Broadcast Cover
Letter
By Sue Campbell, 1st-Writer.com
There's a particular
company, possibly several companies, for whom you'd like to work. There's only
one thing holding you back: they don't happen to be advertising a job opening at
this time.
Notice that I said, "advertising." It's very possible
that a job
opportunity exists, or that one will become available soon, it's just that you don't happen to be
on
the inside track that would allow you to know about it.
So, What do you do? Do you wait?
Do you watch? Do you hope? Or do you make the first move?
If you decide to take a
proactive approach, one way of establishing contact is via the submission of a broadcast cover letter,
along with your resume document (customized for the specific company).
What sets the broadcast cover
letter apart from a typical cover letter is its approach. Instead of
identifying a known job opening and qualifying your fit for a specific
position (where you often available job criteria that can be addressed), a broadcast cover letter must identify a real or
potential need in your reader and qualify your skills and background to meet this need.
A broadcast cover letter
has similar qualities to a direct mail marketing campaign. Just as the
unsolicited "junk mail" you receive must capture your interest if
it's to be read and not tossed into the "round file" (trash can), your broadcast cover letter
must be savvy enough to avoid the trash can, too.
Understanding Your Targeted Reader
Like a direct mail campaign,
understanding the potential buyer (potential employer) is the first key to your success.
You can't sell your skills
and talents with any efficacy if you don't understand the needs and potential
problems of your
target market. Therefore, your first step is to determine how much you already
know about the company and its key players. If you're
saying, "Not much," then you have some work to do.
When you can answer the
following questions with insight, you'll be ready to write an effective broadcast cover letter:
-
The company's
primary service or product is ___________________
-
The company's
primary target market is ________________
-
The company's
branding focuses on ________________________
-
The company
wants to be known for _______________________
-
The company's
slogan is ____________________
-
The company has
been in business for ______ (years, months)
-
The company's
leadership is comprised of _____________________ (who?)
-
The company's
leadership has the following things in common: ______________
-
The company
generated ____________ in annual sales or revenue in 2004
(previous year) -
which is _______ (more or less) than 2003
-
The company
employs ____________ (#) employees in the following specialties:
_____________
-
The company's
biggest competitor is _______________________
-
Other
competition for this company includes:_____________________
-
The company's
greatest strengths appear to be _____________________
-
The company's
greatest weaknesses appear to be ________________________
-
I can see myself
working for this company because _______________________
-
I believe my
skills and experience will benefit this company in the following
ways or areas:__________________
-
The person best
suited to receive my broadcast cover letter and resume is
__________________ because ______________
Cover letters normally follow
a general outline:
Name
of recipient and his or her title: Get the exact name and correct spelling
whenever you can - it will always have a greater impact than an anonymous recipient
greeting. People like reading and hearing their own names, and they like them spelled and
pronounced correctly, too.
Company
name, street address, city, state, and zip code.
The Broadcast
Cover Letter
Because
there isn't a specific job opening available, you won't have a specific job title or reference number
that you can
refer to in this document. However, you do have a specialization - a general title
or specific phrase
that can accurately identify the type of role or position that is comparable to your
background and experience, and is the type of position that you are hoping to
fill. This may be "Project Manager," or "Director of
Marketing," or "Top Level Sales Executive." Whatever is the appropriate title
for you, include it:
The salutation of your letter should contain the individual's name,
but never (NEVER!) "To Whom It May Concern:" or worse "Dear Sir or
Madam." If you're submitting your cover letter and resume to the general HR
department of the
company, because you were unsuccessful in securing the name of the
hiring manager or division leader (often this information is well guarded), then your salutation should read:
"Dear Director of Human Resources for Name of Company:" but try to get the name
of the person in the division you're targeting or the person in
charge of hiring. It's worth the extra effort.
The first paragraph is what separates the broadcast cover letter
from the typical cover letter. You're applying for the possibility
of a job opening, rather than a known job opening, so your approach
is going to be different, too. You want to address a need, as well
as what you can contribute to meet this need (a solution). Example:
"In the course of attempting to
revitalize and strengthen ABC Company's sales and marketing strategies within
your information technology ventures (the need), you may have a requirement for a top level
executive offering a comprehensive background in...(the
solution)"
The
second paragraph addresses the particular needs, concerns, missions and goals of
the company (as you know them -
see the previous list of company information), and how your potential contribution will benefit
and promote these goals (from the company's point of view).
Remember, this letter is all about what you have to offer - not about what
you're hoping to secure. The more you understand the company,
the better your reader will be able to envision you as part of their team.
The third
paragraph can introduce additional skills, abilities or education that are
beneficial, relevant or complementary to the type of position and company you're
targeting. For example:
"My
educational achievements, possessing a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration and having completed various courses in software development,
further complement my hands-on experience."
Think about what you bring to
the table that the ordinary candidate might not. Think about complementary
skills or experiences you possess that not only set you apart from competing
candidates, but could be viewed valuable to the potential employer.
For example, a job candidate who was
targeting administrative support positions included information that she had
been involved newsletter development and publication, even though this is not an
ordinary function of an administrative assistant position, but a complementary
skill. She was offered a position as a director of public affairs, with a
substantial salary increase, because she had this additional experience. As it
turned out, this particular company had a very real need for the creation and
management of their newsletter, and was eager to hire a candidate who could
manage both the administrative support functions and publication of their
monthly newsletter.
Closing
paragraph: This is the only place in the broadcast cover letter where you indicate what you're hoping to gain from
this submission: a
call and an interview. Let your reader know that you'll be
glad to meet at his or her convenience. You want to make it easy to meet you and
discuss the possibilities.
Complimentary closing should show appreciation for your reader's time
and consideration.
Make
absolutely certain that your accompanying resume is customized to the specific
company and the type of position you're targeting - meeting the needs and
requirements of the company as you know them (via research) or can assume them
(via experience).
What to Do After the Cover
Letter and Resume Have Been Sent.
It would be wonderful if every
resume and cover letter submission resulted in
an immediate call for interview. Unfortunately, we live
in a complicated world of busy people, and broadcast
submissions (where no known job opening exists) typically produce a smaller
contact rate than when submitting a resume for a known job opening.
However, remain proactive in your
job search, and be willing to follow-up
broadcast submissions with a phone call or a note
that reiterates your interest in the company, and offers to provide further
information if necessary. A good timeframe for follow-up is two weeks. If you’re keeping track of all
your submissions (dates, contact name, job title, etc.) you should be able to accomplish
this with ease.
Should I Hire a Professional Resume
Writer? / 1st-Writer.com Services
See more articles on
job hunting.
Good luck in your job search!
Sue Campbell,
1st-Writer.com - over 15 years
experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to
e-mail me
with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!
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