I am an engineer in my 50s and have rethought the whole problem of how to get attention from the decision makers in a company. Since I have a suspicion that their secretaries have been told to either automatically send resumes to the HR person for disposition or trash them immediately, I wanted to get my information past these gatekeepers by eliminating the resume altogether.
Also, I decided that managers and executives want to know what I can do for their company and want to examine experience in an easy-to-read manner without all the normal resume rhetoric. So, I came up with the attached resume letter for broadcast mailings that has been much more successful. I include a self-addressed postcard when I send a letter to a particularly important company as an inducement for the reader to reply and not waste a 19-cent card. I have had at least eight interviews and over 40 personal responses from this format.
DONALD W. OVERTON
496 North Shelbourne Road
Media, PA 19064
610-946-2446
9 June, 199X
Mr. Big Shot, President
XYZ Corporation
7th and Golden Streets
Remote, PA 18000
Dear Mr. Shot:
I have taken the liberty of contacting you directly since you are best aware of the current and future business plans of XYZ Corporation. This letter is to introduce myself to you so you can determine how I may be beneficial to your company. In today's difficult economic and business climate, it is even harder to compete with domestic and foreign companies than in the past. While you must reduce costs by eliminating waste from business and manufacturing functions, it is even more important to use new technology and improve worker effectiveness to become a leader in your marketplace. Being successful in the near future requires a diversified staff adept at quickly solving product, process and manufacturing challenges while quickly and accurately addressing business and personnel problems.
I believe I can assist your company in pursuing new technical and managerial opportunities because of my diverse engineering, manufacturing and supervision background. I have worked with several sizes and types of industries, in various stages of development, and with metals, ceramics, composites and polymers. I have actual experience with the many processes listed below, some of which may be of direct interest to your company:
Equipment procurement, from hand tools to major capital equipment investments-Research, cost justification, evaluations, testing, negotiating, installation, start-up, qualification, operating procedures and P.M.
Product and materials procurement-Specifications, vendor research, audits and evaluation, product standards dev. and testing, cost and quality comparisons and negotiations.
Product development-Personal and published customer and product market research, product specifications, process or vendor cost analysis and delivery estimate.
Fixture development-Welding, brazing, machining and EDM.
Materials development, technical evaluation and selection-Low carbon steel sheet, tool steels, high silicon aluminum alloys, ceramic shapes, ceramic and Al metal matrix composites, precious metals, brazing and soldering alloys. Misc. low temp. Sn alloys and misc. polymers, elastomers, and adhesives.
Product and process cost analysis-Process dev., process improvement and revaluation, job analysis and definition, total cost development, equipment and personnel forecasting, and make-or-buy decisions,
Project management-Process dev. and qualification, facilities and plant lay out, equipment installation and start-up using Std. PERT or Microsoft Project software
Products manufacturing, consumer and industrial-Electronic heat sinks and packages; misc. rolled strip and punched and formed shapes; double- sided, fine line printed circuit boards; semiautomatic MIG and TIG welded shapes; polymer/metal powder composite shapes; ceramic tape casting; high quality die cast parts, and precious metal and pewter cast small parts.
Process control-Use of manual and computer MRP2 process, inventory, scheduling, and systems control. SPC evaluation.
Manufacturing systems-Process and quality control, scheduling, MRP2, JIT and TQM.
Quality engineering-Manual or auto dimensional measurements, thermal and moisture accelerated environmental testing, and mechanical, surface finish, vacuum lead, and in-process inspection techniques along with SPC analysis.
Machining metals and ceramics-Supervised production machining and model shops using standard equipment plus diamond toolgrinding, CMCmachining centers, lapping and wire EDM equipment.
P.C. literacy-Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Project, Drafix CAD, and Harvard Graphics.
Personnel supervision and budgeting-Engineers, technicians of production and quality reports, computer services, manufacturing personnel, and admin, services. Personnel selection, training, and discipline.
Donald W. Overton
While the above list touches on some of the categories where I am either an authority or have functional skills, there is much more I can accomplish by combining some of these materials and processes with good organizational and communication expertise, business experiences, and person-to-person encounters. I have a B.S. in Met. Nuclear Eng. from a respected engineering school and undergraduateand graduate level business administration class work which complements over 20 years of manufacturing, production, project and program management, manufacturing operations, production systems analysis, and plant management. However, I will consider a senior engineering position in these fields, if there are real growth opportunities.
In summary, I can make technical and organizational improvements, get new products into the marketplace, reduce costs, improve quality and productivity, and attack new challenges to be more competitive. You may already know a technical or major project that requires additional attention to accelerate results. Only you can judge what your company needs right now and in the coming years. If you feel you want a closer look at my background or are interested in using my skills now or in the near future, please call me at the above number for more detailed discussions. Or, simply return the attached postcard, and I will contact you or someone you recommend to discuss my abilities in relation to your company's needs.
