Wow Your Potential Employer

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Wow Your Potential Employer

Thank-you notes, whether hand-written or emailed often set one candidate apart from another. But if there is a particular job you've interviewed for and "really gotta have," consider putting a little more effort into your follow up by acting like you already have the job. That's the advice executive recruiter Lynn Hazan gives to her job applicants.

Hazan urges candidates who are dazzled by a job opportunity to "dazzle them back" with a "Wow!" project. This involves thinking about a challenge or upcoming project that was mentioned by the interviewer and developing a brief project or plan, with suggestions, resolutions and action steps to show how you would handle the situation. Follow-up of this kind makes employers say "Wow! We need to hire this guy (or gal)"

What will it take to create your own Wow! project? If you're the right candidate for the job and have the right skills and expertise, pulling together a top-level project should be easy. You'll need a little creative thinking, some quick, yet thorough research, and effective packaging and presentation of your thoughts. Consider the following ideas.

Prepare and send a PowerPoint presentation as if you were a marketing or PR agency responding to a Request for Proposal. Outline the problem or situation, provide background research about the topic and propose solutions or concepts. You don't have to provide each and every detail. Think big picture and share a few good ideas about what you think needs to be done.

If the position is for an advertising or product manager for a company that is launching a new product or service, share your ad concepts, branding ideas or marketing strategy.

If the job is for a PR manager, draft a press release and provide an outline of a media strategy. Include examples of how you expect sample headlines to read, and create a hypothetical news story with appropriate quotes from you as their new company spokesperson.

If you're hoping to land a job as a trainer or a position in organizational development, create a brief training module and/or present ideas for introducing a new skills development course.

If you've applied for a general management position, you might suggest ways to save costs or improve efficiencies.

If the job is for a purchasing manager, you might suggest an improved procurement process or new ordering system.

One of Hazan's candidates learned that redesigning the prospective company's website would be a top priority for the person who filled the webmaster's job. The job seeker had done her research and was familiar with the website prior to the interview. She offered some suggestions during the interview. After the interview, the candidate took the liberty of creating a few new website concepts that the company might want to consider. In her emailed thank you letter, she directed the hiring manager to a URL she created that featured the new concepts. The manager was equally impressed with the work she had done and the initiative she took. The following day she was offered the job!

You might also consider creating a report or drafting a brief white paper. If the interviewer mentioned an issue with a competitor in the marketplace, put on your investigative hat and see what you can find out about it. Without revealing your sources or disclosing confidential information, talk to industry experts to get their take on the competitor or the marketplace. Research industry publications and news articles for information about the issue. Put your findings in a well-written, organized and bullet-pointed executive summary report to the hiring manager. Be sure to list your sources and include a brief explanation of your research process.

"Hiring companies who receive these Wow! projects are always impressed by the candidate's initiative," added Hazan. If the company is trying to decide between Candidate A and Candidate B, taking a few extra steps to stand out as the "A" candidate by creating your own Wow! project could be the difference between a job offer and a new job search.

Cover Letters Are a Must!

Cynical job seekers sometimes think a cover letter is superfluous. They think a resume tells all that needs to be said. Why waste time on a cover letter expressing interest in a job - isn't that obvious?

So, they write a perfunctory letter, just to say they touched that base. Dear Sir or Madam: I am very interested in your job as chief cook and bottle washer. Please review my attached resume, which shows my qualifications. Sincerely, Joe Jobless.

Many applicants misunderstand the purpose of a cover letter. In many cases, the cover letter is a screening tool for companies that are flooded by applicants for an open position. A screener will peruse a cover letter quickly to see if the applicant meets the criteria for the job. A successful cover letter will succinctly demonstrate how your experience qualifies you for the opening.

If you have the qualifications, say so. "My experience closely matches the criteria listed in your advertised position." Then briefly give illustrations. For example:

· Five years' experience. I have seven years' experience (including five in the area advertised).

· Excellent writing skills. I have won writing awards and enjoy writing short stories in my spare time.

· Proven leader. I was team leader on a company project and chaired a community food drive at Thanksgiving time.

· Creative. My idea for naming a new company product was selected from among hundreds of submissions.

In this way, you are able to ensure that your resume stays in the stack for further consideration. And don't be surprised if the screener uses a highlighter to draw the interviewer's attention to key points you have made.

While initial screeners seek one thing from a cover letter, interviewers are likely to examine it more closely. They want to get a clue about your personality and your commitment. You can give clues about yourself by talking about the company. Demonstrate that you understand the company and what it does. Then say what characteristics about the company appeal to you. Obviously, you will have to do some research before you write. Go to their website. Read brochures. Do a word search on the Internet and see what comes up. Then illustrate how you have skills that can help the company. Explain why you are the best candidate to help them achieve objectives that are important to them.

The cover letter should be brief, one page if possible but no more than a page and a half. And there are some do's and don'ts to be aware of:

· If you are mailing your letter and resume, write the letter on the same stationery as your resume. Cover letters and resumes can get separated in the shuffle, and this helps get them back together.

· Try to learn the name of the interviewer or screener. Then you can send the letter to a specific person.

· Be careful about the salutation. Dear Ms. Jones or Dear Mr. Smith are appropriate if you know the names. If you don't know a name, use a genderless salutation such as Dear Hiring Executive. Avoid the tired old Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom It May Concern.

