Job Searches

Lesson 4: Call for Action!

The Hard Part

Now for the hard part: what to put in and what to leave out. To start, put everything in. See how long it is. Can all this information be inserted into one letter WITH the Date, Heading and Closing? If so put it in and start editing (section below). If not, cut out the non-essentials. No non-essentials? Then prioritize. What’s the most important information they have and that you want to say? Use only your top choices. You can always change your mind and redo the letter in more ways than one. But remember: only send one letter!

Don’t forget to itemize the Technical Skills required and the Soft Skills needed. The techy skills are those that are measurable - such as typing speed, computer skills, engineering knowledge, machine operating, accounting or keeping a set of books, filing - you get the picture. Soft skills are the grease of the job. They are the team work, independent action, leadership abilities, proactive thinking, detail orientation, flexibility, etc. They help things flow.

It’s a good idea at this point to have a Skills Statement prepared. This is a list or written paragraphs of what you feel your skills are, not just techy but with soft skills as well. It does work best as a narrative, meaning paragraphs, and yes you can use the “I” word! This helps to clarify in your mind what you can do, what you enjoy doing, and what you need to improve. By constantly updating this Skills Statement, you will find it helps you to write your Cover letters and is a handy study guide before the interview.

Skill Statement
Start now by creating a list of techical skills - these are ones that are visibly measured such as filing, typing, computer programs, welding, using a hammer, etc. Obviously, keep it to skills that are useful to the job you are applying for.

Now your soft skills - teamwork, persistence, detail oriented, skills that are necessary but cannot always measure them with a ruler or by clock (as in typing). Don't forget to keep adding to this list.
Once you have a list, start creating your Skill Statement - put this information into paragraphs. Keep it as informal or more formal as you want - this is YOUR statement and is a reflection of you and your personality. Yes, you will need this for the Interview section.

EDITING
How does it read and flow? Does the letter follow logically from beginning to end? Is it disjointed? Have you followed what the ad asked for? Don’t forget to run spellcheck and grammar check – these tools do help to point out potential problems. Read it over, and try to have someone else read it over even if just for the flow and any typo or grammatical errors.

TIPS AND TRICKS: – Unless you are really confident, do NOT send your Cover letter and Resume the same day you write it. Always wait for the next day, and give yourself time to re-read the ad and your response. It’s amazing what you’ll catch or change with a fresh mind.

DO’s and DON’T’s – What to leave in, what NOT to put in There’s nothing wrong with a bit of humour or light heartedness. Just keep it simple and only one line. DO NOT make jokes. Example: A car dealership is advertising for an accountant. You are an accountant and you love cars – you even race them on weekends. This is appropriate personal information that can add a light or humourous touch. “Working for your dealership is an ideal situation. As an active participant/driver in the local car racetrack center, you could say cars are my life!” This shows the dealership you have some previous knowledge of the car industry (you can’t race in a vacuum without knowing costs, etc.).

DO NOT say “I’ll race ya to the door” or some such pun. Puns are mostly a total turn off in a Cover letter.

DO NOT put in your hobbies unless they pertain to the job. DO NOT give information of a personal nature. They can tell at the phone call and interview if you are a happy person or not.

Give them your soft skills instead – team player, takes direction well but can lead when needed; detail oriented; etc.

  1  2  3  4