Effective Correspondence for Job Application Process and Job
Search.
It
may sound like an untold and unheard story but it is true that most jobseekers
know little or nothing about cover letters. It is appalling how ignorance had
kept great minds in obscurity and abject frustration. Knowledge is a very
powerful tool for great success but its nature cannot be unraveled if not
applied. 20% of the effort you put in
writing an effective cover letter has an 80% chance of getting you to the
interview deck. If you can be able to defend the content of your cover letter
and CV in an interview, you stand a 100% chance of securing the job.
Your
cover letter is more than likely the
first contact you will have with a potential employer. If it is well
written, your letter will lead the reader to your résumé or CV. Cover letters
are marketing tools used to create interest in you as a candidate for jobs
and/or internships and are an important part of the application process. Each cover letter you write must be unique.
The goal is to motivate the recipient to review your CV and ultimately invite
you for an interview. A good letter will
clearly demonstrate how you fit with the particular organization and position
to which you are applying. If your letter is poorly written or produced, the
employer may not even take time to review your CV and your application has a
good chance of ending in the circular file.
When
you prepare the cover letter put
yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager.
If you were doing the hiring, what attributes would the ideal
candidate for this job possess? You probably would prefer that the person has
work experience similar to, or at least applicable to, the position he or she
is applying for. You would want the ideal candidate to be ambitious and anxious
to contribute his or her energy and skills to the success of your organization.
The perfect candidate would demonstrate interest in and knowledge of your
particular company or organization. In short, you would want to hire an
energetic, dedicated and skilled candidate. The cover letter affords the
opportunity for you to present yourself
as the perfect candidate. Imagine your cover letter as a marketing tool,
much like a television commercial.
The
same techniques used to polish your CV must be used to compose effective
correspondence with individuals and organizations that might advance your career
or vocational goals. Effective correspondence is an essential component in the
application or job-search process.
Effective
commercials catch your attention by highlighting only the most attractive
features of a product. Highlight your
most attractive features as a potential employee. Remember, employers
typically receive hundreds of applications for each job opening. No one is
going to waste time reading through a long letter crammed with text. Be brief. You should avoid detailing
your entire work history. The best way to distinguish yourself is to highlight
one or two of your accomplishments or abilities that show you are an
above-average candidate for the position. Stressing only a few unique
attributes increases your chances of being remembered by the recruiter and
getting to the interview stage where you can elaborate on the rest of your
accomplishments.
Taking
time to research each employer promises
to be much more effective than sending out hundreds of form letters. In effect,
you are saying to employers, “This is where I want to work. I have done my
research and I am confident in my decision.” While it may seem like a lot of
work, it is imperative that each letter is tailored to the recipient, keeping
his/her needs in mind.
The correspondence that accompanies a CV
is generally referred to as a cover letter. It is defined, shaped, and
determined by its diverse purposes. Examples of these cover letters are;
·
letters of application,
·
letters of declination,
·
letters of acceptance, and
·
referral letters.
In addition to the cover letter, the
application process and the job search might require you to write other forms
of correspondence such as prospecting letters, search firm letters, thank-you
letters, letters of withdrawal, and letters of interest.
While writing your cover letter, just
put in mind that the viewer is only interested in the facts. Do not think cover letter as an
autobiography. It must be brief and to the point. A cover letter is what demonstrates to your
employer that you meet or exceeds the requirement of the job you are applying
for. It further tells your employer that
you are interested and available for the position you are applying for.
During cover letter writing, avoid all
negatives. It is not a time to state why you left or leaving a job or a time to
share the ugly experiences you are facing/faced. They can best be shared during
interview. Avoid salary history in your cover letter
Objectives of Correspondence
A well-written letter satisfies the
following objectives:
-It offers the writer an opportunity to
target the CV to a particular person.
-It allows
the writer to direct particular attention to specific skills that might be
important to the reader.
-It enables
the writer to state clearly why an organization is of interest to him or her.
-It opens
the door for further communication and follow-through.
The essential structure and
format of the correspondence should adhere to some commonly agreed upon
guidelines even though there is wide flexibility regarding important matters of
content, tone, style, and focus. While you are naturally expected to exercise
prudent judgment in these matters, your primary consideration must always be to
produce prose of the highest and most inspired quality.
Write with clarity,
persuasion, honesty, and economy. You cannot afford to do otherwise. Grammar,
writing conventions, style, format, and appearance require the same focused
attention that you give your curriculum vitae. Use a computer and a laser or
DeskJet printer, and proofread your correspondence several times to catch
misspellings, typographical errors, grammatical errors, and ineffective style
and format. This correspondence speaks for you at the most important stage of
your application or job search— that initial stage when decisions are made that
will determine whether you receive an interview or remain in a pool of
applicants who do not survive the paring process.
