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With that done, you’re now ready to seize a powerful advantage over your com-
petition. WORKSHEET 3-2: SO YOU...
In their letters, those against whom you’re competing are certain to include
the type of facts you’ve written in Worksheet 3-1—facts like “I am a skilled work-
er,” and “I am trained in using a word processor.” Although these facts may be
true, standing alone they require recruiters and employers to do all the work, that
is, to interpret what these statements will mean to the company, to discern why
they are beneficial.
You, however, can easily handle this for your reader. Simply ask yourself,
“What does this mean to my potential employer?” Instead of just stating that you
are a skilled worker, translate this fact into a benefit, such as “so you won’t have
to train me.” To the statement “I am trained to use a word processor” you might
add “so you save training time and money because I can begin being productive
for you from day one.” If you have chosen to cite the fact that you rarely take sick
days, translate this into “Because I rarely take sick days, you can count on adding
a very reliable worker to your support staff.”
Therefore, to complete Worksheet 3-2, think about the benefits you can offer
your next employer based on the statements you made in Worksheet 3-1. For each
“I am” and “because I” you wrote on the preceding page, add a corresponding,
“And what this means for you is” in Worksheet 3-2. As a guide, relate benefits to
the areas that are of greatest concern to employers: profits, productivity, and per-
formance.
Go directly to Worksheet 3-2. Or, complete this and the other two
worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by
using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You’ll find instructions
for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book.
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