Emails and Cover Letters

This concludes our 4-part series on job search written materials

Job seekers used cover letters to focus an employer’s attention on the required skills and experiences in the days when resumes were typeset and printed by the 100’s. The purpose of cover letters ceased when word processors allowed job seekers to customize each resume and print them on demand. Yet, the cover letter itself continued as tradition.

Today, many times the message in the body of the email replaces the cover letter’s purpose. The email hooks the receiver’s attention so that he or she wants to open the resume and peruse it. In addition, many online applications still ask for cover letters. Between the email and cover letter requirement on the application I still find a need to teach how to customize cover letters in less than 10 minutes.

Outline for a 10-Minute Customizable Cover Letter or Email

The cover letter or email basically consist of three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction and conclusion remain the same with a few blanks filled in. The body consists entirely of 4-5 bulleted 3rd base portions from your home run statements. You select the statements that best reflect what the company wants. The conclusion, like the introduction, does not change often.

Let me share an example. When using it, ensure you don’t include the words “Introduction”, “Body”, and “Conclusion” in your letter.

1. Introduction
1. “Please accept the attached (enclosed if snail mailed) resume as application for the (job title) at (company name). I respect (company name) for (insert a trait). I believe you will find I meet your requirements.
2. Body
• A 3rd base portion that shows you meet their most important requirement
• A 3rd base portion that shows you meet their 2nd most important requirement
• A 3rd base portion that shows you meet their 3rd most important requirement
• A 3rd base portion that shows you meet their 4th most important requirement
3. Conclusion
1. “As you can see, I meet your requirements for the (job title). I really want to work for (company name). I look forward to communicating with about this soon.
2. Sincerely, (your name) (job title the company uses)

How to Customize Your Cover Letter or Email

Just like a customizable resume you can create a “Master Cover” letter using Google Docs or Microsoft Live.

• Type the above outline on the first page—minus the bullets in the body.
• List all the 3rd base statements on pages 2-3.
• Save the original as “Company Name Cover Letter” to customize the letter or email.
• Fill in the blanks in the introduction and conclusion.
• Copy the most applicable home run statements into the body.
• Delete pages 2-3 and save the document

I hope this helps you improve the quality of your emails or cover letters, reduce the time you spend sending them, and increase the results of your job search.

Join me on Wednesday for my series on accepting and negotiating job offers

Master Application Benefits

I hope you enjoy this 3rd part of my series on job search written materials

An increasing number of companies require anyone they hire below VP or  C-level to complete an online application. Even when the hiring authority already knows who they want to hire, they require that person to complete the online application. The applications tend to be complicated and consist of several pages.

Create a Master Application

I suggest you create a master application that contains all the information requested on employment applications. Your master application will reduce the time you need to complete online applications, improve the quality of your applications, and provide complete customization of applications.

Follow these simple steps to create and maintain your master application:

1. Create your master application in Google.docs, Microsoft Live, or other format that gives you access anywhere.
2. Write the answers to all questions from multiple applications in your master application.
1. Use home run statements to describe your duties and responsibilities on jobs
1. Include salaries and reasons for leaving for each employment position
3. Include other home run statements, especially 3rd base portions, in your master.
4. Add answers to your master application as you encounter additional questions.
5. Copy answers from your master application into the online applications.

Add Information as Your Career Advances

• Add the name, address, phone numbers, web sites, and other information of companies as you go to work for new companies.
• Add the name, phone number, and email of supervisors as they are assigned to you.
• Add a new power statement each month from your job for use on performance appraisals and future applications.

Master applications allow you to prepare the perfect answers to questions, reuse those answers for multiple applications, and complete lengthy applications quickly and accurately. Start one now and add to it as you use it.

Next Wednesday we will explore how create a quick template for cover letters and emails

10 Minute Custom Resumes

This constitutes the second in our four-part series on job search written materials

As stated in my last post: “Resumes are the calling card of the unemployed”. Only people looking for a job use resumes. Luckily, several excellent resume builders provide you with 100’s of templates for various occupations: Resume Builder, Monster, Optimal Resume, and more. You can also have a professional write your resume for you. I recommend Sally Morrison. You can also check out one of Wendy Enelow’s excellent books.

Resume Formats

People generally use one of several styles of resumes. Each format provides different benefits:

• Chronological resumes list your experience and work history in chronological order. They highlight a consistent, progressive work history.
• Functional resumes list experiences, not by calendar, but in functional groups. They focus attention on your functions rather than spotty or inconsistent work history
• Combination resumes combine two or three of the above formats into one resume. They allow you to focus on more than one of the benefits listed above
• Each occupation also uses specialized formats depending on the occupation

I suggest a simple procedure for creating a resume that can be completely customized in 10 minutes. It requires two steps.