Characteristics of Effective
Correspondence
• Address your letter to someone who has
authority to hire you or to have an impact on your admission (or acceptance).
Wherever possible, address a specific person, not a title.
• Use that person’s name and title, and
spell both correctly.
• Find out as much as you can about the
organization from which you are seeking employment (or admission).
• Sound enthusiastic to indicate
interest.
• Be professional, warm, and friendly.
• Be specific about what you are seeking
and what you are offering.
• Set yourself apart from other
applicants. Identify at least one thing about you that is unique—something that
distinguishes you and that is relevant to the position or program for which you
are applying.
Guidelines for Effective
Correspondence
The process of writing a cover letter
should provide valuable information and creative exercises that describe
the process of self assessment— a systematic evaluation of your
strengths, interests, and personal style—that is a critical preliminary
step before you prepare your correspondence. This will provide
useful information that will help you determine what you need to know
about the individuals and organizations to whom you direct your
correspondence.
-Effective
communication involves shared understandings. Enhance the quality of your
communication by using keywords and phrases about your skills as well as information
from your profession or discipline, advertisements, descriptive pamphlets,
brochures or films, and any other source that will show you have a clear
understanding of yourself and have carefully researched the organizations or
individuals with whom you are now communicating.
-It is
essential that the tone of the correspondence accurately reflect the tenor of
the messages you want to convey. Be certain that your language and the format
of your correspondence reflect such positive characteristics as career
maturity, enthusiasm, intelligence, creativity, energy, organization, attention
to detail, and skills appropriate to your focused interest.
-In some
cultures, especially in academia, it is sometimes considered “bad form” to view
or even use accompanying correspondence, CVs, and other accoutrements of the
application or job-search process as marketing tools. While it is quite
understandable that marketing oneself might clash with the values of some
cultures, it is nonetheless naive to assume that it is not part of competition
for positions. Weigh your values against the advantages of using correspondence
and CVs as effective marketing tools in your profession.
-It is
important to provide detailed information specific to the purpose of your
correspondence, e.g., the date you will begin employment, your response to
salary and benefits packages, or information regarding individuals who have
agreed to write letters of recommendation.
-Appropriate
and specific information describing your education and work background, skills,
interests, publications, and presentations—in short, highlights from your CV
that should generate enthusiasm in the reader for more detailed information
about you— should be included.
-All correspondence
should describe the actions you will take following the communication, i.e.,
thank-you letters and continuing interest letters.
Seven
Unbeaten Cover letter tips
When writing your cover
letter (and résumé);
TI. Keep in mind that the reviewer is only
interested in one thing; THE FACTS. Do not think of your cover letter as an
autobiography; it should be brief and to the point. The purpose of the cover should be to
demonstrate that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in the job
description. It should demonstrate that
you are interested in the position, and that you are available to accept the
position if offered. Additional
information outside this can be counterproductive as it dilutes the core
purpose of a cover letter and résumé.
T2. Avoid negatives. A cover letter is not a
place where to explain why you left or are leaving an employer, why there are
gaps in your employment dates, and so on. These “negatives” are best delivered
in person during the interview so that your personality can counter them.
T3. Try to avoid salary history. Even if the
position specifically asks for your salary history, providing this information
will a cause you a job than not. If the
job had specifically said that résumés without a salary history will not be
considered, give a historical salary range and state that your salary
requirements are flexible based on the opportunity the position will provide.
T4. Spend time thinking about the layout of
your letter and make sure that it is easy on the eyes. It should be easy to scan the letter and have
a logical progression. Keep in mind that
the reviewer has 100’s and 1,000’s of cover letters and résumés to look at,
therefore make it easy for him/her to find the information you want highlight.
T5. Bunched up text in long paragraphs will
frustrate anyone who has to review hundreds of cover letters and CVs a week.
T6. In addition to the layout, do not just
repeat your CV in a cover letter. Your
cover letter is not a summary of your résumé; instead, it is an introduction of
yourself and an argument for why you are the best candidate for their company
and the specific position.
T7. Personalize your cover letter if
possible. Your letter should be
addressed to a specific person. Even if
you do not know the name of the recipient, you can find the contact name at the
company fairly easily. Go the company’s
website and search the “about us” pages for names of individuals to address
your letters and résumés to. It takes a
few seconds; however, will make your letter stand out.
In writing curriculum vitae and job search correspondence, care need to be taken so as to effectively and efficiently prepare your way up to the job. Join us HERE for more Information on CV and Job search correspondences.