Cover Letter For Resumes - Do I Send It To Job Postings Only?
Cover letters for resumes are a fantastic selling tool
. They can make the difference between the resume being read or just filed away. I found some success in sending it to companies that weren't hiring at the time I sent it, because I pre sold myself to those companies. Here's how I went about it.
The obvious is that if there's nothing indication a company is hiring, why would I send my resume and cover letter? To answer this simply I'll share an idea I got from a great book that stated that good companies are always looking for good talented people. The idea here is to be the obvious choice when an opening comes up. You don't accomplish this by sending it once and forgetting about it. What you want to do is send it about once every two months.
Now I wouldn't just send it to any company. I only sent it to companies I really wanted to work at. I made sure to craft my cover letter for those resumes in a way that implied I wanted to work there even if I had to work my way up to the position I wanted. With the help of a cover letter manual I submitted a properly formatted cover letter with professional language. I continuously sent my cover letter and resume to keep my name on their mind when it was time to hire.
I have a friend in Washington that was fortunate to get hired at a company that offered great benefits and constantly recognized people's efforts with opportunity to move up in the company, she's very happy there. That's the type of place I want to work for even if it took some time.
On my cover letter for these resumes I would focus on my desire to move up in a company like that. I showed I was hard working and dedicated by persisting with my attempts.
When an opportunity arose I was quickly informed of the position and I was called in for an interview. I think the cover letter for resume I submitted did a good job of selling my strengths. I was offered a job the same day, if I didn't mind working my way up the company ladder, the job was mine. I took it.