I'm Just Sayin'...

It goes without saying that if you're applying to be an editor, there shouldn't be a single typo in your resume or cover letter, right? Do I also have to say that you should not write your cover letter in lolcats dialect? Somebody forgot to tell this guy.

Not Hired: Get a Laugh and Learn Something, Too!

So, it's Friday and I don't know about you, but I'm intellectually fried. Thank heavens for Krisan Matthews, who (via Facebook), showed me this site. Not Hired is a blog featuring the worst collection of job search blunders I've seen yet. If you need a primer on what not to do, sink your teeth into these: people who drone on and on in their cover letters, send suggestive photos of themselves, and drop the f-bomb on their resumes--repeatedly. And this is just from the past week of postings.

Where is this stuff coming from, when posting it is surely a violation of some confidentiality agreement? Taking credit is an anonymous bunch of "HR monkeys and hiring managers who have worked with some of the largest search engines, vertical portals, and social-networking sites on the Internet, as well as for hardware and software manufacturers, universities, federal agencies, and accounting and consulting firms."

If you don't want to end up here, use some common sense and read some career-advice books.

Writing Speculative Cover Letters

Robert, who blogs about his quest for a publishing job in the UK here, just asked a good question in the comments of an earlier post:

I was just wondering what you think the best way to go about writing speculative cover letters is. I am wrestling with a general approach and saying I am organised, can cope well with pressure etc, and here's why...(where I would give examples) versus "I want to be a Rights Administrator (for the sake of argument)" and giving examples of my skills that fit this role.

I have chosen to focus on five publishing companies I would really really like to work for so that the letters can be tailored and genuinely come across as enthusiastic as opposed to generic. However this is a new approach for me as I've always written cover letters with specific roles in mind, which have been met with a certain degree of success in terms of securing an interview. Do you think it would be enough to say: "I really love your company and what you do. I am available for any entry-level job you have going" ?

My gut response was that you're going to have better luck if you can tailor your letter to a specific opportunity. If none are posted, you should work your network to try and find those "hidden" jobs. But if all else fails and you just want to get your name in front of a company and let them know you are interested in them (and maybe to get yourself into the company's resume database), the authors of Cover Letter Magic have some advice for doing that:

You might choose to write cold-call letters to companies to express your interest in employment opportunities, without knowledge of specific advertisements or opportunities. Your challenge in writing this type of cover letter is to give your reader a broad introduction to your skills, qualifications, employment experience, achievements, credentials, and other notable traits that you anticipate will trigger their interest in you and make them offer you the opportunity for an interview.

However, the authors are pretty clear that you need to have some idea of your job objective and communicate that:

When writing this type of letter, it is critical that you clearly identify who you are. Are you a sales professional, an accountant, a retail manager, a production operations manager, or a chemical engineer? A Java programmer, a health-care administrator, a management executive, an advertising director, or a graphic designer? Who are you and how do you want to be perceived?

Just as important, you must communicate what type of position you are seeking. No one is going to take the time to figure this out. Do you want to continue to work as a purchasing agent, or is your objective a purchasing management position? If you're a technology project leader, are you looking to make a lateral move, or are you interested in an IT management position, perhaps as CIO or CTO?

When writing a cold-call letter, it is critical to quickly identify who you are, what value you bring to the company, and what type of positions you are interested in. No one is going to take the time to read between the lines and make assumptions. Spell it out!

So, they advise against the approach of just saying "Hey, here I am. I love your company. Where do I fit?" You need to be able to show them what you want to do and how you can fill a need for them.

Hope that helps! :)

Cover Letter Magic

On the final day of the NRWA conference, JIST author Louise Kursmark gave an outstanding presentation on the fundamentals of writing cover letters that get results. I'll share some of her copious tips here, seeing as how cover letters are such an important piece of the puzzle and I rarely mention them here.

For starters, she said the preferred method of transmitting a resume and cover letter via e-mail is to attach a Word document of your resume and put your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. If you're submitting your resume in a Web form on a resume bank or company database, look for a box in which to copy and paste your cover letter text.

A cover letter must be to-the-point and easily skimmable. It needs to include distinguished information about your career (without parroting your resume) and address the specific needs of the position for which you are applying. Hiring managers always want to see "what's in it for them" if they hire you.

Start with an opening paragraph that establishes who you are and why you are writing. Capture the reader's attention and make them want to read more by indicating your value.

Use the body of the cover letter to emphasize your greatest accomplishments, perhaps in just three bullet points, and drawing themes and trends from your resume. Incorporate keywords from the job posting and be sure to "write tight."

Close with other important information the reader needs to know, such as why you are considering this company and any other relevant personal information. Avoid cliches and an overly aggressive or passive call to action--stike a balance between "I'll be calling you Tuesday at 2pm to talk about this opportunity, so be ready" and "I look forward to hearing from you."

As icing on the cake, Louise suggests getting creative by adding visual interest (charts, graphs, tables) or an endorsement quote.

Do all these things and you will be well on your way to creating your own Cover Letter Magic!