The Resume
Have a specific reason for writing to the person and company you are contacting, one that will be of interest to them. Take the time to learn something about your target. You want to reach the highest level person that will actually read your letter. The best bet is to know someone at the company who is respected and willing to vouch for you. If that’s the case, mention it early in the letter. If you’re writing cold, you have to quickly establish your relevance to what the company does and how you can add value. If, for instance, you have read that a company you would be interested in working for has just expanded into a field where you have expertise, you might write:
"I have recently learned that your company is entering the program business market, and I believe my seven years of program underwriting experience with the XYZ Company could be very helpful to your effort."
Keep the letter brief and to the point. An introductory sentence, several short paragraphs about your background and education, and a closing sentence will do the job. Don’t say too much, as you might knock yourself out of the running. In your closing sentence you should thank the individual for their time and consideration, and mention that you will call the following week to follow up. Then follow up. The chances are that you will reach the individual’s assistant, but that call will greatly increase your chances of creating active interest. Everyone is busy, and even if they had intended to call you, they might not get to it immediately, and time kills interest. Fold the letter with your resume. It’s annoying to have to open several individually folded sheets and put them in the right order. Everyone gets a lot of junk mail these days and going through it is not particularly enjoyable. You want to make it as easy as possible for your targeted individual to like you.
Some additional thoughts:
Use quality stationary and a good printer. Do not hand-write the letter or
even the envelope. Don’t write a literary, funny, or overly clever cover
letter. The recipient may find it amusing but unless it’s a weird company,
they probably won’t deliberately hire a wierdo. Don’t complain about your
current employer or make excuses. Customize your cover letter as much as
possible to each potential employer. Keep a copy of each letter and have it
in front of you when you follow up.
The Insfile Administrator