"Should I write a cover letter?"

Many job hunters wonder if they should bother writing a cover letter. Will anyone actually read it? Will it make a difference?

Our position at The Ayers Group is, Yes, write that cover letter. At a minimum it is a great exercise to go through because it requires that you think about the "fit" between the job you are applying for and You.

And if the hiring manager actually reads it, it could be a differentiator, especially if the others who applied chose not to write one.

So, what makes a good cover letter?  Here is a brief guide we have developed, with two examples.

Like a resume, your cover letter is another way in which you present yourself to the market. You want to present yourself as professional, confident, positive, and capable.

Unlike a resume which generally does not change very much each time you send it out, a cover letter is always customized. Ideally each cover letter you write is addressed to a person by name and deals with a specific opportunity at a target employer.

We recommend keeping cover letters short and specific.  As a guide, there are 3 parts to a cover letter:  1) the Introduction where you say Why you are writing; 2) the Body where you show how you may be a good fit with their needs; and 3) the Closing where you express interest in meeting them.

If you have a job ad that you are writing about, take the time to read it carefully and analytically, identifying what you think are their "must have" requirements. These will be key to part 2, the Body, mentioned above.

Example A – With a job ad

Dear [Their Name, if you have it],

I am writing to you with interest in the opening for a Software Development Engineer that I saw on Dice.com.

In analyzing the job requirements, it is clear that you are looking for someone with certain capabilities. First, you are seeking someone who can lead the development of complex software projects. I have over 15 years of hands-on experience in leading and managing complex software development projects including (give some examples). Second, I see that you are seeking someone who...... Third.....

As you can see, my capabilities are well aligned with the requirements you have listed for this position. I would like to speak with you about this opportunity at your earliest convenience. I can be reached at...

Sincerely yours,

Ramprasad

Example B – No job ad

Dear Mr. Eastwood,

Mitch Samson gave me your name and suggested that it would be a mutually beneficial for us to meet.  I have known Mitchell for the past two years and highly value his opinion.  

Currently, I am in transition from York Merchants and would like to take my career to the next level and focus on building a single brand such as Casa Noche.  I have a tremendous passion for tequila and have become quite fond of the product and brand Casa Noche is creating.  I have expressed my interests and ideas about Casa Noche to Mitch and he thought you and I should try and speak about our shared interests in the brand.

Mitch has said you are not hiring right now, but I would love to show you what I can bring to Casa Noche and potentially help build a team utilizing the industry contacts I have made along the East Coast and ideas I have been working on.  Perhaps we could arrange a meeting within the next month before the holiday season begins to ramp up?  

I can be reached at 941.908.xxxx or via email at: Michael.Masters@email.com.

Sincerely,

Mike Masters

Terrence Seamon helps his clients to position themselves for success. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

On the Critical Path

If you were to look at a job search through the lens of a project, which activities might emerge as the most critical for the overall success of the endeavor?

To my way of thinking, there are three activities of critical importance: networking, marketing and interviewing.

Networking helps you to leverage the power of relationships to garner advice, insights and referrals. Marketing helps you to get your brand and value proposition "out there" and into the minds of decision makers in your career space. And Interviewing helps you to make a human connection and convince the hiring managers that you are the answer to their prayers.

Taking a deeper dive, three tools emerge that are critically important: CAR stories, ACE statements, and STAR answers.

Let's look at each.

CAR stories are your accomplishments. Taking the time to think back about your accomplishments, and writing them down, early in your search is essential.

The CAR method will help you write the accomplishment succinctly. Every accomplishment has the elements of a Challenge (or Problem) that you faced, some Actions you took, and the Results you obtained. Thinking about your accomplishments is a vital activity in a job search. Capturing them as CAR stories is a critical step in drafting your Resume and getting ready to Interview.

ACE statements are the accomplishments you decide to include on your resume. To write your accomplishments in a concise yet hard-hitting way, start with the Action Verb (or verbs) that reflect what you did to address the Challenge you were facing, followed by the Effect (i.e. the Results) you brought about. For example:

• Hired and managed a team of IT professionals to build out a new offshore data center thereby providing needed redundancy.

• Scheduled and facilitated training sessions for all staff on customer tracking system which reduced customer record errors significantly.

• Saved the company over $20k by renegotiating contracts with vendors of office supplies.

STAR answers continue this trend.

In an Interview, many questions will be answered using an accomplishment story. Questions such as "Give me an example of..." or "Tell me about a time when..."

To answer such questions in a concise yet compelling way, start by Setting the Scene (i.e. When, Where, What was your Role), describing the Task (i.e. the Challenge or Problem) you were facing, then telling the Actions you took, and ending with the Results you obtained. This STAR formula ensures that the accomplishment stories you provide in answer to Interview questions will communicate your value to the employer.

As you can see CAR stories, ACE statements, and STAR answers are all the same thing, only slightly different depending upon how they are used in the process of finding your next job.

Accomplishments are critical in a job search. They convey so much more than a list of job duties. A well crafted accomplishment story can convey your skills, your ingenuity, and your creativity.

Your past accomplishments predict your future value to the next organization you are considering.

Terrence Seamon teaches these and other tools to job seekers to help them manage the critical path to success. Follow him on twitter @tseamon