However, if you have no immediate need for additional managerial or technical staff, perhaps you can direct me to a professional associate outside your company that may be in need of additional help. Thank you for your time and any assistance. I'm looking forward to hearing from you very soon.
Sincerely yours,
Donald W. Overton
ERNEST VILLANOVA
456 Ruggland Terrace
Springfield, OH 43055
216-841-9236
June 1, 199X
Ms. Taunee Besson
Career Dimensions
6330 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, TX 75240
Dear Ms. Besson:
After a 17-year career with a major sales and distribution company and a short stint heading my own marketing firm, I have seen many examples of great leadership and some that have not been up to the challenge. What separates the truly successful from the "wannabes" is the way people feel about their contributions to the goals of the corporation. While Total Quality Management (TQM) has been around for many years, successful implementation has been illusive to many more than would choose to admit it. This failed effort has resulted in a great deal of unrealized potential, and poor communication has left those expected to carry out the process with questions about the real objective. I'm sure you agree that creating a comfortable environment makes the work more interesting and fun while reducing stress. When the entire unit gains a stake in the outcome the probability of improved efficiency increases. By now you have deduced that one of the things I enjoy most is developing capable people.
I have participated in changes that have transformed an industry. While many of these changes supported minor segments, many affected the ability of independent retailers to maintain and expand market share. As a result of a clear vision, an understanding of each person's role in the process, and a team desire to actively collaborate, we took business strategies from words to action on world-class scale. My experience in sales, marketing and distribution, at both the wholesale and retail levels have enhanced ray ability to anticipate outcomes and lead effectively. I am enthusiastic about using this unique blend of experience in an organization driven by the quest for added value and legendary service.
If you are looking for a Vice President/General Manager who can motivate a team to implement plans with multiple priorities that not only meet, but exceed growth and financial goals, I am the person who can deliver those expectations and more.
May we talk?
Ernest Villanova
LARRY URBAN M.
3819 Hidden Harbour Drive
Melbourne, FL 32935
407-882-0747
March 28, 199X
Mr. Robert Darwin
Northern PhoneCom
14815 Northpark Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28216
Dear Mr. Darwin:
The art of teaching and the need for motivational instructors will ALWAYS be essential to the population at large. As a professional with over 12 years of experience in educational administration, marketing, personnel, and finance, and 201 years of teaching and language translation of English to Spanish and Spanish to
English, I am currently seeking new challenges in INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
AND TRAINING MANAGEMENT.
Select career highlights include:
- Serving as a successful manager supervising schools with multiple departments, staffs of up to 25 employees, and hundreds of students.
- Teaching and creating courses, revising and adapting training programs, implementing methods of study, and supervising teachers' work habits and teaching methods.
- Creating and implementing policies and procedures used very successfully in corporations.
- Gaining a comprehensive knowledge of computers sales, export/import, customer support and satisfaction.
- Established a corporation that commands the highest respect and approval from the community, state authorities, and the population at large.
- Increased profits by over 1000 percent in seven years by introducing new procedures and areas of training now being imitated by my competition.
- Established new systems for control of student fees and attendance.
- Increased income while keeping taxes low.
- Created a translation department for an important tourist magazine.
- Attained the status of the only licensed translator by both federal government and state authorities in the eastern part of the country.
Sincerely,
Larry Urban M.
George K. Kloppenberg
6123 Green Manor Drive
Louisville, KY 40219
502-387-6857 (H)
502-481-0777 x242 (W)
January 10, 199X
Mr. Fernando Fernandez
President
Intrex Corporation
1000 First Street
Harrison, NJ 07029
Dear Mr. Fernandez:
In God We Trust, all others must bring data!
Division Managers at Dahlstrom were expected to manage "by the numbers." My whole hearted acceptance of this expectation, reinforced by my open, participatory leadership style, contributed substantially to my successful stay there.
As DIVISION MANAGER with P&L responsibility for $10 million in annual sales, I achieved significant operational and financial improvements by fostering an atmosphere of open communications, trust and mutual respect. Working directly with our managers and supervisors, I applied over 20 years of manufacturing management experience to lead a focused factory with cellular production, ISO 9002 driven quality systems, and continuous improvement teams. Our management group reduced cycle times 50 percent and direct labor 36 percent, improved inventory turns 50 percent and increased on-time delivery from 10 to 90 percent, while maintaining quality levels at 98 percent.
Previously, as General Manager of a 170-employee plant, I led a team of managers who developed and maintained continuous flow manufacturing, work cells and SPC, while reducing cycle times, inventory and floor space, and continually refining our MRP system (AskManMan) to conform to a )IT environment.
Since I am currently in an outplacement mode, my intention is to gain your assistance in two ways:
- Determine potential positions at your company.
- Enlist your help to discuss employment possibilities in your area and to find new networking resources.
Sincerely,
George K. Kloppenberg
