of being brief, so no more than one page,
and really about four paragraphs total. If it’s an email cover letter, it should be even shorter.
Second, the content. The first paragraph must engage the reader. Make it dynamic.
Make it weave the reader into the rest of the letter. Don’t waste it with some boring
formulaic sentence. The second and third paragraphs give specific details that highlight
your qualifications and your fit with the position and the organization; if possible, use
some of the employers own words here. Your last paragraph should thank the reader
and request an interview. You should also say you plan to follow-up the letter at a
later date — you must be proactive.
Third, the follow-up. Sending out the cover letter and resume is an extremely important
step, but only the first of many. Job-seekers must follow-up by contacting the employer
shortly after they expect the letter to arrive — to show your interest and enthusiasm for
the job and organization.
For more cover letter tips, please visit this section of Quintessential Careers:
Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
College students with minimal experience to list on resumes and cover letters can brainstorm
using our College Experience
Worksheet for Resume Development.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Our colleague, Barbara Safani of Career Solvers, wrote yesterday:
I recently sat in on a panel of staffing professionals representing such prestigious companies as Microsoft, Starbucks, and PacSun. One of the questions that came up in the audience was "Do you read cover letters?" All three representatives of these companies said they do not. But is this representative of most recruiters and hiring authorities? I decided to conduct my own informal survey and quickly realized that people's reactions to cover letters are all over the board. So here are my conclusions:
- Half the people you send your cover letter to will probably read it and the other half will not. Since you can never be sure who your audience is, it is best to cover your bases and send a cover letter. [Editor's note: Studies such as this one suggest the number is higher than half, but it's certainly true that not all recipients read cover letters.]
- A strong cover letter might distinguish you in a sea of mediocrity. Most people's cover letters fail to convey a message of value to the employer. But a strong cover letter can help you customize your resume and grab the attention of a hiring authority.
- A resume is fairly formulaic; a cover letter is not. Cover letters can be used to communicate interest, passion, and enthusiasm regarding a job opening. They are often used to build the initial rapport between the job-seeker and the employer.
- Specific action-oriented cover letters work better than generic ones full of fluff. Showcase strong accomplishments that are relevant to your reader and use metrics whenever possible to validate your competencies. Stay away from tired cover-letter phrases such as team player, strong communicator, or detail oriented. Hiring authorities assume you have these competencies. Leverage accomplishment statements to prove your success across these competencies.
You can contact Safani here.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
- accomplishments,
- cover letters,
- employer,
- enthusiasm,
- interest,
- job opening,
- job-seeker,
- Microsoft,
- PacSun,
- passion,
- resume,
- staffing professionals,
- Starbucks
“The most effective technique career changers can use in their resumes and cover letters is TRANSFERABLE SKILLS,
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS, TRANSFERABLE SKILLS,” writes regular contributor Maureen Crawford Hentz.
“I … gave a workshop specifically on this topic for career changers at the National Environmental
Careers Conference. I was shocked at the number of competent, successful individuals who kept referring
to themselves as ‘totally unqualified for a job in the environment.’ These were adults with four to 12 years
of experience as managers, editors, and engineers.” Read Hentz’s full article,
Career Changers’ Most Powerful Resume and Cover-Letter Tool: Transferable Skills,
on how you can use transferable skills to portray yourself as qualified for a new career.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
The ideal cover letter is focused, professional, and well-written, writes
Deborah Brown-Volkman, president of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a career, life, and mentor coaching company.
“While the employer is reading your cover letter, they are deciding if it makes sense to continue onto your résumé. If you cannot make your cover letter great, then the employer has no reason to believe you will do great work for them either.”
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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With regard to resumes and cover letters, Peggy Klaus says she often tells professionals: “When approaching
any business communication situation, start out by tuning in to your listeners’ favorite radio station,
what I call WIFT-FM, or What’s In It For Them? This helps you to identify the potential needs, objectives, and goals of your audience,” Klaus writes in her article for Quint Careers, Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?
“In other words, why should they be listening to you in the first place?”
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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Open your cover letter with an attention-grabbing first sentence to really grip the reader, advises Jimmy Sweeney in his article for Quint Careers, the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter.
This approach will almost guarantee your cover letter and resume get a much closer look.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
More than two-thirds of human-resource managers view well-written, PERSONALIZED cover letters as advantageous to a job applicant, as reported in Resume Writer’s Digest. Nearly half believe that cover letters are more important — or as important as — resumes. In still another poll, this one from HRnext/BenefitsNext, 7 percent of respondents said the cover letter is so important that it can clinch a job, and nearly 40 percent characterized cover letters as “among the important factors” in the hiring process.” “It depends on the job” was the response of 22 percent, which is important to note for those aspiring to jobs in which they will be judged by how well they express themselves. According to almost 20 percent of respondents, a good cover won’t necessarily land you the job, but an awful one will throw you out of contention. For an overall refresher on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.
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Try to avoid addressing your cover letter to “Dear Personnel Director/HR Director,” “To Whom It May Concern,” “Dear Sir or Madam” (or worse, “Dear Sirs”) instead of a named individual — all lazy approaches that show the employer that you were not concerned enough to find out the name of the person with the hiring power. It’s not always easy to find the name of the specific hiring manager, but try to do so if at all possible. Usually, you can just call the company and ask who the hiring manager is for a given position. Tap into your personal network to learn the names of hiring managers. Let’s say a company post an opening online. You know someone who works at the company. Ask your contact to find out the name of the person hiring for that position. Also use the library, phone book, our Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries, annd article, Sleuthing Out Hiring Managers Is Key to Job-Search Follow-up, to track down names of hiring managers. The worst-case scenario is that your letter will begin
“Dear Hiring Manager for [name of position]:”
It’s not the best approach, but if you absolutely cannot find a name, this salutation does at least provide some specificity.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
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Test your knowledge about cover letters with our quiz. Here’s one quiz where it’s OK to “cheat;” feel free to refer to the Quintessential Careers Cover Letter Tutorial to find answers.
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