Step 1: Create the resume template

1. Create a Google or Word document named “Master Resume”
2. Build a template using one of the the formats outlined above as page 1. Include all the parts that will not change like name, address, topic titles, company names, job titles, or functional group titles. Do not include any details except those that would not change
3. Type all of the 3rd base portions of your home run statements on pages 2-4
4. Save it again

Step 2: Customize your resume for each company

1. Open your “Master Resume” and save as “Company Name Resume”
2. Select the home run statements that most apply to the company’s requirements
3. Cut and paste them into the appropriate section of your template on page 1
4. Delete everything on pages 2-4 after you pasted all the statements you need into page 1
5. Save your resume as a PDF so that you can email easily to the company

Of course, you can always just use a resume builder mentioned in the first paragraph

Join me on Monday when we explore formats for emails and cover letters

How do you develop your resumes? Best resume advice?

Job Search Written Materials

This begins a four-part series on using written materials in a job search

No one respects any treatise about finding a job unless it contains something about resumes. I might get away without discussing emails, cover letters or applications, but I must share my opinion on resumes.

My Opinions about Resumes and Other Written Materials

So, I now submit my opinion on job search written materials: They will not get you a job. They might get you an interview on rare occasions. They may definitely cost you a job.

OK that’s part of my opinion. I now submit a second opinion: Ask 10 people for feedback on your resume or other written materials and you will receive at least 14 opinions.

Alright, here is my third opinion about resumes and other written materials: The phrase decision makers use to get job seekers who wasted their time on the phone to hang up is “Send me your resume.” That usually means they will trash it. Yet, job seekers get excited thinking they impressed the decision maker and that they are the fast track to an interview. No, if they want to interview you, they say “Can we get together to talk about this?”

One more time, here is my fourth opinion about them. Resumes are the calling card of the unemployed. The only people who use resumes are people looking for work. Thank about it! Have you ever been in a staff meeting discussing increasing marketing and heard one person turn to the person next to them and say “You know that’s a really good idea. Can you give me your resume?” Has your doctors’ nurse ever said “Let me find out a little bit about your history. Can you give your resume?” Has a bank teller ever said “Before we deposit this check, I’ll need to see your resume?”

Of course not, resumes only apply to people looking for a job. The moment you pull out a resume you become a job seeker. So, hesitate to use a resume until the very last moment. Use the phone. Use a face-to-face meeting (but do not begin the meeting by pulling our your resume).

Summary of Job Search Written Materials

Nevertheless, job seekers must have resumes to give, applications to complete, emails or cover letters to send. So, for the next three weeks I will give some tips how to prepare written materials that you can customize in 10 minutes.

• Master Applications: In the past, few professionals, executives, and upper level managers completed an application. Today’s regulated and electronic age requires almost everyone to complete an application packet. I , therefore, recommend that you create a Master Application. A master application contains the answer to any question that may appear on an application. Then, you just copy and paste answers from your master application to their application. Quick and easy.
• Resumes: Resumes outline what you offer to a company in terms of your accomplishments, work history, education, and skills. While the company controls the format and information contained in an application, you control the format and information in a resume. Of course, they ignore you if you don’t include the information they want to see, or put it in a format they do not appreciate.
• Cover letters or emails: In the past, cover letters allowed job seekers to match their experience and skills to the requirements of the company. Job seekers could not customize mass produced, typeset resumes, produced in the 100’s. Today’s word processing allows job seekers to customize resumes, thus making the cover letter obsolete. The principles that governed cover letters, however, now apply to the email to which you attach your resume.

I already discussed thank you cards in my previous post. So, will not discuss it here. My next 3 posts will share the tips to improving the consistent quality of your written materials, to customize them for each positions, and to waste as little time as possible preparing them.

So, join me on Friday when we explore the benefits and preparation of a master application

Impressive Follow-up

What do you think is the purpose of follow-up? How do you follow-up?
Most people know to follow-up after each interview. Many, however, follow-up ineffectively. Too many people sit at home waiting for the phone to ring or the email to come. Others irritate the interviewer by asking “Have you made a decision yet?”. They fail to realize the power of impressive follow-up.
Continuing to convince the interviewer remains the purpose of follow-up. AS I mentioned in previous blogs, you must convince them you can:

1. Do the job they want done
2. Fit into their team or organization
3. Provide a good return on their investment

Immediately After the Interview
Evaluate the interview before anything can distract you (car radio, phone calls, texting). Write down the following information:

• Correct spelling of the names and email of everyone involved in the interview
• Topics covered by the interview or meeting
• The answers to four questions
• What went well in the interview?
• What did you say that you wish you had not said?
• What did you not say that you wish you had said?
• What requirement did they have that you did not meet?

