9 Communicating

I know they heard what I said, but I’m not sure they understood what I meant.

Chapter Overview

During a job search, you never know when others don’t understand your message as you intended it. You may have the most powerful resume and have your message down pat, but, if you don’t communicate effectively, you’ll never get to first base and you won’t get a second chance because people will be hesitant to tell you what you need to know to improve. This chapter will:

Improve your verbal communication so the message you want to convey is the message they hear.

Convey what you want in letters that won’t be ignored by the reader.

Recognize what others are telling you when they aren’t saying it.

The main sections in this chapter include:

The different ways you communicate.

Verbal communication.

Written communication.

Addressing a redundancy.

Milestones.

You’ve spent a lot of time perfecting your resume and exploring where and how to network. Now you need to make sure your verbal and written communication projects a confident, take-charge message that others will respect and react to positively.

The Different Ways You Communicate

Whether you’re communicating verbally or in writing, you do it in three different ways:

1. Image.

2. Language.

3. Values.

Image

When you meet someone, even before you exchange words, you size him up and form an impression—good or bad—based on his attire, appearance, and demeanor.

Employers and recruiters do the same. They’ll start to size you up the moment they see you. Without words, instinct tells the employer or recruiter whether they’re going to like you. Recruiters often say they can size up a candidate within four minutes of meeting them.

Even with a positive first impression, employers and recruiters still might screen you out later in the interview, but a negative first impression will inevitably eliminate you from the running, and they aren’t likely to share the real reason with you.

Illustration by Steven Lait.

Language

When you speak, your words, mannerisms, and physical appearance create a powerful first impression. If you come across as obsequious, self-important, overpowering, or egotistical, you may think you’re having a conversation, but the other person is probably thinking more about your style and demeanor than what you’re saying.

I know that you believe you understood what you think I
said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not
what I meant.

—Attributed to Robert McCloskey, U.S. Dept. of State

If you put others in an uncomfortable or inferior position by using jargon, technical terms, or making reference to all the important people you know, the other person won’t perceive you positively and isn’t likely to become one of your network contacts.

Values

Your image and the language you use reflect your core values. How you carry and express yourself are continual statements to those around you about your character, integrity, and self-perception of your worth.

When you’re talking to another person, she sees and hears what you say through her personal values filter. She’ll assess you based on her values. Likewise, when she’s talking, you hear her words through your personal values filter and assess them based on your values.

Verbal Communication

If you aren’t noticing how the other person is paying attention to you, you may be unaware that you’re having a wasted conversation. The four key ways to tell if you’re successfully communicating verbally with another person are described here:

Characteristics of a Good Listener

Characteristics	Signs that indicate they’re listening
1. Attentiveness He’s paying attention and connecting with you.	He’s looking at you and not gazing around the room. He’s making some audible sounds (“uh huh,” “yes,” “right,” “I see what you mean”) indicating he’s paying attention.
2. Interest He’s interested in what you’re saying.	He’s commenting intelligently about the subject. He’s asking good questions about the topic of conversation. He expresses interest.
3. Understanding He understands what you’re saying.	He’s asking questions that indicate he understands. He’s not talking about unrelated topics. He gives some indication that he’s familiar with the subject and understands the technical language you’re using.
4. Memory He remembers you positively.	The conversation ends at a logical place, not resulting from a distraction or interruption. He expresses pleasure in meeting you or shows some appreciation. He shows an interest in meeting with you again.

When you’ve finished and part, briefly think about the conversation and whether you conveyed what you wanted and how receptive he was to you. Think about what you might do differently with the next person. Repeat this review with each person you meet until you’re comfortable with what you said and how they reacted.

Listening is a key part of communicating. Even when you’re talking, you need to be listening. If you’re doing any of the following, you aren’t being an active listener:

Finishing his sentences for him.

Talking “over” him.

Talking, but not listening or thinking, before talking again.

Concentrating on what you want to say next and missing what the other person is saying.

If you can identify with any of this, get a copy of Listening: The Forgotten Skill: A Self-Teaching Guide by Madelyn Burley-Allen (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995). The book is an easy read, and the exercises will help you improve your listening skills.

