Quiz
1. One good cover letter will work for every employer. -- False
Your cover letter and resume should be targeted sales tools, not generic bits of prose that attempt to be all things to all people. Consider how a good salesperson approaches a customer about her product or service. She first determines the client's specific needs, and then prepares a verbal or written proposal highlighting how she'll fulfill them. She knows that promoting extraneous products would be a waste of every one's valuable time.
Job hunters whose cover letters fail to address a potential employer's needs and expectations generally have poor track records. If you want your cover letter and resume get you an interview, do the necessary research and tailoring it takes to grab the recruiter's attention and make him want to see you.
2. The best source of information about potential employers and jobs is people. --True
Doing library research to learn about industries and companies is a worthwhile but arm's-length activity. When you want to find out the real scoop on an organization, people will always be your best resource. Humans are social beings who are constantly forming professional alliances, information conduits and personal relationships during their daily activities. They're generally eager to share facts, insights and opinions with anyone who shows a genuine interest. By taking advantage of human nature while researching the job market, you'll gain access to inside information on companies, industries, job openings, personalities and contacts.
3. A corporation's annual report is the most reliable written source of information on a company. --False
While it's true that annual reports must adhere to accounting and Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules, corporations have a habit of "spinning" their stories to convey their situations in the most favorable light. Who can blame them?
To gain a more balanced perspective, gather information about corporations from trade publications, business journals and directories, the 10-K reports filed with the SEC, prospectuses, and other specialized resources. If you haven't used the library for serious research since preparing your last college term paper, don't despair. Go directly to a librarian, look beseeching and ask for assistance. Librarians live for juicy projects and love to help the un-anointed seek the truth.
4. People are willing to network with you because it's to their benefit to do so. --True
Most job seekers have difficulty understanding why total strangers are willing to take time out from their busy schedules to meet with them. They don't recognize that networking is a two-way street offering advantages to both parties.
Put yourself in a potential employer's shoes for a moment, keeping in mind that 80 to 90 percent of all openings are filled through net working contacts. Would you rather interview someone who has been recommended and used personal initiative to see you or someone known to you only through a resume? If you're like most managers, you'll feel more comfortable talking to the more familiar person.
What would you do if a friend of a friend called and asked for 30 minutes of your time to discuss how you chose your career and company, and what the future holds for your industry? You would probably see him because you want to accommodate your friend, aid someone who can genuinely benefit from your input and enjoy being perceived as an "expert."
Professionals like to help friends, serve as mentors, expound on subjects they know well and hire people they expect to contribute to their organization. Networking allows them to perform all these active ties simultaneously.
5. The main role of an executive search firm is finding you a job. -- False
This dangerous myth lulls many candidates into thinking that signing up with a few search firms will produce a job for them. What these job seekers don't understand is that "headhunters" don't represent individuals. Instead, they look for candidates to fill positions for client companies.
If you decide to make search firms a part of your job-search strategy, either work with those you already know or cultivate a selected few who specialize in your career or industry. Before making contact, try to arrange an introduction through a credible third party. Don't waste time and money sending cover letters and resumes to a long list of recruiters unless you enjoy feeling frustrated and neglected.
6. Concentrating a lot of time on direct-mail campaigns is smart, because you reach so many employers. -False
Typically, direct-mail campaigns generate a 1 to 5 percent response rate. Consequently, you would have to mail at least 100 targeted cover letters and resumes to land between one and five interview invitations.
To achieve the best results with unsolicited cover letters, tailor them to companies that genuinely need your expertise. Use library research to locate organizations with the structures, missions and jobs that match what you want and have to offer. Mentioning what you like about these companies and how your experience could benefit their bottom lines may lead to interviews that allow you to further expand your credentials.
Following up on your initial contact may also substantially increase your chances of getting together with a potential employer.
Always mention in your letter that you'll be calling to schedule an appointment.
This dangerous myth lulls many candidates into thinking that signing up with a few search firms will produce a job for them. What these job seekers don't understand is that "headhunters" don't represent individuals. Instead, they look for candidates to fill positions for client companies.
If you decide to make search firms a part of your job-search strategy, either work with those you already know or cultivate a selected few who specialize in your career or industry. Before making contact, try to arrange an introduction through a credible third party. Don't waste time and money sending cover letters and resumes to a long list of recruiters unless you enjoy feeling frustrated and neglected.
7. The percentage of people who find jobs through ads is quite small. --True
Statistics vary concerning the percentage of people who find positions through want ads. Some surveys indicate that as many as 18 to 20 percent do. However, 1 to 4 percent is probably a more accurate range. If you decide to respond to want ads as part of your job-search strategy, keep these numbers in mind.
Also, recognize that one of the reasons the statistics are so dismal is that job seekers often send the same resume even the same cover letter in response to every ad When employers receive 100 to 200 replies to their ads, they can afford to be finicky about whom they choose to interview. They'll only give a cover letter a 30- to 60-second scan, so it had better grab their attention. Otherwise, they won't even read the accompanying resume.