Four Steps to Impressive Follow-up
My suggestion for impressive follow-up involves four steps:

1. Send a thank you card or email to each person in the interview the same day as the interview. In fact, I suggest you take 4-5 thank you cards to the interview. Complete them before you leave and leave them with the receptionist. Your thank you card should restate what went well in the interview.
2. Make a phone call 3-4 business days after the interview. The phone call should last less than 3 minutes. It should fix what you said that you wish you had not said. End the phone call with a simple “I really want to work with you. Is now a good time to set up a second interview?” Do not press it more than that. Just ask and let it go—unless they accept your offer for the interview.
3. Make a second call 3-4 days after the first phone call. Once again, do not take more than 3 minutes. This time, you say what you wish you had said. In other words, give the great answer that came to you after the interview ended. End your conversation with the same “I really want to work for you. Is now a good time to set up a second interview?”
4. Make a third call another 3-4 days after the second call. This call should highlight how you compensate for the requirement you did not meet. For example, if you lacked experience with a certain software program, spend 4-6 hours with someone teaching you how to run the software. In the phone call explain the training you received, and detail how it prepared you to do the job. You obviously did not learn everything you needed to know, but your initiative will demonstrate your willingness and ability to solve problems.

Remember, your follow-up continues to impress the interviewer that you will do the job, fit into their team, and provide a great return on investment. You avoid irritating the interviewer by asking if they have made a decision. Nor do you sit by the phone waiting for them to call you. You follow these four steps to impressive follow-up.
Read the blog on Wednesday when I share how to prepare a 10-minute reusable resume
Please share what follow-up techniques work for you

Reframe Your Weaknesses

This continues our series on answering interview questions
Everyone possesses Weaknesses
Everyone possesses one or more weaknesses. Weaknesses include those things that you hope the interviewers don’t enquire about. Interviewers perceive some weaknesses easily: obesity, age, inexperience, and others. Many weaknesses remain hidden until exposed: prison records, termination for cause, lack of skills, some health problems and others.
Frequently, you hope they won’t notice or discover your weaknesses. In fact, some people leave an interview grateful that the interviewer did not mention the weakness, thinking the interviewer did not notice it. This fallacy prevents you from influencing how they perceive the weakness. You need to reframe how they perceive your weaknesses. Attempt to help them see them differently.
Identify How People Perceive Your Weakness & Reframe it
Step one: list why people may perceive your weakness as negative. For example, people worry that an obese employee may

• Generate health problems and costs
• Fail to produce effectively
• Lack discipline and self-motivation
• Lack the energy to put in a full-day's work.

Step two: prepare home run statements that will counter each negative perception. Plan when you will introduce them into the interview if your weakness is obvious. I use home run statement about

• Good health as part of the answer to “Tell me about yourself?”
• Increased productivity and profits to describe my work experiences
• My discipline and motivation to answer “What is your biggest weakness?”
• Exude a lot of energy during the interview so they do not doubt I have it

Step Three: some questions obviously require you to reframe their thinking:

• “What’s your biggest weakness?”
• '”Why did you leave your last (or any other) job?”
• “Tell me about a time you made a mistake on the job, and how you corrected it?”
• “I’ve interviewed people with more experience than you. Why should I hire you?”

You need to reframe the interviewers thinking about your weaknesses, rather than let them form their own opinions. Identifying the negative perceptions and preparing home statements to counter them reframes their perceptions. Avoid the trap of ignoring your weaknesses.
Join me next Monday when we outline steps to effective follow-up on interviews
What interview experiences have you had to deal with?

Answer with a Question

This continues our series on answering interview questions
In previous posts we established that you answer almost all interview questions in one of four ways:

1. Hit home runs to highlight what you can for for the company
2. Use your dessert tray to answer “Tell me about yourself” and other questions
3. Answer with a question to gather information before providing an inadequate answer
4. Reframe their thinking about your weaknesses

Today, we address the interview questions that require more information before answering. Sometimes interviewers ask questions to see how well you think on your feet (or usually in the chair). Other questions require you more information before you answer. Finally, some interviewers ask what I call bizarre questions just to see you react.
I will illustrate all of this type of question using just three examples.
“What do you expect as a starting salary?”
You lack information to answer this question. You don’t know how much they typically pay for their positions. You also don’t know enough about the position to recognize what would be the expected return on investment.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “What do you usually pay someone with my experience?”
• “What do you usually pay for this position?”
• “Before we discuss salary, We need to discuss the financial responsibilities associated with the position. What budget would I control and what savings or profits would you expect me to generate?”

