Cover letters continue to be a mystery to many job seekers. We addressed some of their questions in Part 1. Here are several more questions commonly asked by my readers and clients:
1. Employers are primarily looking for mention of specific job knowledge in your cover letter. If you concentrate more on your transferable skills than your technical ones, you will automatically be relegated to the round file.
False. If you talk to potential employers in networking appointments, read the candidate criteria in the want ads and discuss the necessary qualifications for an opening with an executive recruiter, you will see that, along with technical skills, most companies want professionals with good communication and organizational abilities. Working cooperatively on a team and setting priorities are skills that come naturally to some people, but not everyone. They are intrinsic aptitudes that improve with use. Like other transferable skills such as initiative, creativity, empathy, physical coordination, attention to detail, etc., we are either born with the rudiments of them in place, or we’re not.
Fortunately, all of us have some valuable functional skills to market along with our technical knowledge. And, as we progress from hands-on tasks to management, these skills become increasingly important, until they eventually overshadow technical expertise as critical indicators of ability to perform the job. Have you noticed how a number of corporate boards have chosen CEOs from other industries to bring fresh ideas to their companies? In selecting these individuals, the board members are more interested in the candidate’s personality and track record for getting the job done than his specific background in potato chips or high-tech widgets.
Do not assume that technical knowledge alone will be the deciding factor in whether or not you are chosen for an opening. Be sure to sell your transferable skills in your cover letters and resumes just as vigorously as your specialized ones because a combination of both is usually expected in a winning candidate.
2. The best source of information to tailor your cover letter to a potential employer or job is people.
True. Going to the internet to get information about industries and companies is a worthwhile, but arms-length activity. When you want to find out the real scoop on what is happening, people will always be your best resource. Humans are social beings who are constantly forming professional alliances, information conduits and personal relationships in their day-to-day living. They are generally eager to share their insights, opinions and facts with anyone who exhibits a genuine interest. Taking advantage of human nature when you are researching the job market will provide you with access to inside information on companies, industries, job openings, personalities and contacts.
3. Sending out hundreds of the same cover letters and resumes to respond to a variety of ads or launch a direct mail campaign is a good use of your time because you reach so many employers simultaneously.
False. Typically, direct mail campaigns result in a response rate of one to five percent. Consequently, you would have to mail at least 100 targeted cover letters and resumes to get one to five interview invitations.
If you want to achieve the best results in sending unsolicited cover letters to potential employers, you must tailor them to the individual companies you genuinely think need your expertise. You can find these firms by doing some research on the internet to determine the organizations which have the structures, missions and jobs that match what you want and have to offer. By both telling employers what you like about them and how your experience may benefit their bottom line, you may be able to secure an interview to further expand upon your credentials in person.
Following up on your initial contact may also substantially increase your chances of getting together with a potential employer. Be sure you always mention in your letter that you will be calling to schedule an appointment. Then do it. Employers like to be pursued by worthwhile candidates.
4. The percent of job seekers who find jobs by responding to ads is quite small versus the number of people who use them.
True. Statistics quoting the percentage of job seekers who actually find positions through want ads vary greatly. Eighteen to 20 percent is on the high end of the estimates; 1 to 4 percent probably represents a more accurate figure. If you decide to use ads as part of your job search, keep these numbers in mind.
Also, recognize that one of the reasons these statistics are dismal is that job seekers tend to send the same resume and often the same cover letter to every ad they answer. When employers receive 100 to 200 or more responses to an ad, they can afford to be very finicky about whom they choose to interview. If they average 30 to 60 seconds in their initial scan of a cover letter, it had better grab their attention or they will never even read the resume.
To put punch into your cover letter, you should make certain it addresses both the most important requirements listed in the ad and gives a unique reason why you are interested in the company. Beginning your letter with, “This letter is in response to your ad on Indeed,” and going on to say, “I know my qualifications are a good match for the position,” hardly starts an employer’s hiring juices flowing. In the battle to be chosen for the interview stack, you must tailor or die.
Taunee Besson, CMF, is president of Career Dimensions, Inc., a consulting firm founded in 1979, which works with individual and corporate clients in career change; job search; executive, small business and life coaching; college major selection and talent management.
“One of the smartest minds in the career field,” according to Tony Lee (VP of CareerCast Operations at Adicio and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal’s Online Vertical Network), Besson began writing for the Dallas Times Herald in the early 80s. Having read several of her columns, Lee asked her to contribute regular articles to the Journal’s National Business Employment Weekly (NBEW) as well. Since then, she has been a triple award-winning columnist for CareerJournal.com and Senior Columnist for CareerCast.com, as well as WorkingWoman.com and Oxygen.com. At Lee’s request, Besson authored five editions of NBEW’s Premier Guide to Resumes and three of its Premier Guide to Cover Letters. She has also written articles and/or been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Business Week, Time, Smart Money and Yahoo among others.
Taunee has worked on community nonprofit boards and committees for over 30 years including Girls Inc., Women’s Center of Dallas, Girl Scouts and Dallas Women’s Foundation, The Volunteers of America and Mortarboard, among others. She was a member of the Leadership Dallas in 1987 and Leadership America in 2003.
In 1994, the Dallas Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development chose her as its “Professional of the Year”. Her NBEW columns were selected for the “Ten Best Article Award” in 1990, 1994 and 1997. In 1999, Alpha Gamma Delta, a 200,000 member fraternal organization, named her as one of three “Distinguished Citizens” at its biannual international convention.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