To put punch in your cover letter, be sure it addresses the most important requirements listed in the ad and gives a unique reason for your interest in the company. Beginning your letter with "This letter is in response to your ad in the Morning News dated November 3" and then adding, "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.
8. A cover letter should convey your personality, style and taste. --True
Cover letters written by professional cover-letter writers can be deadly, especially if you provide little or no input concerning their content. All of us have pet phrases and formats that we use. If you give a resume consultant a free hand in composing your letter, you may not recognize yourself in the finished version. To assure that your letter represents you personally, write it yourself or, if you're consumed by writer's block, collaborate with a savvy professional. Your ideas and phraseology should play a pivotal role in helping your letter stand out from the crowd and giving the recruiter a tantalizing glimpse of your potential contribution to his organization.
9. Employers don't expect perfection, so a typo in your cover letter isn't sufficient reason for them to reject your resume. --False
Even the most understanding employers will be critical of typos in your cover letter and resume because they assume these documents.
Represent your best effort. If they see mistakes, it's only natural that they'll question your attention to detail and concern for quality.
Before you give or send a cover letter to anyone, ask a friend to re view it. Because you wrote it yourself, you may automatically read what you intended to say, rather than what's actually on paper. Friends, on the other hand, have no preconceived notions about the letter's intent. Therefore, they're more likely to catch a missing "and" or misspelled word.
If you pay a service to mail letters and resumes, always check each document before it's sent. Just as tax payers' returns may be audited if their accountants make mistakes, the buck stops with you. While your cover-letter preparer may feel terrible about making an unfortunate glitch, it's your career that's on the line.
10. Every cover letter should include three main thoughts. --True
Were you bamboozled by the word "every" in this question? Did you assume that "every," "always" and "never" are dead giveaways to a false statement? This question is a good example of how the exception proves the rule.
All good cover letters should include:
Why you're specifically interested in the potential employer.
Why the employer should be particularly interested in you.
When and how you'll be contacting your addressee to follow up on your letter and schedule an appointment.
This approach sets you apart from your competition, states exactly why an employer needs to talk to you and makes clear your intention to proactively pursue this opportunity. Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect world where you always know the names of companies and individuals you're contacting, as well as the qualifications required for the job. If you're replying to a blind ad that only gives a box number or provides a hazy or nonexistent job de scrimption, you can't compose an ideal cover letter.
Given the poor response rate to queries sent to people you've never met, ask yourself whether a semi generic letter prepared from partial information is likely to yield positive results. If the opening is worth Pursuing, by all means, go for it. However, don't waste your time on marginal possibilities.
11. Thank-you notes can play a critical role in your being chosen for a position. --True
How do you feel when someone writes to thank you for a gift, valuable item of information or the opportunity to talk with you? If you're like most people, you appreciate being acknowledged and elevate the writer to a category reserved for people who deserve your continuing attention.
Candidates who send thank-you notes after interviews reiterating why their qualifications are great matches for available positions compliment their interviewers and make them feel admired. Their letters also remind the recruiters about the high points of the interview.
When the competition for openings is keen, potential employers search for reasons to give one applicant an edge over another. A thank-you note is a powerful tool that can persuade a vacillating manager to Choose you for a job.
12. Using as a reference the name of a former manager with whom you didn't get along will torpedo your chances of getting the job.--False
Many job seekers who leave previous positions because of a downsizing, personality conflict with management, politics or because their performance didn't meet expectations worry that their former managers are itching to tell potential employers the real and imagined bad news about their work. This rarely happens for two reasons:
No matter what your former boss thought of you, he'll probably try to put the best face on your relationship and performance and not say nasty things about you. Most people choose to avoid giving negative feedback because venting anger and hostility is unprofessional and emotionally draining.
While it's true that a few unbalanced or diabolical types live to sabotage their colleagues, they have little reason to cause trouble once their target leaves the company. A small minority will give negative reports to potential employers, but such instances are rare.
Most companies limit discussions about former employees to basic facts concerning their job titles, dates of employment and, if they want to be especially accommodating, a simple "yes" or "no" as to whether they would hire the person again. Consequently, if you're concerned that your manager is waiting to assassinate your character, you're probably creating unnecessary anxiety for yourself.
Rather than obsessing about it, ask a friend to call your former manager or human resources department for a reference on you. Then you'll know whether you actually have a problem or not.
13. Employers expect a cover letter and a resume whenever you write to them. If you stray from this combination, you'll automatically be rejected. --False
While sending a cover letter and a resume is the traditional way to contact a potential employer by mail, it's not the only way, especially if you're initiating the communication. Unless a company specifically asks for a resume, you can send a broadcast letter that's shorter and quicker to read.
