Authentic Cover Letters – It’s ok to be you!

I wanted to share one of our dear jane client’s cover letter with you and feel free to forward this sample to your friends and colleagues.  I have changed the names to protect the innocent and received permission from this client to share her cover letter with you.

What is amazing about this cover letter is that our client communicates her passion, dedication to her hobby/sports interests, and professionalism within this letter.

She is a stay at home mom re-entering the workforce and this job is 10 minutes from her home and she has never had any retail experience.

Based on her research of the company she realized that her personal and professional values are aligned with Patagonia’s values.

I love cover letters like this. Based on my former recruiting experience and now my coaching experience, I know that 50% of hiring managers and human resource professionals read cover letters and 50% of them don’t. It’s so important if you want your cover letter to be read to make it real, authentic and personable. It’s crucial to show the future hiring manager or hr representative that you have done your homework on the company you are applying for and that you have a real interest in working at the company you are targeting.

SAMPLE COVER LETTER BELOW

Jane Doe

1111 Doe Lane

Encinitas, Ca  92024

Patagonia                                                     August 2, 2010

2185 San Elijo Avenue

Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA  92007

John Does, Manager

Jane Doe, Assistant Manager

Dear Jane and John,

Patagonia in Cardiff first caught my eye because of my love of surfing and the store’s emphasis on surfing.  The special events, community enrichment and the inventory were of interest to me and I saw the benefits Patagonia was providing to our coastal area.

Now that my children are grown and I desire to reenter the work force, I looked for a company with a philosophy that matched mine.  I researched Patagonia and found a connection to the corporate values and operations, besides just the great products.  I appreciate the innovation and constant desire to improve products; the commitment to deal with factories that meet Patagonia standards; and the company’s choice to look for ways to be “green”.

In addition, I feel a connection to the people who make up Patagonia because I too am an active, environmentally conscious, outdoor loving person.  I wear Patagonia clothing and can personally attest to its durability, quality and style.

I would like to bring my current skills and past sales experience to the Patagonia Cardiff store as a part time employee.  I know I could add value to the team and look forward to the opportunity to work for Patagonia.  I am available immediately and have no schedule limitations. My completed application is attached. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

cell: 000-555-9999   email: doe@gmail.com

Occupational Information Network, EDD and OneStopCareer Centers..

 Resources, Resources, Resources

I use these websites all of the time to help my clients, job seekers, hiring managers and human resource professionals to learn about the free resources that are available to our nation. Please check out these websites.

1)http://online.onetcenter.org

The O*NET system serves as the nation’s primary source of occupational information, providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations. The O*NET database houses this data and O*NET OnLine provides easy access to that information.

 2)www.CareerOneStop.org is the nations:

Your source for employment information and inspiration. The place to manage your career. Your pathway to career success. Gives you: Tools to help job seekers, students, businesses, and career professionals. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor

 

 

 3)Employment Development Department  - www.edd.ca.gov

Take the time and check out this website.

 

 

 

 

Internet resources that will land you a job and help you through the process!

How to deal with the desperate anxiety that naturally occurs during your job search. Keep this list parked where you sit at home working away at your job search and look at it whenever you start to feel anxious and alone. See the internet resource list below.

 

·       Remember – it’s not you

·       Get up from the computer and go do something

·       Call someone right now and have a conversation

·       Expand your network – find one person to meet today

·       Make lunch plans

·       Meet someone in your network for coffee

·       Attend job search support groups/ career networking meetings – make new friends

·       Create an effective network

·       Plan networking get-togethers with fellow job searchers or past colleagues

·       Surround yourself with positive people

·       Tell friends and family what you need from them to help you feel good

·       Use an upcoming holiday to celebrate

·       Consider opening yourself up to new target markets

·       Consider expanding your search to include other areas including global opportunities

List of internet resources:

