The time has come to get down to the business of writing an approach letter. Approach letters, together with approach phone calls, are the means by which you gain access to job opportunities. Selecting Your Target It obviously helps in drafting your letter to know to whom it will be sent. Let's say you have learned of a company or organization that interests you. Ideally, you will do some researchlearn the products or services the company provides, study the business condition and key issues, and talk with one or more people who work there or have other reasons to know the organization. If WetFeet publishes an Insider Guide on the company, this will be a good investment. This research should provide you with a solid foundation for building an effective communication campaign, such as: A fairly clear idea of where your talents might fit within the organization Enough knowledge of the company culture to guide how you describe yourself and your interests 18 Networking One or more names of senior people to whom you might address your letters, along with some information about their history, interests, and accomplishments. (Don't be afraid to reach high. Senior people often need staff assistancea great learning opportunity and preparation for future management responsibility, provided the person is a good mentor.) And, if you are lucky, an introduction to the person or people who head up the functional areas in which you have an interest If you've done this research and come up with names of senior managers and functional headsor better yet, introductionsthese are the people to write to first. If, however, you can't acquire names or you've already written to those people and not achieved your goal, then it makes sense to address a letter to the head of human resources, whose name (correctly spelled) and exact title should be available from the switchboard operator. If the switchboard operator can't provide this name, ask for someone in the HR department. One reason we recommend starting with senior managers and functional heads before writing to human resources is that the hiring managers will know of situations, needs, and future intentions that have not crystallized enough to take the form of a job requisition that human resources would know about. HR managers will almost never hire you for a job that doesn't already exist. Another reason for dealing with hiring managers first is that HR departments in most companies tend to send you only to interviews for which you are fully qualified by your past experience. This means that HR may rate you below your level of interest and capabilityin contrast to a manager who may be more receptive to finding the right person regardless of the little boxes she can check off by a review of your resume, letting the person learn by taking on challenges. 19 Networking Objectives of the Approach Letter The objective of an approach letter to a senior manager or head of a functional area is simple: to secure a meeting with the person to whom the letter is addressed or with a hiring manager in the person's organization who would be even more appropriate for you to see. The hiring manager is the person to whom you would report, the person who makes the decision and who has the money to spend. The hiring manager is not the HR person, except in the case of HR positions. The objective of a letter sent to HR, on the other hand, is to be invited in for a screening interview, which may then lead to interviews with an appropriate hiring manager who has an open job requisition. You may achieve part of your objective if the person agrees to hold a discussion with you by phone (especially if you live in different cities) but this is not normally as desirable as a face-to-face meeting. There will likely be a variety of purposes to the meetings you seek during the course of your job search. You may be gathering information and seeking referrals; you may be looking for help in getting introductions within a particular company; or you may be seeking an interview for a position with the person you are targeting. Perhaps you are not sure which is your true purpose, because you have no idea when you write whether you would like to work for the person targeted or even whether you would be suited to do the work the person might have for you. Fortunately, you don't have to know. Your initial meeting is intended for both you and the other party to get to know each other, exchange information, and test the possibilities. If you restrict its purpose to a job interview, you rule out all other reasons for meeting and actually reduce your chances of gaining an interview even when such an interview would be appropriate. 20 Networking It is easier to obtain a meeting for purposes of obtaining advice, information, and possible referrals than it is to obtain an interview. Moreover, an information/referral meeting does not prevent you from receiving any of the potential benefits you would receive from a job interview. This is because your information/referral meeting gives you every opportunity to demonstrate your experience, your thinking, and the personal qualities that might make you a desirable candidate. Better yet, it allows the interviewer to come up with the idea that you would be an attractive candidate for the current or upcoming position or even a new position created just for you. If your information/referral meeting occurs early enough, when the organization is still in the process of defining its needs, the hiring manager who finds you an attractive candidate may even revise the definition of the position to fit your talents and interests.
The time has come to get down to the business of writing an approach letter.Approach letters, together with approach phone calls, are the means by whichyou gain access to job opportunities.
