The job boards are slow as the employment market continues to tighten. Does that mean you should sit back and wait for a job of your liking to magically appear on iMedia, The Ladders or any of your other preferred job sites? Me thinks not! Create a wish list of companies you want to work for and take the initiative to contact these guys directly. Visit their Web sites, call the main number and ask for the name of an HR Director and the head of the department you want to work in (e.g., if you are a marketer, get the name of the Marketing Director). Your ultimate goal is to get at least one face-to-face informational interview. You want to introduce yourself to the right people, meet them, and make such a great impression that they will call you when a suitable position opens up.
Your cover letter has to be highly targeted. Illustrate that you are smart about the company's business. If, for example, you want to work on the account side in a particular advertising agency, find out what accounts the agency is working on. Check out their advertising, see if they have been involved in any philanthropic... Read more
Tagged 'resumes' 
Cover Letters for Jobs NOT Advertised
Top 5 Tips for Writing Killer Cover Letters
A cover letter might seem old-fashioned, but as I've said before, in some ways old-fashioned is good. As a recruiter, I often received hundreds of resumes in my e-mail box in response to an online posting. I was more responsive to those who took the time to write a thoughtful cover letter than to those who sent a one-line filler saying something inane like "my resume is attached for your review." (Um, I think I can figure that part out for myself.)
Your cover letter is a way for you to express interest in a position, outline key reasons why you are the best person for that job, and show that you can organize your thoughts in a clear, concise, thought-provoking, GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT manner. Just like your resume, your cover letter should draw the reader in and make him want to find out more about you.
Tip #1 — Use Templates, Not Form Letters
Avoid using a form letter for your covers. I'm not insinuating that you have to start from scratch each time you apply for a job. One of the things you can do is create a variety of cover letter templates that you can pull information from. You need more than one if you are... Read more
The Top 10 Things Interviewers do to Piss You Off and What You Can Do About It!
My posts are designed to point out common mistakes job seekers make while interviewing and suggest ways to avoid these missteps. A few months back, one reader sent me a comment asking "why don't you write a piece about how INTERVIEWERS can do a better job?" This, along with countless stories shared by job seekers regarding how poorly they have been treated by recruiters and hiring managers, encouraged me to write this rant. So, without further adieu, the following are the top 10 gripes you have all shared with me over the past several months regarding your "adventures" in job searching.
#1: Failure to Get Back in Touch after Multiple Interviews
Hands down this is the leading complaint that I hear from candidates heavily searching for jobs. You go in for three or four interviews, all seems to go well, and then, BAM, nobody's returning your calls. It could be that the company had a hiring freeze, budgets were cut, or there were layoffs. It could be that they decided to go with someone else. Whatever the reason, there's really no excuse. Someone should have the courtesy to call you back and let you know that you didn't get the job or... Read more
