The first act hooks the viewer on the story line, the second fleshes it out, and the third pulls everything together and works toward a conclusion. Similarly, the first part of your letter piques the reader's attention. ("This person really sounds interesting. Nobody ever asked for a job by using a letter.") The second part sells you by citing relevant jobs, and the last part concludes by asking for an interview. Simple? In concept, yes; the execution, however, requires thought and effort.
The task at hand is molding the letter to the job you're considering.
Note how it accomplishes its goal. Attention-getting opening sentences enlist the reader's interest by making a positive connection. Before the second sentence begins, the writer has established a rapport. Just a few lines into the letter and the reader know he or she is dealing with a seasoned professional. If a reader gets as far as the fourth sentence, the chances of reading the entire letter are excellent.
At the end of the first paragraph, the writer makes his claim: "I am offering you 28 years of sales/marketing experience in the food industry." Then he immediately backs it with some stunning credentials. Note how lean the letter is. Rather than including a chronology of jobs, he mentions only the most recent ones, because they sell him best.
Advice: Follow his lead. Stick only to facts that sell you. A resume is a hodgepodge of meaningful and meaningless facts. A letter, on the other hand, cuts right to the chase, giving the reader a powerful sketch of a candidate's abilities.
Remember, you're competing for a busy employer's time, so be brief. Get your best punch off first with material that captures interest and forces the reader to go on.
Do not make hollow claims: "I'm a creative copywriter capable of tackling any assignment." Or, "I'm the best salesperson on the West Coast." An employer's response will be "big deal." Instead, prove you're the best by providing irrefutable accomplishments. Our letter writer doesn't come across as the messiah, just a guy who knows what he's doing.
Do not include irrelevant items such as personal details marital status, hobbies, religion, race, philosophy, health status ("I'm in perfect health") or the ridiculous line found at the bottom of most resumes, "References furnished upon request." Are you going to tell employers to take a hike when they ask for references?
Finally, don't ever lose sight of the letter's purpose. It is a compelling sketch of you, an horsd'oeuvre whetting the reader's appetite to learn more. Say just enough to capture attention and arouse interest.
TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES FOR TURNING OUT GREAT LETTERS
Below are some helpful tips to take the pain out of preparing a letter.
- Rewrite and edit: Don't expect to get it right the first time. In fact, I'd be concerned if you are satisfied with your first draft. I don't care if you're a budding Hemingway; it's impossible for a first draft to be perfect. Don't be lazy. Find a quiet place and invest time in this important task. Consider this technique; Dash off a first draft, read it over for clarity, eliminate unnecessary words, and fix your grammar. Then, put it aside for a few hours or, better yet, a day. I call this the "gestation period."
- Distance yields perspective and objectivity: It's as if you're reading it for the first time. I guarantee you'll make plenty of changes and deletions.
- Stay focused: Don't go off on tangents. Think before you write. Don't lose sight of your goals. Whether you're responding to a want ad, following up on a tip, or playing a hunch, position yourself so you're presenting yourself to best advantage. Don't ever assume you're the first one to make a bid for the job. Whether you're the first or fourth, try to be the best by brilliantly selling yourself.
- Find your own voice: It may take a few drafts, but work toward finding a comfortable way of expressing yourself. Don't try to impress readers with big words and grandiose statements. Instead, keep the language simple and sentences short. A great letter needs no interpretation. It ought to be a quick, easy read.
- Keep a professional distance: As I said before, don't overstep your bounds and become too familiar with your reader. A business letter requires a professional voice at all times.
- Use variations for different jobs: You probably have one or two versions of your resume for applying for different kinds of jobs. Use the same approach with your letter. If you're multi skilled, as are so many job hunters your age, you ought to have variations of your letter.
Say you're in advertising. Over a 25-plus-year career, you may have worked as a copywriter and an account executive. Or, if you're experienced in the computer industry, you've worked as a systems analyst, programmer, and salesperson. In the course of a three-decade career, it stands to reason you'd test different sectors of your industry. One letter wouldn't do the job, but variations on a single theme would. If you were applying for a sales job in a software company, you'd include only those positions which highlight your sales credentials. It's a far cry from a resume which is a jumble of information.
Reading a resume can be likened to roaming around a dusty old attic looking at scattered mementos. A letter, on the other hand, picks out only those shards of the past that best sell you. The trick is knowing the right ones. Everything employers need to know should practically jump off the page. No interpretation is required.
Read the letter over carefully: Before you bless your letter and send it off into the ozone, do one last exercise. Before you print it out, use this last-minute checklist to make sure it's "letter" perfect.
- Is it a quick, easy read?
- Do opening sentences capture a reader's attention?
- Is it tight and targeted, avoiding buzzwords, biz speak, colloquialisms, and slang?
- Is it grammatically correct?
" How is the presentation? Is it neat and clean? You don't have to use expensive rag bond stationery or fancy type. Sturdy white stationery and standard fonts will do just fine. Anything else is pretentious and unnecessary. But it must be spotless.
One smudge can kill it all for you.
Finally, read the letter over one more time, word by word, to make sure a tiny error didn't slip through. Sign it; send it off and cross your fingers. Keep a record of all letters sent so you can follow up at the appropriate time. If you did your job well, you may be pleasantly shocked to get a call within a week summoning you for an interview.