“Do you have any questions for me?”
Obviously, you have to answer this questions because it invites questions. You must resist the urge to ask questions about insurance, benefits, or issues related to your personal gratification. Instead, focus your questions on discovering more about their expectations of the  job.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “I understand you want someone who can (list 2-3 skills or traits). Can you tell me anything else you seek in the person you fire for this position?
• Follow-up with home run statements that relate to what they want.
• “What else can I do to prove how well I will meet your requirements?”

“How many quarters would you have to stack to equal the Empire State Building?”
This question represents what I call “Bizarre  Questions”.   Microsoft originated the question to see how people think on their feet. The answer to the question must show your innovation and ingenuity.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “American or Canadian quarters?”
• “After I count how many quarters would stack to six inches and double the number, I would divide it into the height of the Empire State Building. Can you tell me how tall the building is?”
• “Do you want them stacked horizontally or vertically?”

Once you recognize that you need additional information to answer a question, you can select the right question to ask. Resist the temptation to assume you know all the information you need.
Tune in on Friday when I explore how to reframe their thinking about your weaknesses

Present Your Dessert Tray

Please share experiences you had in interviews?
We discussed in a previous post how you answer all interview questions with one of four types of answers. Our last post describe how to hit home runs to answer one type of question.
Today, we will discuss how your dessert tray can answer the dreaded question “Tell me about yourself” or “Tell me why you chose to enter this occupation?”
How You Build Your Dessert Tray
Fine restaurants use dessert trays to entice well-fed diners to indulge in rich desserts. The server brings the tray to the table. The tray exhibits the desserts in their finest.  You entice potential employers to hire you by presenting your attributes in the best possible light.
Using the visual image of a dessert tray helps you remember what to say. Picture the tray holding the following information:

1. Your family or hobbies
   
2. Associations, clubs, teams or boards that occupy your time and attention
   
3. Your training or education
   
4. The 5+ best jobs you ever held
   
5. 5 words or phrases that best describe you
   
6. 5 accomplishments that mean the most to you

How to Use Your Dessert Tray to Answer Questions
Just as restaurants do not expect diners to eat everything on the dessert tray, you should not expect interviewers to digest everything on your dessert tray. You give them samples. In other words, you select the elements on your tray that will appeal most to that interviewer. Selecting portions allows you use your tray to answer multiple questions.
Allow me to demonstrate:

• Q: Tell me about yourself?
  • A: (the numbers refer to the parts of the dessert tray listed above
    
  • “I’ve been blessed with great health because I run 4 miles 5 times a week (1). I’ve always loved reading (1) history and business books. Reading helped me earn my MBA from the Holton School (3). People describe me as service and results oriented (5). For example, when I volunteered on both the United Way advisory board (2) we increased donations by $310,000 (6). The best job I ever had was solving a production problem at Boundaries Inc. (4). We redesigned the production flow and increased productivity by 45% generating an additional $630,000 per year.”

Notice that I only use 2 of the 5 words and 2 of the 5 accomplishments. I only referred to one of my best jobs and one training experience. Finally, I mentioned 2 hobbies and one association. Using the whole tray would lose their attention. You can use different parts of your dessert tray to answer similar questions. Always select the offerings from your dessert tray that will most entice your interviewer.
Now you know how to answer 2 of the 4 types of questions asked in interviews.
Join me on Wednesday to learn how answer questions with questions

Hit Home Runs in Interviews

Improve our discussion, share your interview experiences
As we discussed in our last post one of the four ways to answer interview questions employs hitting home runs. A home run statement consists of 4 parts similar to a baseball diamond:
1st Base: You describe where you did what you will highlight
2nd Base: You briefly (don’t dance on 2nd base) outline what you did that benefitted the company
3rd Base: You explain the benefits your action created for the company. Ensure that you include numbers, dollars, percentages to highlight specific return on investment to the company.
Home Plate: You apply that success to the company interviewing you with a question or statement.
How to Hit Home Runs
Home run statement answer questions that explore what you can do, have done, and can contribute to their bottom line. Examples of questions that ask for a home run include:

