Page 202 - 201 Killer Cover Letters

07 6/27/03 9:21 AM Page 189
RECRUITER’S TIP
Wednesday morning. I enjoyed
TO BE...OR NOT TO BE
meeting with you again and com-
MANAGER OR RECRUITER? Thank you for your time this past
paring HydroMat stories. Our
combined experiences certainly
Few of the people with whom
you’ll meet are trained re- represent the good, the bad, and
cruiters or skilled interviewers. the ugly!
They are simply managers with I am grateful to you for introduc-
a position to fill. A strong fol- ing me to your colleagues. Meet-
low-up letter can help them ac- ing Mr. Simon and Ms. Weiss has
complish the following: only enhanced my desire to put
my strengths to work on your be-
Narrow their choices... half. I would be thrilled to join the
Match your skills to their impressive legal team you’ve
needs... built.
Let them know you’re still Thank you for introducing me to
available... Jim Williams. As you predicted, he
offered me a wealth of advice. I’m
...and get back to work!
grateful for his perspective and for
your interest.

STEP 2: INFORM
You may notice that this step is the same as Step 2 in your Resume Cover Letters.
That’s because in both situations, your letter is dedicated to promoting your can-
didacy. To do so, you must sell your strengths as well as the benefits they will
bring your next employer.
In the body of your letter, remind your reader of the skills or knowledge you
possess that make you perfectly suited to fill the open position. But don’t stop
with that—as your competition will.
Link these qualities to the meaningful advantages they offer your next boss
and her company. To do this, think of your unique attributes as they fall under
four categories: profits, productivity, performance, or personal satisfaction. Ask
yourself how you can contribute to the success of the firm, a specific division, a
team of people, or your immediate supervisor. Will your skills help to enhance
productivity? Will your achievements play a role in increasing profits? Will you
add to or improve performance? Will your personal satisfaction contribute in
some way such as boosting morale, setting an example, or introducing new ideas
or a new perspective? You’ll find that the most important benefits you can deliv-
er will involve one or more of these areas.
In the body of your Follow-Up Letter, you might also supply additional ref-
erences or more detailed information on your skills. You might clarify or strength-
en comments made during an interview.

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