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Find Yourself, Find a Paycheck

The Myth Of Cover Letters

Burning the midnight oil to write a spectacular cover letter to send with your resume is not the best use of your time. Why? It's critical that the right people read your materials, and that probably won't happen with a traditional cover letter and resume addressed to a human resources manager. Your resume could be better than Oprah Winfrey's, but if it sits in Mr. HR's inbox for six months, it's useless.

A few years back, when I was looking for a job, I read two resume-writing books cover to cover. I received form letters from 20 percent of the companies and no response at all from the other 80 percent. Desperate, I tried the following method and got a job offer the first time.

No matter what the recruiters say, the best way to land a job is to communicate directly with the individual who can hire you. It's easier than you think. The first step is to ask everyone you talk to if they know someone at your target company. Inevitably, you'll be chatting with someone at a party and will find out that her sister-in-law works for “Fab Company.” Should you find yourself in this situation, don't waste time reflecting on the coincidental nature of the world. It's your lucky day! A lot of experts say that the best way to proceed from here is to ask your party friend if she would feel comfortable introducing you to her sister-in-law. I agree that this is a good idea in principle. The only trouble is, then you have to rely on the party friend to follow through. Maintain control over the process by getting the sister-in-law's name and ask your party friend if she'd mind if you e-mailed her sister-in-law. She'll probably say yes to your request, because most people like to help someone out. Be sure to thank her profusely. Then go home right away and, using a professional e-mail address (i.e. NOT awesomepossum@hotmail.com) draft a cordial message resembling the following example. Mention the name of the family member that you met at the party in the subject line so that your contact will open the message instead of deleting it with her spam. The tone of the message should not be wishy-washy or vague. Keep it short and sweet, ask for what you want up front, and be specific. Include a signature line with full contact information at the bottom.



So what happens if you've shouted Fab Company's name from the rooftops and you still can't make a connection to someone who works there? The situation is not hopeless by any means, but you will have to do a little more digging. Call around, look online (sites such as LinkedIn.com are a goldmine) and query trade associations to find the names of people who work in your proposed department. You don't need to locate a senior manager—anybody with a similar job function will do. If you've found a name, but not a corresponding e-mail, check the company Website or call reception to get the format for e-mail addresses at that organization—it's usually firstname_lastname@fabcompany.com, firstname.lastname@fabcompany.com, or firstinitiallastname@fabcompany.com. Google the person to find out as much about him as you can, and then craft a short, friendly e-mail introducing yourself and explaining what you're looking for. Here's an example:


In your initial communication with Mr. Smith, do not ask him for a job. Rather, gently probe him for information about career opportunities once you're chatting on the phone or have met in person. The point is to establish a personal relationship with Mr. Smith, because, even if he's not the person who would ask you in for an interview, you've now made it inside the company. Mr. Smith probably has the internal contacts to introduce you to the person who can hire you. Perhaps he will forward your information directly, or mention to several of his colleagues that you'll be contacting them.

Even if you can obtain an important person's phone number, I wouldn't call until you've exchanged a few communications via e-mail. For one thing, the chances of getting a higher-level executive on the phone are pretty slim. If the exec doesn't know you, getting past her assistant will be like robbing a casino. Also, leaving a voice-mail message has the unsavory intrusiveness of a cold sales call. In the beginning, stick to e-mail—it really is your best opportunity to knock the socks off someone who matters.

Additional topics

Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and ProfilesCareer Advice: Career 101 for Recent Graduates, New Hires, and Would-be Corporate ClimbersFind Yourself, Find a Paycheck - The Panic Button, The Self-assessment Journey, Your Corporate Persona, Scoping The Field