Developing Your "Communications Materials"

TIP 6:   Saying The Right Things To The right People


A. Your Cover Letter. Whatever you do, don’t use a generic cover letter. You
need to develop a new letter for each organization you contact – one addressed
to that all-important hiring authority your research and telephone calls uncovered.
As our book points out, you want to make three impressions on this person – although,
by the second impression, he or she will know who you are, what you want, and the
benefits you can bring to the organization. Make certain the benefits you spell out in
the cover letter are expanded upon in your resume. Above all, keep the cover letter
short, easy-to-read, and tailored to your recipient so he or she recognizes immediately
what you have to offer the organization. During Step 2, you’ll be enclosing a powerful
resume. Make certain it highlights, supports, and builds on the benefits included in this
cover letter.

B. Your Resume. Typically, 30 seconds is about as much time as the typical HR
Manager spends reviewing your resume. This is how long it takes to briefly scan
a resume and determine if the company is interested. This is why we want to target
that person with the hiring and firing authority, not someone who handles support
staff functions. On the off chance you are responding to a classified advertisement
for a job – and you researched the proper contact – still use the cover letter approach,
but tailor it and your resume so they reflect and highlight the skills the company specifies.
In either case, don’t assume anyone will deduce from your experience or job title that
you have the required skills, and can offer the desired benefits. You must mention your
skills and resultant benefits, specifically. Write your resume so it easily can be understood
by your main contact or someone in the HR department. As illustrated by the sample
resume contained in “Knock 3 Times,” it’s best to summarize your technical skills at
the top of the first page. Remember, many people may be reading your resume on-line
or from their e-mail in-box, so you must design it so the most important part – which
is your list of job skills – fits into the first section where viewers see it without scrolling
down. If this information appears at the bottom of the page, they might never see it.
Again, refer to our sample resume as an example of the most current “best practices”
in preparing and formatting.

C. References. Don’t put reference names on a resume you send to an organization.
This enables the organization to check your references prior to the interview. Make
certain you contact your references in advance, and find out what they might say
about you before supplying their names to prospective employers. You can always
ask a friend to call and pretend to be an employer, and see what they have to say
about you. Don’t provide your list of reference unless or until the interviewer asks
for it. Typically, this will be as you conclude the interview. When the interviewer
asks if he or she make contact your references, consider this as a positive sign.
However – once again – be certain your references know they may be called,
and you know what your references will say about you if called.