New Cover Letter Strategy

Are hiring managers, human resources associates, and recruiters actually reading your cover letter?  The cover letter is a tremendously critical tool in your job search arsenal - if you don't capture the reader's attention in this document then the hours you have poured into creating an awesome resume will have been a waste of time!

Over the past several months, I have been experimenting with a new cover letter strategy.  This isn't something I just made up - it's based on research from all the top pros in human resources and job search strategists.

Let's discuss first some points that cover letters should not be:

Bored manager - Reading your cover letter!

• Long, overly wordy, boring
• Filled with irrelevant information
• Impersonal
• Typos, incorrect grammar, spelling, or otherwise poorly written
• Non existent - no cover letter accompanies the resume

A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey of 542 human resources professionals discovered: (1)

Boring cover letter file

• 23% of respondents removed applicants from consideration if letters were longer than 1 page.
• 83% of respondents reported the average length of time they spent reading a cover letter was one minute or less.
• 69% of the HR professionals prefer personalized cover letters.
• 14% of respondents stated that if they receive a cover letter of poor quality, the candidate is eliminated as a possibility.
• 76% said typos in cover letters would cause them to remove the applicant from the pool of possible candidates.
• 28% of respondents said they will not consider a resume if a cover letter did not accompany it.

Okay, so you can tell I love statistics!  But the point is - the cover letter, its content, and quality are vital in your successful job search.  Are you harming yourself by not including a cover letter or could you be putting yourself out of the running for jobs you want and are qualified for because your cover letter isn't top notch? 

The majority of the HR professionals surveyed spent less than one minute reading the cover letter to decide if it would be worth their time to review your resume. The reality is that employers are overwhelmed with applicants in this job market.  It's likely that cover letters aren't getting read because they are too long, too self-absorbed, too form letter-ish, and just too boring.

The cover letters I had been writing - for myself and my clients - averaged about 250 words.  These were great quality letters; however the new strategy I am using cuts the length by nearly 50% and averages only 119 words!  I can be a pretty wordy talker, but even I know that sometimes less actually says more.  It's a perfect length for email as the reader doesn't have to scroll excessively to read the whole letter.

So what should a cover letter be?

• Succinct with only crucial, relevant information - remember they are spending less than 1 minute reading it!
• It should let the employer know what's in it for them - how they will be able to recoup their investment in hiring you.
• Include 1-2 points that "prove" you will bring value to their firm.
• Customized and targeted to the job to which you're submitting it.
• Use a call to action - take initiative and let the hiring manager know when you will contact them.
• Well written, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, no types, well-formatted.

It boils down to qualifications and quality of your job acquisition tools.  Whether you are pursuing jobs at the $30,000 salary level or $300,000 level - it is well worth the small investment to hire a resume / job search consultant to ensure you have the best possible tools in your arsenal.  You have less than 60 seconds to make an impression - what kind of impression do you want to make?

Contact a professional resume / job search consultant today!

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Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume & job search consultant and is certified by the Professional Association of Resume Writers.  She has developed more than 700 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well.  With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes and cover letters.

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(1) Survey Stats thanks to http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-what-employers-want-in-a-cover-lette.html#ixzz1DDB2IVpB

Five Signs Your Resume is Outdated

If you don't do it professionally or it isn't your forte, writing a resume can be a daunting task and something you aren't likely to do on a daily basis.  It is no surprise that many people haven't updated their resume in years - sometimes even decades

Signs Your Resume is Outdated #1: References Available Upon Request

This week, an executive resume client asked if he should include "references available upon" request at the end of his resume.  Posting this at the end of your resume used to signal "that's it! This is the end of my resume."  But isn't it a given that you will provide references upon request?  If you couldn't, you would have no business looking for a job.  Why not conclude your resume with "Interviews Upon Request" instead? 

You should have your list of references ready to bring to interviews or to include to employers should they make the request.  Most importantly, be sure your references have agreed to be your reference!  Use people that you have known for more than a year and ensure your references are prepared for phone calls.

Signs Your Resume is Outdated #2: One-Pagers are for College Kids Only

Length of resume comes up a lot in questions from my clients.  See my post How Many Pages Is Right? for more detail on this issue.  The old adage that resumes should be one-page and one-page only is an outdated theory.  A kid in or fresh out of college or a person with very little experience may have a one-pager but for executives with 15-20+ years of experience and a broad skill set would have more accomplishments than will adequately fit in one-page.

Your resume should be concise.  Nobody wants to read a five page autobiographical dissertation on every minute detail of your career.  Resume writing is not an exact science and there is no "one size fits all" template for your resume, but a professional resume writer can objectively strategize on what to include in your resume as well as the overall length.