End with a call to action. Express strong interest and ask for an interview. Then follow up.

Five Tips to Make Your Consulting Cover Letter a Winner

By Michael K. Norris

One way to make a consulting cover letter stand out is writing the word "Booz" in "Booz Allen Hamilton" with an "e" on the end.

Though if you do that, you should expect an automatic "ding."

If you really want the job, follow these guidelines to make your cover letter a winner.

Keep It Short and Sweet
"Keep it short and sweet," says Michelle Hutton, the human resources manager at American Management Systems. "Pick out things that really say to the recruiter, 'I know what this company is about, and I'm writing to the specific style or culture of this company.'"

Cover letters should highlight a few things that are important in the resume. If you're sending the resume and cover letter as an e-mail attachment, you'll want to keep it short and sweet, too. Avoid an overlong history of your work experience-it makes for long paragraphs and a tedious read.

Cut Quickly to the Point
"I don't think a cover letter is particularly useful if it's an introduction of 'I'm interested in working for your company, I think it's a great place to work'-the person wouldn't have turned in a resume if they didn't think that was the case," says Sean Huurman, the national director of recruiting at BearingPoint.

Similarly, don't use the cover letter as a place to prattle on about the company you worked for previously; focus on what you achieved there. "Explain in a little more depth why your previous experience would be a particular match for the specific position," says Huurman, "so the recruiter says, 'I understand. This person wants this job because they did XYZ at their previous company.'"

If a contact suggested you apply, say so early on in the cover letter. "If the person writing the cover letter has a relationship with the firm, a client, or a friend of mine, they should have that information highlighted in the cover letter," says Dana Ellis, who heads recruiting at Arthur Andersen. According to Ellis, that information pardons a cover letter from the "20-second test."

Geri Parsons Golemme does recruiting infrastructure planning at A.D. Little. She advises against unnecessary bravado. "Don't say, 'This is the place for me, you need me, I'm going to come in and save the day.'" Golemme says, "Be genuine."

Be Specific
Don't ask if there are "any positions available." Specify the position you want. The more specific your cover letter, the more memorable you're likely to be. You might say what office you'd like to work in, if you're willing to travel, and the type of work you want to do.

A lot of people shy away from specifics in a cover letter for fear of not getting called for an interview, but that's a mistake. "If you know you want to be based in, for instance, the mid-Atlantic region or the D.C. metro area, go ahead and say that," says Hutton. "It's doing you and the recruiter a favor to narrow down the opportunities that we are considering you for."

Reserve Your Best Work for Your Resume
Your cover letter might not be looked at. Recruiters sometimes flip to the resume first, so make sure the resume stands alone without the letter.

This doesn't mean you should ignore the cover letter, but do reserve your best work for the resume. A.D. Little's Golemme says the recruiter will focus more on the resume. Arthur Andersen's Ellis said his eyes usually go to the resume first.

Use Your Spelling Checker
Check your grammar. Do your homework about the firm. Make sure you spell names of people, divisions, and, of course, the firm correctly. Ellis said he sometimes receives a cover letter addressed to "Ms. Dana Ellis," a clear indication the individual did not do his or her homework. Such cover letters find their home in the circular file.

Michael K. Norris frequently writes about and analyzes issues related to consulting and e-services. WetFeet offers the most comprehensive career research online as well as award-winning Career Insider Guides to help you get an edge in the job search process. For more information, go to www.wetfeet.com.

Copyright 2003 WetFeet, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. It may not be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in part or in whole without the express written consent of WetFeet, Inc.

Ten Tips for Creating a Cover Letter That Gets Results!

By Judi Craig, Ph.D., MCC

1. Write the letter to a specific person-the person you think is the one who would hire you.
Let's face it: Your cover letter to "To Whom It May Concern" or the "Vice-President of Sales and Marketing" is rather ho-hum to the reader. Instead, take the trouble to find out the name of the person who is in the likeliest position to hire you. This means that unless you are applying for a job in Human Resources, don't write the Human Resource Manager (even if you know his/her name)! Your public library can help you with directories that list executives in various industries if you can't find out the information from someone inside the company or from the company website. And you can always call the receptionist and ask for the company's mailing address--and then ask the name of the specific person you're looking for (Director of Marketing, etc.). Asking for an address makes it more likely that you'll get the information you want rather than asking only for the name of a person with a specific title.

2. Do your research.
The more "generic" your cover letter, the less successful it is likely to be. You want to demonstrate that you know something about the reader's company, something that you had to do some research to find out. Such information can be found on web sites, in annual reports, in your local newspaper and/or business journal, in trade magazines, etc. Customizing your letter to a particular company is impressive and makes you stand out from the pack of job-seekers.

3. Tell the reader what you can do for the company, not what you want the company to do for you.
Hirers are not impressed with cover letters that begin by explaining what you want a company to do for you. ("I am an experienced accountant looking for a mid-sized, dynamic accounting firm with opportunities for development"; "I am a corporate trainer who is interested in opportunities to develop creative curriculum in leadership development"). Instead, begin by stating some specific way in which you can help the company or department accomplish a particular goal, preferably giving an outstanding example of a related accomplishment ("Having had direct responsibility for three successful mergers in the energy industry, I am an ideal candidate to assist you with making a smooth transition in your recent merger with Company X").