Cover Letter - How Powerful is YOURS? - by Debra Manente

I am usually asked if it is important to include a cover letter with a résumé and unless you are specifically told not to, my response is always, absolutely!!!  However, not all cover letter formats are effective.   There is one technique though, that I feel gives a punch and I recommend over all the others.  It is called the Power Impact Technique.

The Power Impact Technique cuts to the chase and conveys to the employer why they should listen to you.  It is a two-step process.  First, you need to understand what skills you have that the employer is looking for and second, you need to demonstrate to the employer how you are qualified and how your skills will help them in regards to what they are looking for. 

I’ve noticed that, over the years, many cover letters that have crossed my desk have listed what the applicant is looking for and what they want.  Many people don’t realize that instead, they need to convey what it is they can OFFER the employer and not their own wants and needs.  By using the Power Impact Technique, this technique outlines why an applicant is qualified to do a particular job and it showcases accomplishments instead of past duties or job descriptions. 

Since the average applicant competes with about 300 other applicants for any particular position, it is absolutely critical that the cover letter they submit GRABS the attention of the reader and compels that person to want to turn the page and read the résumé – or pick up the phone to call to set an interview. 

The worst way to begin a cover letter is by saying, “I am writing to apply for the ad that I saw in the Sunday paper (online, etc.).  Well, of course you are or you would not be applying, right? Applying because you “saw an ad” somewhere goes without being said.  There is no need to waste valuable space on your cover letter by telling the reader the obvious.  Instead, you might want to start by saying something like, “I noticed you are looking for a graphic artist and I have over ten years of experience working with clients to help them produce effective marketing tools.”  This reminds the employer, straight off, what they need and why you are applying.

To help guide you in this process, take a look at the steps below and see how you can incorporate them into your next letter.  

1.      Analyze the job you are applying to.  Understand both the assumed and noted needs the employer is seeking. 

2.      Determine if you have what the employer needs.  Typically, if you have at least 70% of the skills needed, it is safe to apply.

3.      Begin with a strong opening that focuses on the skills you have in accordance to what they are looking for.

4.      The body of your letter is used to demonstrate “proof” that you can perform the duties the employer desires.

5.      Ask yourself – What were the results of your efforts on previous jobs, projects, or tasks that you have undertaken?  By relaying these facts to the employer, you qualify that you can do the job.

In writing your letter, you don’t want to waste too much time, or space, talking about job duties.  It is more effective to talk about the accomplishments you produced in response to those job duties. 

Finally, conclude your letter with something like, “I would like to talk about the valuable contributions that I can bring to your company,” and always include a phone number so they know how to reach you.  You don’t know how many cover letters and résumés I have screened that did not have phone numbers on them.  It’s a shame that those people missed out on good opportunities because they did not include a way to be contacted.  If you say you will contact them at the end of next week to follow up, make sure you follow up.  Don’t write anything in your letter that you do not intend to do.    

Here is a template to help you get started.  Good luck and please let me know if this worked for you.  I would love to hear your success stories!!! - Debra Manente

THE “POWER IMPACT TECHNIQUE”

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS

YOUR PHONE ▪ YOUR EMAIL

Date:

Name of Contact:

Business Name:

Address:

Phone: (You do not need to list this if you do not know it.)

Fax: (You do not need to list this if you do not know it.)

Re: (This is where you put the purpose of this letter, (ex. Re: Internship or Re: Marketing Coordinator Position, etc.)).

Dear: (name of person or “Hiring Manager”)

Over ____ (#) years of experience (or “current senior in college studying marketing), in ______________ (field/key words) is the expertise I’d bring to the _____(job opening) position at ________ (company).  My strengths are in the areas of _______, _____ and ________.

Highlights of my experience/college experience include (Relate these to what the employer is looking for):

• __________
• __________
• __________

The opportunity at _______ (company) sounds very exciting to me and I am impressed with how ___________ (company) ___________(list comments about the company’s website).

I feel there is a great deal I can bring to ______(company) because I have ______, ______, _____.  Please call me at _______ (phone #) to discuss the valuable contributions I can make as part of your team.

Sincerely,

Name

Email Etiquette - Are You Making These Five Email Blunders? - by Debra Manente

Email Etiquette

I have a pet peeve.  Call me picky, but when it comes to any type of email etiquette, you need to make an impression that lends to the fact that you are a credible professional.  I see too many people - young professionals and seasoned professionals - send emails that would make anyone’s high school English teacher cringe.  You only have one chance to make a good first impression which will be invaluable to building trust and confidence.  Call it snobbish, call it stuck up...call it what you will, but true professionals act - and write like it.

Don't get me wrong, there is a method behind my madness.  When I write emails, I read and re-read and re-read, before I hit send. I always want to make sure what I am sending is factual, considerate, professional, and to the point.  It’s my way of saying, "Hey, I value our professional relationship.” I wish more people would adopt this way of thinking.  But hey, that’s just me.

Are You Making These Five Email Blunders? 

1.      The “SUBJECT” field can determine if your email will even be opened.  If this is an initial contact with a customer based on their request through your site or otherwise, be sure to have a short SUBJECT: that indicates clearly, the topic of the email. Typos, all caps or all small case letters, can lend to the impression you may be spammer.