Signs Your Resume is Outdated #3: I Have an Objective and I Want a Job

Having a section devoted to your objective is possibly more obvious than listing that you have references available upon request.  "No, really? You are seeking a job?!?  Is that why you sent me your resume?"  Hiring managers are much more interested in what you can do for them then what they can do for you.  If you feel the need to explain why you are applying to a job, find a way to do it in your cover letter and save the space on your resume for listing your favorite ways to goof off at work! (Extreme sarcasm here.)  A certified resume writer is adept at formatting and precisely wording your resume to work best for you and your situation.

Update: See more on resume objectives in this January 2011 article. 

Signs Your Resume is Outdated #4: But I Really Like Using 1980s Word Processors

More than 500 million people are using Microsoft Word today (1) so it would be a good assumption that you should email your resume as a Word attachment.  There are other word processing software on the market today and I still - on occasion - have a client who is using Word Perfect, Notepad, or Lotus Notes.  It makes sharing documents very difficult and worst of all - the client is not seeing or receiving the high-quality document I have created.

So for all of you holdouts using another other than a Microsoft Word version released in the last decade, I have strong advice for you...Get Microsoft Word!  Alternatively, OpenOffice.org has a freeware program that has a Word-compatible word processing application, Writer.  Though I have never used this program there are three things that immediately appeal to me about it.  First, it's free (hello!).  Second, it can open MS Word .DOC files and can save to .DOC files.  Third, it has out-of-the-box ability to export your documents to an Adobe PDF file.

I prefer sending a PDF version of a resume via email.  A PDF document is neater and no matter how much formatting you have built into your resume, it will show up perfectly on the recipient's machine.  Your resume will look just the way you want it to regards of the hiring manager's computer settings, Word version, or font inventory.  Saving your document in PDF format is the only way to ensure your resume will be displayed exactly the way you intended it to be.

Signs Your Resume is Outdated #5: I am Listing Every Job I've Ever Had

Please see my blog articles, Years of Experience and Dealing with Age for more detail on this topic.  A resume doesn't need (nor should it) a listing of every single job you've had since graduating from college.  You want your resume to showcase your relevant experience, skill set, and value.  Only include relevant jobs in the past 10-15 years depending on the level of positions you plan to pursue.  Expound on the measurable accomplishments in those jobs and avoid a detailed, day-by-day, to do list of tasks and duties.

Signs Your Resume is Outdated: Does Your Resume Contain Any of The 5 Signs?

If your resume is showing any of these signs of being outdated, it is high time for a makeover! The job of your resume is to land you an interview in order that, ultimately, you get a new job.  An outdated, ill-formatted, poorly written resume is not effective in doing its job and can be detrimental to your career and job search campaign.  Whether you are an attorney, sales manager, nurse, pharmacist, financial adviser, a teacher, or any other occupation - your expertise might not be in resume writing.  I'll leave the nursing and financial advising to you, if you can leave the resume writing to the professionals.

Contracting with a professional resume writer is a wise investment in your career.  Save yourself hours of grief and let the professionals take care of your resume. You only get one chance to make that first impression so make it count!

Contact Ramsey Penegar by email.

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Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume consultant and is certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers.  She has developed more than 575 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well.  With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes.

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Footnotes:
(1) http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/jan09/01-08cesofficeqaschultz.mspx

"To Whom It May Concern" Cover Letters

This article from CareerBuilder is an excellent source for those you wondering how and to whom to address your cover letters!  I always recommend taking the initiative and doing a little bit of leg work to make sure your cover letter and resume get into the hands of the person actually making the hiring decision!

Click HERE to go directly to the original article or read it below.

Is “To whom it may concern” the kiss of death?

By rachel zupek on Jan 19, 2010 in Career Advice, Featured, Job Search, Resume

Most job seekers know that, whenever possible, it’s best to address your cover letter to the person who has the power to hire you — or at least the person who can bring you in for an interview.

But, all too often, if a name isn’t listed on a job posting, the job seeker resorts to an old-fashioned salutation like, “To Whom It May Concern.” What they don’t know, is that this approach can sometimes be considered the kiss of death.

Impersonal salutations like “Dir Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” show an employer two things. The first is that you lack the initiative to locate the appropriate contact; the second is that you show a disregard for any research needed to be done on your part. In short, employers will think you’re lazy and your cover letter will end up in the trash.

One of the most common questions we get is how to find the name of a hiring manager, particularly at a large company. Here are four ways to find out the addressee of your cover letter:

1. Read the job posting

A no-brainer, but still needs to be mentioned. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, and the job you want to apply for will list a contact right in the posting. But even then, you sometimes need to dig a little deeper. Say, for example, the listed contact is “Chris Smith.” You don’t know if Chris is a man or a woman. If you can’t find that out, it’s safe to address your letter “Dear C. Smith.” That way, you’ve made it personal, but you haven’t offended anyone.