A broadcast letter is a hybrid between a cover letter and a resume. It's longer than a cover letter, shorter than a letter and resume combined, and makes the same points as a cover letter:
Why I'm interested in your company.
Why your organization should be interested in me.
Let's get together to discuss how we can be mutually beneficial to one another.
The broadcast letter includes more detail on the first two topics than a cover letter, and reads somewhat like an executive summary. Some job hunters prefer the format because it's a relatively unique way to capture an employer's attention.
14. Follow-up letters generally annoy potential employers. --False
Potential employers like to be admired and pursued as much as anyone. When you send a follow-up letter to a resume, networking appointment or interview or as a reminder of your continuing interest, it gives your contacts a lift and reinforces your interest in building long- term relationships with them.
There are a variety of ways to slant follow-up correspondence. Various approaches thank-you notes, FYI (for your information) newspaper or magazine articles, "this-is-what-I've-done-since-we-last- talked" letters and inquiries to confirm receipt of your resume can re mind potential employers that you want to become better acquainted.
15. In a competitive job market, persistence may be more useful than expertise.-- True
Are you beginning to see a pattern here? People like to feel important. Your persistence in conveying an interest in them fosters their interest in you.
While American businesses openly emphasize their need for individuals who have specific skills, education and work experience, hiring managers have a hidden agenda that's actually more important. Professionals who make hiring decisions want to work with colleagues who are enthusiastic about their companies, jobs and relationships. They instinctively know that employees who may not have ideal back grounds but are excited about their jobs can make greater contributions than applicants with perfect backgrounds and nonchalant attitudes.
Your persistence in pursuing a position reinforces your interest and indicates that you're an individual who doesn't give up easily. In a world of mediocre performers who view careers only as ways to fill time and make money, those who show persistence and enthusiasm are unique, refreshing and highly marketable.
16. First-time job seekers can only attract potential employers through their education and raw talent. --False
There are many places to gain marketable skills and experience besides classrooms. Paid or unpaid internships, extracurricular activities, hobbies, volunteer work, travel and family activities are some of the many venues for cultivating expertise. Unfortunately, many graduates who participate in these activities don't understand how their experience translates into applicable accomplishments. Cover letters, resumes and interviews are excellent vehicles for highlighting nontraditional experience if you know how to use them effectively.
17. Women returning to the workforce have a lot of marketable skills, even though they often don't realize it. --True
How true this statement is, yet very few career-changing home- makers give themselves credit for experience gained in their former profession. Perhaps they don't think their skills are marketable because they weren't paid for them. Or perhaps our culture has given them a clear, but erroneous, message that the more money you make, the more you're worth.
Like first-time job hunters, homemakers can use their nonpaid achievements to show employers they're capable of getting the job done, but, they must first believe their career is a noble and marketable profession. This is a perfect scenario for the Pygmalion Effect. If you feel your volunteer work has prepared you for a paid position as a fund raiser, meeting planner or project manager, potential employers will probably agree with you. If you think you have little to offer, interviewers will sense your feelings of inadequacy and evaluate you accordingly.
18. Employers are primarily looking for specific job knowledge. They don't think transferable skills count for much. -- False
Networking contacts, executive recruiters and potential employers will all tell you that, besides technical skills, professionals should have good communication and organizational abilities.
But working cooperatively on a team and setting priorities are skills that come naturally to some and not others. These are intrinsic aptitudes that improve with use. Like other transferable skills-initiative, creativity, empathy, physical coordination and attention to detail, to name a few-we're either born with them or we're not.
Fortunately, all of us have 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 our technical expertise as critical indicators of our ability to perform a job. Have you noticed how many boards of directors have chosen CEOs with fresh ideas from other industries to run their corporations? When selecting these individuals, board members are more interested in a candidate's personality and ability to get the job done than his background in potato chips or high-tech widgets.
Don't delude yourself into thinking that technical knowledge will be the deciding factor in whether you're chosen for an opening. Be sure to sell your transferable skills as vigorously as your specialized ones in your cover letters and resumes, because a combination of both is usually expected in a winning candidate.
19. Employers want to know your entire work history. -- False
Interviewers are only interested in what you can do for them. While this attitude may sound self-serving, it gives you the freedom to:
Delete unrelated or obsolete experiences from your work history without feeling guilty or dishonest. Structure your cover letter and resume so that they focus specifically on the employer's needs.
Showcase unpaid experience that applies to the position you're pursuing.
Sticking to related background and omitting irrelevant experience is especially useful for seasoned professionals who have 15 or more years with one company or industry. In general, employers are most interested in what you've been doing for the past 10 years. They'll consider experience gained before this time as outdated or assume it is beneath your current capabilities. Consequently, if you're concerned about your age or longevity with an organization, concentrating on recent activities in your cover letter and resume will be helpful to both you and your potential employer.