Selecting Your Target
It obviously helps in drafting your letter to know to whom it will be sent. Let'ssay you have learned of a company or organization that interests you. Ideally, youwill do some researchlearn the products or services the company provides, studythe business condition and key issues, and talk with one or more people who workthere or have other reasons to know the organization. If WetFeet publishes anInsider Guide on the company, this will be a good investment. This research shouldprovide you with a solid foundation for building an effective communicationcampaign, such as:
A fairly clear idea of where your talents might fit within the organization
Enough knowledge of the company culture to guide how you describeyourself and your interests.
One or more names of senior people to whom you might address yourletters, along with some information about their history, interests, andaccomplishments. (Don't be afraid to reach high. Senior people often needstaff assistancea great learning opportunity and preparation for futuremanagement responsibility, provided the person is a good mentor.)
And, if you are lucky, an introduction to the person or people who head upthe functional areas in which you have an interest.
If you've done this research and come up with names of senior managers andfunctional headsor better yet, introductionsthese are the people to write tofirst. If, however, you can't acquire names or you've already written to those peopleand not achieved your goal, then it makes sense to address a letter to the headof human resources, whose name (correctly spelled) and exact title should beavailable from the switchboard operator. If the switchboard operator can't providethis name, ask for someone in the HR department.One reason we recommend starting with senior managers and functional headsbefore writing to human resources is that the hiring managers will know ofsituations, needs, and future intentions that have not crystallized enough to takethe form of a job requisition that human resources would know about. HRmanagers will almost never hire you for a job that doesn't already exist.Another reason for dealing with hiring managers first is that HR departmentsin most companies tend to send you only to interviews for which you are fullyqualified by your past experience. This means that HR may rate you below yourlevel of interest and capabilityin contrast to a manager who may be morereceptive to finding the right person regardless of the little boxes she can checkoff by a review of your resume, letting the person learn by taking on challenges.
Objectives of the Approach Letter
The objective of an approach letter to a senior manager or head of a functional area is simple: to secure a meeting with the person to whom the letter isaddressed or with a hiring manager in the person's organization who would beeven more appropriate for you to see. The hiring manager is the person towhom you would report, the person who makes the decision and who has themoney to spend. The hiring manager is not the HR person, except in the caseof HR positions.The objective of a letter sent to HR, on the other hand, is to be invited in for ascreening interview, which may then lead to interviews with an appropriate hiringmanager who has an open job requisition.
You may achieve part of your objective if the person agrees to hold a discussionwith you by phone (especially if you live in different cities) but this is not normallyas desirable as a face-to-face meeting.There will likely be a variety of purposes to the meetings you seek during thecourse of your job search. You may be gathering information and seeking referrals;you may be looking for help in getting introductions within a particular company;or you may be seeking an interview for a position with the person you are targeting.
Perhaps you are not sure which is your true purpose, because you have no ideawhen you write whether you would like to work for the person targeted or evenwhether you would be suited to do the work the person might have for you.Fortunately, you don't have to know. Your initial meeting is intended for both youand the other party to get to know each other, exchange information, and test thepossibilities. If you restrict its purpose to a job interview, you rule out all otherreasons for meeting and actually reduce your chances of gaining an intervieweven when such an interview would be appropriate.
It is easier to obtain a meeting for purposes of obtaining advice, information, andpossible referrals than it is to obtain an interview. Moreover, an information/referralmeeting does not prevent you from receiving any of the potential benefits youwould receive from a job interview.This is because your information/referral meeting gives you every opportunity todemonstrate your experience, your thinking, and the personal qualities that mightmake you a desirable candidate. Better yet, it allows the interviewer to come upwith the idea that you would be an attractive candidate for the current or upcomingposition or even a new position created just for you. If your information/referralmeeting occurs early enough, when the organization is still in the process ofdefining its needs, the hiring manager who finds you an attractive candidatemay even revise the definition of the position to fit your talents and interests.