Internet Resources

SEARCH ENGINES www.google.com Indeed.com (one search “jobs”) Simplyhired.com (one search “jobs”)   DATABASES+JOB BOARDS+RESUMES Airsdirectory.com/jobboards Allstarjobs.com Brassring.com Careerbuilder.com Careercentral.com Craigslist.com Careerfairs.com Churchillclub.com Computerjobs.com Dice.com Directemployers.com Excite.com Flipdog.com Freeagent.com-consulting Futurestep.com Gettingthejob.com (sort by month) Guru.com (creative/consulting/IT/admin) H1B.com Hotgigs.com Hotjobs.com Hundredk.com Jobanimal.com Jobfairs.com Jobfox.com Joboptions.com Jobs.com Jobshadow.org Jobstar.org Linkedin.com LatPro.com(Hispanic and Bilingual) Monster.com Nationjob.com Quintcareers.com Rilleyguide.com/jobs Techies.com Thingamajob.com Vault.com Weddles.com Wetfeet.com Workit.org Job Search Support Groups: Please google – CPC Job Connections Group, Graceworks, and your local One Stop Career Center to get more information on these organizations

EXEC.SEARCH/VENTURE/NEWS/RECRUITERS 6Figuresjobs.com Brilliantpeople.com Careerjournal.com Execglobalnet.com Execsearches.com Executives-ulimited.com Garage.com Recruitersonline.com Wsacorp.com/index.asp (fee-based)   NON-PROFIT JOB BOARDS Nonprofitdirections.org Npsolutions.org Npworks.org Opportunityknocks.org Paschalmurray.com Upwardlyglobal.org   SALARY SURVEY Benchmark.com CompanyPay.com (Executive Level) Execunet.com Futurestep.com Salary.com Spencerstuart.com/professionalresources/       Research&tools/salarybenchmarking Salaryexpert.com Indeed.com   RECRUITERS Cspnet.org Recruitinglife.com Searchfirm.com Salesrecruiters.net   SOCIAL and professional Networking Sites www.facebook.com www.Linkedin.com www.Spoke.com www.Ryze.com www.Friendster.com www.orkut.com   FREE INTERNET EMAIL SITES Hotmail.com Yahoo.com GMail.com – google mail   Get the inside scoop on companys below: www.glassdoor.com www.indeed.com -check out the forum section www.jobvent.com www.ledova.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-interview research…

 Hello Everyone, I wanted to share an article with you that I wrote last month for another website. I hope you can get some great tips from it.

 

Pre-Interview Research: Five tips to investigate a company before the interview.

 

By Rebecca Martin

 

The goal of any job interview is to get to the next step which is the offer stage and land the job! The best way to achieve this goal is by being strategic, linking your experience and strengths to the requirements of the position throughout the interview process and by dialoguing with the interviewer(s). The more prepared you are the more relaxed and confident you will be.

 

Five tips for employer research

 

1.  Visit the Company Website – An organization’s website will contain basic information about products and services, company history, and leadership.  If available, spend time in the online press room reviewing the latest press releases and media coverage.  This information will get you up-to-date quickly.

 

2.  Consult Human Resources – Ask the HR representative to provide you with a list of the interviewer(s) and their titles.  Knowing their titles will tell you about the types of questions they will be asking.  For example, the operations manager may be asking you questions about day-to-day processes and how the position you are interviewing for relates to production and quality. 

 

Knowing their names will allow you to do some additional research to find commonality with the interviewer(s) and learn more about their educational and professional backgrounds.  See step three:

 

3.  Review LinkedIn – LinkedIn is one of the largest professional online networking sites in the world. Populated with 25 million members, it is a warehouse of information for job searchers. First, look for the people who will be interviewing you.  Study their profiles to learn more about the organization to which you are applying and look for shared connections and interests.

 

Next, search LinkedIn for people you know who work or have worked for the organization in question. This will help you with step number four:

 

4.  Network, Network, Network – Talk to people you know who have worked at the company or are familiar with it.  They will be able to give you information that you might not find on the company website such as corporate values, leadership and management styles.

 

5.  Search the Internet – Run a general search of the internet for information on your prospective employer.  You may find the company referenced in the minutes of civic groups or in legal proceedings.  Key the company name into Google Maps to find customer reviews.  Similarly, sites like Jobvent.com provide a forum for employees to praise or complain about their employers. 

 

Using these resources, you can find insight into company reputation, culture and values such as work life balance, volunteerism, and philanthropy.  Some of this information will help you during the interview, while other information can help you decide if this workplace is right for you.

—
Rebecca Martin, founder of  dear jane… lives in northern California where she works as a career coach and training professional. She believes that people can find jobs/careers that bring them enjoyment and prosperity. She blogs about the career search and produces The Best Darn Career Show posted on YouTube.

How to Work with Recruiters! Tips below.