Some people think they’re good listeners without recognizing that they actually aren’t. If you suspect you might have a problem in this area, consider having someone accompany you to observe your interaction with others or have them videotape you from the sidelines.

When you play it back, watch it with someone else. Observe your mannerisms, not just how you’re conversing. Are you standing too close? Are you speaking too loudly for the situation? It’s often difficult to recognize these things yourself, particularly when you aren’t aware of them. You may be surprised by how someone else thinks you come across. Arrange to get feedback on your networking and communicating style during the early stages of your networking. You don’t want to find out you’re doing something wrong after you’ve already turned off half your network!

Chapter 8 covered how to start a conversation in the Initiate phase; how to obtain help, support, and information in the Obtain phase; and how to get referrals in the Use phase. The types of questions you’re asking while networking are usually easy ones, because you’re in the building and research phases, when a job offer is not your primary objective.

Although you might have had a few bad starts or situations where you weren’t adequately prepared, you probably learned from them and quickly recovered. The people you meet during the early stages of your networking are usually forgiving. When you get to the Use phase, however, you’re at the top of your IOU networking triangle. You don’t want to make your mistakes when contacting your target person; you may have only one chance.

When you make direct contact with potential employers either verbally or in writing, you must have your act together. You’ll be contacting potential employers through a referral from your network or, if you were unable to find anyone in your network who was able to give you a referral, you’ll be contacting them directly.

Let’s start by looking at some of the basic do’s and don’ts when calling companies. I’ve assumed most employers will be companies, but the concepts would be similar if they aren’t (for example, partnerships, foundations, non-profits, and government organizations).

What You Want to Do When Calling Companies

What You Don’t Want to Do When Calling Companies

Be clear about what you want and with whom you want to speak. If not, you’ll soon find yourself talking with the HR department. Prepare your questions ahead of time and have them in front of you when you call. Treat everyone with equal respect regardless of who answers the telephone. If you’re calling to get the contact details for your target person, be prepared to ask your questions if, surprisingly, he takes the call. Be polite, be patient, and maintain a sense of humor. Be genuine and gain the respect of the gatekeeper, your inside link to your target person. Don’t treat the gatekeeper as an adversary; you want to get gatekeepers to want to help you. Keep your message short and focused. If the person you reach is confused or unclear about what you want, you won’t get her time, or you’ll get HR. Do what you say you’ll do. If you tell her you’ll call at a certain date and time, call.

Don’t sound important or impatient. She is much more important to you than you are to her. Don’t ramble and waste time trying to “chat her up.” It will be transparent, and she’ll see you as trying to use her for your own selfish means. Don’t ask obvious questions you could have answered easily by doing a minimal amount of research or by looking at the company’s Website. Don’t ask questions designed to show how smart you are. Don’t be formal. Act natural and let your personality show. Don’t be an interrogator. You’ll put others on the defensive, and they’ll most surely attempt to get rid of you. Don’t stretch or misrepresent the relationship of someone who referred you to the person you’re talking to or the person you want to reach. Don’t be a “name dropper.” It’s a turn-off. Don’t call from a cell phone while traveling. It may not bother you, but it will distract or possibly irritate the person you’re calling.

Preparing in advance is crucial, because you never know what you’ll encounter or whom you’ll wind up talking to when you call companies.

On the next few pages, I show seven typical situations you’ll likely encounter and include suggestions on how you might approach each. Tailor your approach to fit your style and the situation. Practice the conversations, but don’t use them as a script.

When you call, be prepared to overcome the obstacles (gatekeepers): receptionists, administrative assistants, voice mail, and—the ultimate obstacle—the HR department. If you don’t have an entrée to the target person, these obstacles may become huge hurdles that you’ll need to overcome.

Assistants are usually very good at being gatekeepers because they have lots of experience with others who are trying to get the attention of the target person, such as salespeople and others looking for a job. Assistants are also quite willing to give you inside help if they like you. Getting the assistant for your target person to like you and help you should be one of your objectives. Here are some suggestions on how you can respond to situations that you’ll probably encounter when making telephone calls to companies.

Situation 1:     Initial call.

You call the company directly to talk to your target person, John Smith.