• Q: “If we called your last employer what would they say about you?”
• A: I believe John’s Markets would tell that I was one of their most accurate cashiers. My cash drawer was never over or under one penny for 18 months. I find most stores appreciate my accuracy.”
• Q: “Tell me about your experience at ACME Properties?”
• A: “I loved my experience as CFO at ACME Properties. I discovered an error in our property tax assessment. I worked with the tax commission for 8 months before they lowered our property taxes by $500,000 per year. Would you like me to find similar savings for your company?”
• Q: “Describe a time that you made a sacrifice that benefited the company"
• “At Cobb Industries, we were putting together a very time sensitive promotion. The approving authorities would only be available for 2 days before they left for three weeks to tour our international operations. They made major changes to our first proposal. I worked all through the night and had all their changes incorporated in a new presentation by 9am the next morning. They approved the project which saved us $150,000 in potential lost production. I would sacrifice similarly to help you achieve your goals.”
• Q: “What are your greatest strengths?”
• A: “I’m very results oriented. For example, I took over one operation and saw they had the right people on the wrong seats in the bus. I rearranged the staff and increased productivity by 87% in four months and 230% in two years. Are those the kind of increases you would like in your company?”

You desire two reactions to your home run statements: (1) WOW and (2) How did you do that? Do not try to hit a home run with every question. That annoys people. Cut some to triples and others to doubles.
Now that you understand how to hit home runs, you know one of the four ways to answer interview questions.
Our next post will explain how your dessert tray answers the dreaded “Tell me about yourself”
Please share your good and bad interview experiences

Answer Interview Questions

Note: Some suggested I write shorter blogs and post them more frequently. I will try that beginning today.
Decision makers, or hiring authorities, use interview questions to determine three things. Will you…

1. Do the job they want done
2. Fit into their work/project team or organization
3. Provide a good return on investment

Your answers should resolve those concerns without raising any additional doubts.
You answer any interview questions with one of four types of answers:

• Home run statements to illustrate results delivered to others
• Dessert trays to describe who you are and what you offer the company
• Reframe their thinking about weaknesses
• Ask questions to gather more information before giving an inadequate answer

Once you know how to classify questions quickly, you can identify the best answer.
We will discuss each of these four types of answers over the next four blogs.
Please let me know your thoughts about shorter blogs covering the same amount of information through more posts.
I will now post LarryonCareers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Steve Jobs: We Will Miss You

Steve Jobs passed away this week. The story circulated worldwide through mediums he helped inspire. Thousands of messages flooded the Internet, news, Twitter, and Facebook. His vision impacted so much of what we use today: mobile phones, movies, music, personal computers (though he would not like me using that term), laptops, tablets, and software development.

He inspired computer users to a fanaticism Bill Gates only dreamed of. To this day, my father reacts to some saying “Would you please close the window?” with “Bill Gates stole that concept from Apple.” Apple users stayed loyal.

For three decades he, with Bill Gates, defined an economic revolution the equivalent of the industrial revolution of the century before they were born. They may not have invented the Internet, Al Gore did. They didn’t invent social media. They created the engines that social media utilized.

Finally, the legend of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak creating Apple in a garage inspired a generation of business start-ups.

My eloquence does not match the millions of people who reported the life and death of Steve Jobs. I merely join with them in saying “Steve Jobs: We will miss you.”

The Power of Action

This short post discusses something important. When you begin acting to land the job you love. The universe begins to work for you. Making your 10 calls a day and scheduling 10 face-to-face meeting constitute action.

Nancy’s /Story

.Nancy lost her job seven months ago. She looked for six months with little results. Then, she started making the calls and scheduling the meetings. She worked hard. She made mistakes. She met with her job coaches to practice her approaches. She improved.

And, the universe works for those who work for themselves. Within four weeks, the perfect company offered her a job. She accepted and found the job exceeded her expectations. She loves her job.

Jeff’s Story

Jeff scheduled one or two interviews a month. He searched the job boards for about 30 minutes a day. He stopped talking to his friends because he did not know what to say anymore. He tired of always asking them “Do you know of anyone that might hire me?” He sent out 2-4 resumes a day.

He did not believe us when we told hi to make the 10 calls a day and schedule the 10 meetings a week. We shared stories about others who succeeded. He began to make the calls and schedule the meetings. He made a lot of mistakes the first two weeks, but then he got better.

He doesn’t even remember contacting the person who hired him two weeks later. The hiring authority heard about Jeff from one of his staff, who met Jeff through another friend. His actions generated the mojo that led to the job offer.

Get Busy

A lot of people sit around waiting for jobs to drop in their lap.Some recognize that jobs drop into the laps of people who act. I could have shared 1,000’s of stories of people who struggled to find a job and then got busy.

So get busy, take the action that results in finding a job. Make the 10 phone calls a day. Schedule the 10 meetings a week.