What’s the secret for looking for work? The covering letter
A covering letter: an instrument for finding work A covering letter?
Nowadays a curriculum vitae should very often be accompanied by a covering letter.
A CV or covering letter on their own will not suffice for all access channels to the labour market.
Like other markets, the labour market is a market where the laws of supply and demand apply and where people promote/sell themselves, so marketing/sales techniques are used where the focus is on the recipient as opposed to the sender of the communication.
Newspaper ad or web-based ad (e.g. Indeed, LinkedIn)
When responding to an ad, as well as following the instructions provided in the ad itself, I recommend you do the following:
- Check that your cv refers to the requirements of the ad
- Check that your LinkedIn profile corresponds with the requirements of the ad (albeit in a different manner compared to the cv)
- Check whether you know anyone in the company or the recruiter
- Check whether you know the company
- Write a covering letter which demonstrates that your profile matches the request, bearing in mind the above points and even using phrases from the ad itself
- The secret is to demonstrate to the recruiter that they have to choose you because you fit the bill, so tell them so explicitly (in clear and concrete terms, by providing examples).
Spontaneous application to an intermediary (e.g. head hunter, recruitment company, employment agency)
If you want to send your details to an intermediary – even if there is no ad/specific employee search process by the intermediary – it is a good idea to write a covering letter in which you briefly introduce yourself (don’t forget, you will also be attaching your resumè), but you should also provide an idea of what you are looking for and what you’re putting yourself forward for. The intermediary should understand this independently, but if you’ve been so thorough as to have analysed your objectives and next career steps and have made this clear in the letter, you will demonstrate:
- that you do things properly,
- that you’re really interested in change,
- that you are practical and “managerial”.
Spontaneous application to a target company
You want to work for that company.
You can try and you might succeed!
How?
With a marketing letter.
Not just a covering letter or a letter of "presentation”.
Not just a letter of " motivation" either.
A marketing letter!
This article - which I recently read online and thought of bringing to your attention - does not refer to this specific case, but it does highlight the essential components of a marketing letter:
- the recipient
- the communication “language”
- you for the company
- the company for you.
It’s worth reading this article and putting the
things it says into practice.