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

Call as if you already know John Smith or he knows you. When they answer, say, “John Smith, please.” Use a confident approach. In your last job, when you had to call someone that you knew at another company, what words did you use and how did you sound? Use a similar approach.

Situation 2:     Why are you calling?

The gatekeeper asks, “Does Mr. Smith know you?” or “Does Mr. Smith know why you are calling?” or “Can I ask what this is regarding?”

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

State your reasons for calling. For example:

“I’m researching working in the X industry, and I understand Mr. Smith is experienced in the field. I’d like to ask him a few questions.” (If she refers to John Smith as Mr., continue to use the formal Mr. Smith because that’s how the other person is referring to him. If you use the informal John, she might think you’re being presumptuous because you don’t already know him.)

“I understand Mr. Smith has responsibility for [area of responsibility] and I wondered if he could spare a few moments to answer a few questions about….”

“Mr. Jones at [name] company suggested I call Mr. Smith to see if he could answer a few questions about [the object of your call].”

Avoid going into too much detail about your questions at this stage. You’re not calling to ask your questions, only to see if Mr. Smith would be willing to talk to you—and if so, you’d like to schedule a conversation with him. If you get to talk with Mr. Smith, give him some idea about what you want to discuss with him and ask if you could schedule a meeting where you can ask him your questions.

Situation 3:     Are you looking for a job?

They ask you point-blank. Hey, it happens!

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

“I’m in the process of making a career change, and I need to ask some questions of someone in [the position you are targeting or the position of someone who would know about it], such as Mr. Smith, before doing so. I’m not calling for a job.”

“I’m doing research into [your target] positions (or industry), and I need to talk to someone like Mr. Smith who I understand has experience in the [field or function].”

“I’m in the process of making a career change and I think I may be interested in your industry, but I’m not really sure I understand it as well as I need to. I was hoping Mr. Smith/you might be able to answer some of my questions to help me better understand if this is something I might like to pursue.”

“I’m in transition (or between jobs or exploring a career change) at the moment, but I’m not calling for a job. I need [describe the information, help, answers, etc., that you need.]”

Don’t belabor this subject. Keep it as brief as possible. If gatekeepers sense you’re honestly looking for help, they’ll usually put you through to your target person or an assistant and let him decide whether to help you.

Situation 4:   The gatekeeper won’t let you talk to Mr. Smith.

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

Try to establish a connection with the gatekeeper.

Confirm with her that Mr. Smith has responsibility for whatever it is you want to know, and that he’s the person who could answer your questions.

If you handle this professionally, the gatekeeper will often put you on hold and then ask your target person if he would be willing to talk to you. If Mr. Smith is willing but too busy now, ask the gatekeeper if Mr. Smith (or the gatekeeper) could suggest a better time.

This may also be an opportunity to share one of your questions with the gatekeeper, which will serve to validate your call as having a legitimate purpose and that Mr. Smith is the right person.

Use all the charm you can muster to develop a personal relationship with the gatekeeper. Remember: You are in the Initiate phase right now. You want the gatekeeper to know you’re a nice person and you would sincerely appreciate her help.

Situation 5: You reach Mr. Smith’s voice mail.

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

Leave a short message similar to what you say in Situation 3.

Call back at different times and leave pleasant, sincere messages regarding why you’re calling. Make it short and businesslike. Leave your telephone number with the times you’re generally available. Leaving your telephone number is a courtesy. Don’t expect him to call back.

If you consistently get voice mail, call the gatekeeper again and ask when you’re more likely to get through to Mr. Smith directly, rather than his voice mail. There may be times or days that are best to reach him.

How many times do you call Mr. Smith before deciding this approach isn’t working? That’s a difficult question to answer, because it depends on the situation. I’ve known people who said they reached their target person on the 10th call, and the target person even apologized for not getting back to the caller sooner. The target person agreed to meet. Vary your message, keep it short, and make sure it’s clear you’re looking for help. If you sound sincere, you’re more likely to hear from your target person.

Situation 6:   You decide to send a letter because you haven’t been able to talk to Mr. Smith.

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

Ask the gatekeeper if there are any specific points she thinks you ought to cover if you were to write Mr. Smith.

