Now, how do you get in to interview with the decision-maker and make him or her understand how much time they are wasting?
Getting an interview appointment takes careful planning of each move you will make.
The cover letter is your introduction to the hiring manager. Unlike your resume, the letter should establish your personality and ability to quickly build a relationship. It is the best place to point to specific skills or experience directly relating to the open position. Length should be about three-fourths of a page and remember to have someone proofread it for errors and understanding. Friends with management backgrounds or experience in your professional area are good choices, as are your former professors. Whenever possible, address the letter personally to the director who will be supervising the position. Your goal is to get them interested in meeting this remarkable applicant -- you.
The second thing to consider is the resume you will be sending. Many job-seekers make the mistake of sending the same resume for every job opportunity. This is sometimes necessary if you are sending out dozens of resumes each week hoping for a response. But when you know exactly what job you are applying for, consider how you can highlight the required skills and focus attention on your qualifications.
For example, if the company is looking for a sales manager, you should emphasize your experience in directing of others. However, if you are interested in a regional sales representative position, your resume should focus on successful sales and account management activities. An additional recommendation is to select paper stock which is slightly different from basic white, yet easily noticed when picked up for reading. Remember to stay professional, and it is generally good advice to be conservative in your tone. In order to make your resume a little more noticeable, you can use a slightly different paper size. Take an A3 piece of paper and cut it carefully to be approximately two millimeters wider and longer than the standard A4 size.
Now think about how you will send it to the company. Personal delivery is best, particularly if you are confident enough to approach the company and determine the identity of the manager or director responsible for that position. If this is not possible due to distance or schedule, you can send it by a delivery company such as Federal Express. Delivering it to the human resources department should be the last option. Years ago, when I was applying to be a manager of end-user support for a large company, I personally placed my resume packet into the hands of the senior vice president for information technology. The next day, he described my approach as “refreshing” and different. I had an offer within 72 hours.
Remember, your objective is to make yourself stand out from all other applicants in order to receive special consideration. If you are personally delivering the document, dress professionally. Be polite to everyone you meet. They may be your co-workers or subordinates in the next few weeks. Don’t try to sell yourself too strongly during the delivery. Just give them a positive mental picture of you and trust your resume and cover letter to market that most unique product on the employment market – YOU.
Edward Cocks has an M.B.A. degree and a bachelor’s of business administration in personnel and industrial relations and presently teaches human resources management as well as business planning at Wisconsin International University in Kyiv.