2. Call the company

If a job posting does not list a contact name, call the company. Yes, it really is that simple. Call the main number listed for the company and ask for the name of its corporate recruiter or hiring manager. Or, call and say you were wondering who manages the position to which you’re applying. That way, your materials get sent directly to the person who needs to see them.

3. Look on the Internet

A simple search on your favorite search engine can often do the trick. One search and anything from company directories to employer background information to stock market share could pop up. Try searching “ABC company hiring manager” and see what you find. The Internet is a wealth of information, if you just put in a little effort to find out what you want to know.

4. Ask your personal contacts

We always try to stress the important of networking in your job search. Surprisingly, many people ignore that advice in situations like writing your cover letter. Let’s say you find a job that interests you, and there’s no contact information listed. You go to one of your contacts and have the following conversation:

You: “Hey, do you happen to know of anyone who works at ABC Company?
Contact: “Actually, I used to work there five years ago.”
You: “Really? I’m applying for a position there. Do you know how who I might report to?”

Or maybe the conversation goes like this:

You: “Hey, do you happen to know of anyone who works at ABC Company?”
Contact: “I don’t, but I know my colleague worked there before coming to work with us .”
You: “Really? Do you think I could have his or her name to see if they can help me find out who to send my application materials to?”

You get the picture. The bottom line is everybody knows someone — you just never know until you ask.

If you try all of these methods and you’re still coming up short, Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, co-authors of “Cover Letter Magic” and two of the nation’s most reputable career coaches, examine a few possible salutations and a few key points to remember about each one.

• Dear Sir/Madam. All-purpose and inoffensive, although it might be perceived as stodgy and old-fashioned.
• To Whom It May Concern. Another standard; has the downside of being impersonal and old-fashioned.
• Dear Hiring Executive (or Hiring Committee). Formal, but appropriate.
• Dear Human Resources (or Human Resources Representative). Acceptable only if you’re writing to a “blind ad” that lists only a P.O. box and you cannot call to get a specific individual’s name.
• Dear Hiring Authority. Acceptable only if, despite your best efforts, you have been unable to uncover the name of the non-HR person to whom you’re sending your résumé.
• Good Morning (or Good Day). A bit more up-to-date, but it reminds us of junk-mail greetings that try (unsuccessfully) to be personal.
• Re: Job Title You’re Applying For (leaving off a specific salutation). A useful method for replying to want ads, when you truly don’t know to whom you are sending your résumé. We think it’s preferable to the “Dear Human Resources” greeting.
• No Salutation (begin your letter immediately after the inside address). Again, perfectly acceptable for want-ad replies. Might be considered an improvement over old-fashioned, nonspecific greetings.

Editor’s note – 2/16/2010: We appreciate all the comments our readers are leaving. To gauge more hiring manager opinions, we took this debate to the hiring managers themselves on our FaceBook page for Employers: http://www.facebook.com/CBforEmployers The verdict so far? It’s not a deal breaker. While using general addresses are not deal breakers, the lesson, however, is to make sure you personalize your cover letter as much as possible when you can because the more you can do to catch a hiring manager’s attention, the better!

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Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume consultant and is certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers. She has developed more than 575 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well. With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes.

Should I Apply to a Job If I Don't Meet All the Requirements?

 Recently, a resume client asked me this question:

I am very, critical of myself. I probably would not apply for a job because I don't have all the criteria [listed in the ad]. Should I even try?

HR professionals and hiring managers typically write the job listing ad based on the full job description of the position. This generally includes a very detailed, clear outline of duties and requirements to make the hiring / screening process as direct and focused as possible. It helps identify candidates and weed out those that lack the essential qualifications. If a manager has done their job right, the job description has been written in conjunction with the incumbent who holds that job and a comprehensive job analysis. You are more apt to make it to the interview stage and probably the hiring stage if you possess all the required skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications.

Okay, so what do you do?

One of the most important factors in your job hunt is your transferrable job skills.

These are the skills you’ve acquired all your life through your education, hobbies, parenting, interests, and career. These skills are both transferrable and applicable to the job you seek. Typically these skills are communication, interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills. Make sure your resume and cover letter highlights these skills.

Experience Needed

You don’t have job experience in the field? What about your experience you’ve gained in school, special courses, and volunteer experience. It doesn’t have to be paid experience to list it in your resume. This is especially important if you’re changing jobs or attempting to break into a new industry.

If you can’t get hired in the industry or type of job you want, seek out internships and pro bono work with companies. Contact human resources and managers at the companies for which you’d like to work, let them know you’re interested in learning more about their business and gaining experience and you’d like to establish a part-time, short-term internship. Check with the career services office at your local community college or university and use the web including CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, Interships.com, and internshipprograms.com to find internship opportunities. Contact local non-profit organizations for internship and volunteer openings. You can stay busy during your job hunting and gain critical experience, skills, and contacts to further your career.

