Do you look
forward to the holidays––and dread them at the same time? November and December
often blur together as we move from Thanksgiving to the December Holidays. And
the next thing you know it's time to celebrate the next twelve months on New
Year's Eve!
If this sounds
familiar, you, like many people, may be caught in a holi-daze. Cooking,
shopping, entertaining, cleaning, and organizing take over. If you're in the
market for a new job you may be tempted to put off writing that cover letter
till all the celebrations are over.
Don't Give In
Tempting as it
might be to glide through the next month, avoid it if you can. The holiday
season is actually a great time to
keep moving along with your job-search goal. You'll get a jump on all the job
seekers who are waiting until January.
While the kids
are playing with their holiday toys and games, and visitors are resting or
sightseeing, sneak off to another room and spend time drafting a brand new
cover letter. Set your sights on what is ahead. Look forward to all the good
that will come your way in 2012.
A well-written
job-search cover letter is a gift to give yourself—one that will give back to
you all through the new year.
Such a letter
will:
·
Put
you in touch with hiring managers
·
Plant
your name in the mind of those who read your cover letter
·
Place
you in the running for an interview for a specific job
·
Promote
your work experience and skills to decision-makers
Get Started Now
Here are four
steps you can take immediately to write the kind of cover letter that will
capture a hiring manager's attention, one that will compel him or her to
contact you for a job interview by phone or in person.
Step 1. Meet the
hiring manager's needs. Show him or her how you, the job seeker, can
benefit his or her company––if you're hired to fill the open position.
Example:
I'm
aware through my friend Rich Lewis, your company CPA,that you're interested in hiring someone to expand your
sales territory in the southwest . . . I'd like to accept this
challenge. I
have a master's degree in Sales and Marketing . . . I opened six new
accounts in less than six months while employed by Fenwick and
Bolton Textile Company in
Step 2. Ask for what you want.
Example:
May we get together in person to talk about how your
expectations for
the person you hire and my job expertise can benefit your company.
Step 3. State your goal.
Example:
I'll phone you by the end of the week to schedule an
appointment that works for you. If you prefer to speak before then, please call or email me using the contact info above.
Step 4. Show your appreciation.
Example:
Thank
you for the opportunity to introduce myself. I'm enthusiastic about meeting in person to see how I might
help fill the opening and enhance the vision of your company.
Keep in mind
that hiring managers need you to do
their job. They must hire people to fill the available positions. Make them
look good by showing the benefits you can bring.
Let your cover
letter work for you, not against you. Focus on the hiring
manager's needs and in turn, he or she will give you what you want—an interview
for the job of your dreams.
Jimmy Sweeney is
the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career
related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."