2.      The“TO:” field, make sure you have your contact’s name formally typed. John B. Doe – not john b doe or JOHN B DOE…

a.      …BCc: Stands for "Blind Carbon Copy" and you should use this field when e-mailing a group of contacts who do not personally know each other. By listing an arm’s length list of e-mail addresses in the Cc or TO fields of contacts who do not know each other or who have never met is conducive to publishing their e-mail address to strangers. This is a privacy issue! With those you are forging partnerships with, visibly listing their e-mail address in with a group of strangers will make one wonder what other privacy issues you may not respect or understand.

b.    ...Cc:  Stands for "Carbon Copy" and you should use this this field when there are a handful of associates involved in a discussion that requires all be on the same page. These business people know each other or have been introduced and have no problem having their e-mail address exposed to the parties involved.If you are not sure if a business associate would mind their address being made public, ask!

3.      Formatting: Refain from using any formatting in yout day-to-day business email communications.  Unless you would type something in bold crimson letters on business letterhead, don’t do it when emailing. With all the spam filtering going on today; the more formatting or embedded images, the higher the chance that your e-mail will be blocked and considered spam mail.  Even something as simple as using a different font makes your email’s display contingent upon the recipient having that specific font on their system or it defaults to their designated default font.

Keep in mind the recipient may not have their e-mail program configured in such a way as to display your formatting the way it appears on your system. You must take into consideration the fact that others may not have the latest version of Microsoft Word that you typed your letter with and/or they may not understand how to acquire it.

Anotherthing to consider when formatting an email is to removeparts of the previous e-mail that no longer applies to your response.  This includes email headers and signature files.  By doing so, it removes the clutter. By making the effort to reply, point by point, keeps the conversation on track and leads to fewer misunderstandings.

4.      CommonCourtesy: “Hello, Hi, Good Day, Thank You, Sincerely, BestRegards,” all those intros and sign offs that are a staple of professional business communications should also be used in your business email communications. Always have a salutation and sign off that includes your name with every email. Here again – think business letterhead. 

Courtesy also includes that you make the effort to communicate as an educated adult. You must type in full sentences, with proper sentence structure.  Do not type using all caps and do not type using all small letters.

Take the time to proofread and use proper capitalization and punctuation.  This is not only a must, but it conveys the fact that you take the time and pride in yourself – that you are an educated person who wants to be taken seriously. Therefore,you need to communicate as such. All caps or all small case letters either leads people to believe you lack education, tech/business savvy — or you are just plain lazy. None of which is positive for instilling confidence or encouraging others to want to do business with you.

5.      RespondPromptly: Let’s face it, time is of the essence. You should do your best to respond to your business communications as quickly as possible. You would want people to respond to you in a timely manner, right?  This is true, even if it just means typing a one line message, for example, “I do not have an answer right now but as soon as I have more information I will get back to you.”  In the least, this is the considerate thingto do.  This is a customer service issue that should not be underestimated. By not responding promptly you appear unorganized, uncaring or worse yet, risk being outperformed by your competitors who understand the importance of appearing efficient and on the ball.

I can’t help but think that our society has gotten lazy with the way it communicates.  Who can blame me when so many have grown accustomed to texting and finding ways to do things at the speed of light?  With that understanding, I am still very traditional when it comes to how business correspondence should be conducted.  The bottom line is, when it comes to business, regardless of the mode of communication, professionalism and courtesy never go out of style!

Let me know what you think.  I welcome comments and look forward to what you have to say.  Thanks and happy job hunting. - Debra Manente

LinkedIn Headlines

Today, I saw a question on Linkedin about writing affective "Headlines" for Linkedin profiles. It was, "What is your first impression when you read the following LinkedIn Summary: "Sales Professional" or "Human Resources Professional"? Do you think it is niave and assume that the person is unemployed?

I feel that by stating your current title, or your profession, you are doing yourself a disservice.  By doing this, it is not the most affective way to get noticed if you are looking for work.  Have you ever heard the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover"? Well, unfortunately, we do judge books by their covers and so do hiring managers and recruiters when they look at profiles on Linkedin.  People are judged by their "headlines," and a generic headline does not give an employer a compelling reason to want to continue reading.  It doesn't tell the reader what your unique skills are or what you can offer an employer if they hire you.

In today's age of job searching and competition, you have to exhaust all possibilities when it comes to getting noticed. Let’s face it, there is so much competition that hiring managers really have their pick of the litter.  When they come across anything that does not grab their attention, they are going to move on to the next person who, possibly, has a more eye catching headline; one that displays the skills they are seeking in a job candidate.

You see, Linkedin's search algorithm indexes the headline first. This is why it is so important for a job seeker to use strong keywords and phrases instead of generic keywords. They will show up in searches before any of the people who have generic headlines do.  In essence, a prepared job seeker will look more proactive and technically savvy.  For example, instead of going about it the familiar way, it is best to use words like (I'll use myself as an example): Branding Guru | Career Search Specialist | Search Engine Optimizationalist....etc.  These types of phrases are more interesting and demonstrate the skills I bring to the table.  You can also seperate them with lines or astericks so they will stand out better.

If I was searching for job candidates and came across a profile that was generic, I would not feel compelled to read further.  First, I would wonder if the person who wrote it was lazy, and second, I would wonder if they even understood why it is better to use a unique skill set instead of a generic title. Maybe no one even told them what it is they should do.

The bottom line...a person needs to take the time to think about what makes them different from everyone else and what employers want to see; what compels employers to want to read further? Using generic headlines and keywords is not going to do it.  Taking the time to create a more personal, professional headline, while utilizing more powerful skill sets, is what is going to help you raise above the competition.

With all this in mind, I challenge you to look at your Linkedin profile and ask yourself, "How can I make it better so I am not just another profile in the mix?" Good luck and I look forward to your creativity.  - Debra Manente