Page 37 - 201 Killer Cover Letters
P. 37

04  6/27/03  9:20 AM  Page 24
                          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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