Simple steps for great cover letters

There are two simple steps for great cover letters:

1. Always include the cover letter in the body of the email you are sending.  If the recruiter has to click to open a separate document in order to read your cover letter, chances are that they won’t bother. 
2. Target each cover letter to the specific position for which you are applying.  Generic cover letters that tell how great YOU are and what YOU want to do without telling the recruiter or hiring manager how you are going to solve THEIR needs are not going to get you an interview.  

Okay – Step number 2 does not seem so simple on the surface.  But, you can do it by simply selecting the  3-4 most important items from the “requirements” or “responsibilities” section of the job description for which you are applying and stating how you have that experience.   Your resume already has your whole history.  The goal of the cover letter is to point out that you have what the recruiter is looking for in this particular instance.  Don’t make the recruiter hunt through your resume to be sure that you have the right mix of skills.  

You can put the information in bullet points or very short paragraphs.  Here is an example:

I am very interested in the Human Resources Generalist position that you advertised on CareerBuilder because:

• I have over 15 years of recruiting experience, 5 of which are in the information technology industry.
• I have managed and trained teams of recruiters at my most recent position (Resolvit) as well as at a retained search firm (Roberts Ryan & Bentley).  
• I have a Master’s in Human Resources. 
• I have a solid track record of developing strong relationships with both internal and external hiring managers at all levels.

Using bullet points prevents “writer’s block” because you don’t have to spend time stringing together the accomplishment sentences.  Feel free to cut and paste from your resume.  In fact, if there is nothing in your resume that you can copy into the cover letter, you are probably not a fit for this particular position.  Bullet points also make it a  lot easier for the recruiter to visually scan the letter.

Good luck!

“3 email rule” improves communication immediately!

One of my MAJOR pet peeves is abuse of email.  Way too often, email is used as a passive aggressive way of spouting off.  The sender wants to tell you something, but they really don’t want to hear what you think, because if they did they would have called you and SPOKEN to you.  Don’t get me wrong, I think email is a great communication tool – when used properly. 

So, today I am going to share my “3 email rule” with you in the hope that I can do my small part to improve email communication. 

Here is how the “3 email rule” works:

1. You send me an email asking for help or clarification or advice
2. I respond via email with my thoughts, comments, questions, etc.
3. You send another email back with additional questions, or the need for clarification.  (3 emails have been sent – hence the name of the rule.) 
4. I pick up the phone and CALL YOU to discuss the matter. 

Step 4 is critical and cannot be skipped or substituted!  

Seriously, we have all been involved in these endless email exchanges.  They are huge time wasters and even worse, they can lead to serious misunderstandings. 

A lot of times we use these quick back and forth emails as a way to avoid discussing something that needs more attention than a poorly thought out 5 second response.  We shoot off a little snippet and think, “Whew, painful conversation avoided”.  And then, 30 seconds later, we get a response back from the other coward we are “communicating” with who is also trying to avoid a converation, but wants to have the last word anyway.  Nothing really gets accomplished in these exchanges.

So, whether you are corresponding with your candidates, coworkers, friends or family – if there are 3 emails in the chain, don’t send a 4th email, please! 

PICK UP THE PHONE and TALK to each other.   

Oh, and while we are on the topic of email  – It drives me nuts when people hit the REPLY ALL button just to say “Thanks” .  Or worse yet, when they hit REPLY ALL just to ask a question of the person who sent the original email and now 20 of us see that they don’t understand………..

Looking for a job? Make yourself easy to find.

Whether you are actively looking for a job or just want to hear from recruiters from time to time, you have to get on the radar of executive search firm and staffing agency recruiters.  Once you are found and entered into the recruiter’s database, you will hear about all those unadvertised  jobs everyone has been whispering about. 

To understand how to be found you have to think like a recruiter.  Recruiters aren’t just looking for people that are looking for jobs.  Recruiters are looking for candidates that are currently working in a job very similar to the one that the recruiter is trying to fill.  So, recruiters search for people with specific titles, from specific companies and industries in places like LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and Jigsaw. 

Most importantly, if you don’t already have a profile on LinkedIn, sign up and create one.  If you do have a profile, make sure it includes:

• Your picture – and make sure it is a conservative head shot.  The picture can be in a casual setting.  You don’t have to be in a business suit.  But don’t use that Facebook picture of yourself on the beach with friends, or hiding behind sunglasses, etc.   Adding a picture gives you instant credibility and makes viewers feel like they already know you.
• Your complete profile.  Treat your LinkedIn profile like an online resume – but make it a short one.  List all of your relevant jobs and a summary of what you did in each role.  Think about the keywords you use when searching for a job, and make sure those same keywords show up in your profile. 
• Your title – this should be a functional title, something that expresses in broad, generic terms what you do, such as “Risk Manager” or “Project Manager” or “Recruiter”.  Don’t use titles or acronyms that are unique to your company like “HR Specialist II”  or  “Account Rep for FSO”.  Remember, recruiters will be searching for keywords in the title field.  So reverse the process and think about  the search terms you would use when looking for a job.  Give yourself that title.

 ZoomInfo  collects information from company websites and press releases, pulls it all together and creates profiles for individuals.  Recruiters regularly search these profiles to find candidates, so you should make sure you can be found here. 

• Go to ZoomInfo and search for your name. 
• If you find a listing, “claim it” and update it. 
• If you are not already listed, you can sign up for a free account and add your information to the ZoomInfo database.  All you have to do is enter your contact info and current employer.  You can add more information if you like. 
• You will also have the opportunity in the “Additional Information” area to add links.  Use this to connect your ZoomInfo profile to your LinkedIn profile, and to your blog or website. 

Jigsaw collects business card type information and publishes it on line. 

• Go to Jigsaw and search for your name. 
• If it is there, make sure it is correct. 
• If not, create a free account and add your name and contact information. 

Good luck with your job search!