Resume Functionality

Make sure your resume is formatted correctly in order to showcase the skills you do have for the job and downplay the areas you may lack.

A functional resume will work more effectively than a chronological resume in these cases as your skills and achievements are much more important than your job history. RP Executive Resume Consultant specializes in functional resumes for job and industry changers; please contact us at ramsey_penegar@yahoo.com.

Use your resume to show that you are able and willing to learn. Input statements that indicate you are willing to pursue additional training and certification. Tell prospective employers in your resume and cover letter that you are a quick and enthusiastic learner. Being enrolled in specific licensure programs and workshops will prove you’re committed to learning and growing professionally. Check with your local colleges and professional organizations to take courses to enhance your growth and development and hire-ability.

When to Do and When to Don’t

Do not apply to jobs in which you are fundamentally under qualified for, but do keep in mind that job postings are many times an employer wish list. Don’t apply if you have none of the job requirements, but if you shine in some of the qualifications you should consider it. Most hiring managers truly don’t expect applicants to meet every requirement in their ad so if you can illustrate that you are strong in some of the areas listed, you have a good chance of getting called in for the interview.

Final Thoughts

Most importantly, keep a good attitude and be optimistic. Don’t forget to follow up your resume with a phone call to employers. Building rapport will go a long way as people like to hire people they like. Follow up telephone and face-to-face interviews with thank you letters. And most of all, don’t give up – you have dreams to pursue and your diligence and confidence will make it happen!

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Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume consultant and is certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers. She has developed more than 575 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well. With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes.

Job Search & Resume as a Marketing Campaign

You don’t have to be a marketing executive to build an effective job search, but you need to evaluate and know your own personal marketing strategy. A personal marketing strategy gives you a game plan for your job search.

In a marketing campaign, marketers start by deciding what product they are going to promote or sell. In a job search, the product is you! The best products won’t be successful in the market without a solid marketing strategy and the same is true for your job search. Using your current resume as a base, make a list of your skills, abilities, and knowledge. Why would you hire you?

The next step in building a successful marketing campaign is to know your target audience – to whom are you selling? Make a list of the types of employers and companies who may be seeking an employee with your specific skill set. Are they all within a specific industry? Are there many companies that hire employees with your background?

How do you locate these potential employers? Use the internet, your local Chamber of Commerce, print and online classified ads, networking, recruiters, and other sources to make a list of actual businesses that may be looking for people with your experience and skills. Keep building your list until you have at least 20 – 25 companies. Now, using your own personal contacts from business, volunteer work, school, friends, church, other organizations you may be involved with to make a list of 20 - 25 people who may be helpful to you in your job search.

The fourth step in an effective marketing campaign is to contact potential customers or in this case, prospective employers. Generally, the best way to go is to send a resume along with a cover letter, especially if you’re responding to an ad. If you are working with a recruiter, they will most likely set up a meeting between you and the prospect. If the contact is through a friend or other contact, you will want to decide whether a phone call directly to the person doing the hiring or sending a resume is the best route. If emailing a resume, be polite and send a short introductory email requesting permission to send your resume as an attachment. Many people won’t open unsolicited attachments.

A crucial aspect of any job search is organization. Keeping track of all those names, phone numbers, addresses, and emails is important to do proper follow up. The Minnesota Department of Economic Security has a really neat website full of useful information as well as worksheets to help you organize your job search efforts.

Now that you’ve developed your personal job search marketing strategy and gotten organized, you can move forward. The next step is creating an effective, attention-getting resume package and preparing for interviews!

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Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume consultant and is certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers. She has developed more than 575 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well. With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes.

Cover Letter Tips

By Ramsey Penegar, Executive Resume and Recruiting Consultant

1. Remember, your cover letter is the selling tool to entice recruiters and hiring managers that they should take the time to read your resume. If the cover letter is ineffective, chances are your resume may not even be read!

2. The format should match/coordinate with your resume to project the best, most professional image.

3. Layout should make for desirable reading and letter should not be longer than one page.

4. Beware of capitalizing improper nouns and using proper grammar and sentence structure.

5. Keep in mind that a cover letter and resume are not the place to mention your personal life, marital status, family, age, physical characteristics, non-career related hobbies, sports, etc. This is a professional document and should only include pertinent, professional information about your experience and skills within your career.

6. You should include how many years experience you have and the industries (if applicable to the position) and list several of your top accomplishments and top qualifications.

7. Illustrate the scope of your experience by providing quantity.

8. Take the initiative and tell them you want an interview and that YOU will contact them on such and such a day.

Ramsey Penegar is an executive resume consultant and is certified as a professional resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers. She has developed more than 650 resumes for executives all over the United States and for international clients as well. With more than 10 years experience in marketing and sales, she has the skills to build effective job search marketing campaigns and attention-getting resumes.