1)     How to find a recruiter

·         Job boards – they will be calling you.

·         Job postings and descriptions – i.e. monster or indeed, recruiter’s names will be listed on posted positions.

·         From friends and colleagues.

·         Target list – call the company and ask hr or the receptionist who there recruiting partners are and how many they work with.

·         Google –online sources.

 

2 ) Tips to remember

·         Recruiters are your friends – they want to help you.

·         Recruiters know a lot about their clients and can help you close the deal and get the job.

·         If you don’t like the recruiter don’t work with them and move on.  You don’t have to answer any of their questions if you think they are too personal. But remember they are trying to learn about you and get you in a job.

·         If they don’t call you back, call them and don’t take it personally.

·         Don’t forget to write down their contact information and follow up with them.

·         If you are really shy and introverted you will need to work with a recruiter.

·         Work with 1-2 recruiters minimum.

·         When they call, let them initially drive the interview.

·         If it’s not a good time to talk to them, don’t answer the phone or ask them if you can call them back (we also are looking for professionalism from you too).

·         If recruiters don’t get a good read on you over the phone they won’t call you back. It       happens all the time.

·         DON’T FORGET TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS.

·         Great recruiters will only send 1-2 candidate’s resumes per position.

 

3) Questions to ask the recruiters to see if they are credible

·         How long have you been in the recruiting industry or been recruiting?

·         What type of clients and industries do you work with and recruit for?

·         Are you focused in a particular field, industry?

·         How long have you been working with your client?

·         How many resumes do you send for one position?

·         Figure out if they have a relationship with their client, if they do you will get quick and quality feedback from your interviews.

·         If they can’t help you, ask them if they can refer you to other recruiters.

 

Go to www.dearjane.info or contact rebecca.martin@dearjane.info

 

Do you know what your market value is? or what you were paid in 2007?

I wanted to give you information about how to conduct your salary research. I have links below that I use all of the time to help my clients with determining their market value.

The list below.

www.salaryexpert.com

http://indeed.com

http://salary.com

Do your research on companies, hiring managers, etc. using linkedin.com

 I was working with a client tonight and talking to her about using linkedin.com for researching hiring managers and companies. I walked her through www.linkedin.com and told her that it was a warehouse of information. Try using it for research. You will be amazed at what you find out. See below one of the screen shots after you type in the company name.

LooptPlease enter a company name The company you entered is not in our database

30 total, 28 in your network

·                     Jane Doe, QA Manager

·                      San Francisco Bay Area

·                     John Doe, User Experience Designer

·                      San Francisco Bay Area

·                     Julie Yon, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing

·                      San Francisco Bay Area

·                     Gus Planes, Chief Privacy Officer; Vice President, Corporate Affairs

·                      San Francisco Bay Area

·                     George Young, VP, Engineering

·                      San Francisco Bay Area

New Hires

What’s this?

·                     Jane Doe,  QA Manager

·                      was Quality Assurance at Mobile Wireless – 6 months ago

·                     Julie Givens, Senior Systems Architect

·                      was Founder at Unix Software – last month

·                     Sean Pastor, Senior Mobile Software Engineer

·                      was Software Engineer at Omega Software- 2 months ago

Recent Promotions and Changes

What’s this?

·                     Peter Tom, Lead Server Developer

·                      was Software Engineer – 2 months ago

·                     Popular Profiles

·                      What’s this?

·                     Eve Youth, Senior Server Engineer

·                     Sam Jones, Mobile Developer

·                     Hilary Siemens, Senior Mobile Software Engineer

·                     Jan Temp, VP Location Technologies

·                     Robert Byrd, Web Front End Team Lead -

·                    Career path for Loopt employees

·                     before:

·                      Microsoft

·                      Motorola

·                    Loopt employees are most connected to

·                      AdMob

·                      VeriSign

·                      Stanford University

·                      Facebook

·                    Top Locations

·                      San Francisco Bay Area (29)

·                     Headquarters Address

·United States

	·                      Industry	·                      Computer Software
	·                      Type	·                      Privately Held
	·                      Company Size	·                      11-50 employees
·                      Top Schools		·                      Stanford Univ. ·                      23%

 

·                      Median Age

·                      31 years

 

·                      Gender

·                      Male ·                      77% ·                      Female ·                      23%

·                      Estimated based on LinkedIn Data

 

 

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