Ask, “If I sent a letter to Mr. Smith, would you see that he gets it?” The gatekeeper, whom you have now connected with by using your professional approach (and because you haven’t tried to circumvent her authority), will probably make sure Mr. Smith is aware you’re sending a letter and might even have some positive comments about you.

Write a letter asking for a meeting, and send it without a resume. Explain the purpose of your call—what you’re trying to do (such as making a career change from industry X to Y, and so forth)—and you would like to interview him to get his viewpoints on the field, the industry, or an approach that might help you to decide the best course of action.

Do not hint, suggest, or imply that you might be interested in working for his company. Mention that you will call on a specific date to see if you can arrange a meeting. Without fail, you must call him on that date. If you’re not able to talk to Mr. Smith when you call, ask the assistant/gatekeeper if she knows the status of your request and ask if she would please let your target person know you called.

If you think sending an e-mail instead of a letter would be easier, ask the gatekeeper if an e-mail would be more appropriate.

Bear in mind, though, the mere click of a mouse will swiftly delete e-mails and anti-spam software may delete your e-mail before the reader even sees it.

Personally, I’m more inclined to read letters, so I suggest you not send an e-mail. A professional letter says you cared enough to take the time to print a letter and go to the post office to mail it. Similarly, birthday cards I receive by e-mail don’t give me the warm and fuzzy feeling that the person cared enough about me to send a real card. You’re trying to get someone’s attention to help you. I strongly suggest that you make the effort and show that you’re prepared to go out of your way in order to get his help. Many years ago, John Housemen did a Smith Barney TV commercial where he said, “We make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it.” You, too, may need to show that you’re working hard enough to earn someone’s help.

Situation 7:   You talk to Mr. Smith but are unable to get a meeting.

POSSIBLE APPROACH:

Send Mr. Smith a letter thanking him for his time and the information he shared with you.

Remind him in your letter about your planned career objectives and the purpose of your meeting. (He might have second thoughts and call, agreeing to meet.)

Reiterate (assuming you made this request when you talked to him) that you would appreciate if he could suggest someone else you might talk to who could give another perspective on your (whatever it was you wanted from Mr. Smith).

Written Communication

When others look at your letter or resume, they’ll make an instant judgment about you. If your format has small print, narrow margins, long paragraphs, and is busy-looking, you’ll make a negative first impression before they read a word.

If your letter or envelope contains misspellings, or you address your letter to the “hiring manager,” or refer to a Ms. as Mr., it’s possible that no one will bother to open your envelope or read the letter.

You’ll find an overabundance of books devoted to writing letters for people in transition at your local bookstore. I’ll attempt to simplify what your approach should be by giving basic examples for the ones you’re likely to write most often. You can then tailor your letter to fit your situation.

Purpose of a Cover Letter

In Chapter 6, I compared your resume to a sales brochure. It highlights what you’re looking for, the skills and experience you bring to the table, and what you’ve achieved, and then summarizes your career history.

Your cover letter, on the other hand, is what the reader sees first, so it must bridge the gap between what the reader is expecting or wants to know, and what your resume says. Remember the menu analogy in Chapter 6 where you, as the restaurant owner, are trying to direct the reader’s attention to what you want them to know. You don’t want to tailor your resume every time you send it out or you’ll defeat the purpose of your cover letter and you’ll have difficulty remembering which version of your resume you sent to whom.

If you’re sending your resume in response to a request after you’ve had a significant discussion with someone, the cover letter may only need to be a transmittal letter.

Because you’ll address your letter to a specific person, your letter should tell that person what you think she wants or needs to know. If you send your letter without an expressed, clear purpose, the reader won’t read it and may even discard it along with any attachments, such as your resume.

Here are some situations where the purpose of your cover letter will be different:

You’re transmitting your resume in response to a request.

You’re responding to an advertisement or posting on the Internet, and you want to draw their attention to your skills and experience that match what the advertisement indicates they want.

You’re sending your resume to a recruiter on a speculative basis.

You’re sending a letter to a company on a speculative basis because no one in your network was able to serve as a referral.

You’re sending a letter to a company proposing a new position that you think the company needs, but doesn’t now have.

You’re making a career change and, therefore, need to connect the dots by highlighting how your skills and experience translate to another industry or company.

You’re sending your resume to a company at the request of one of your contacts who has made an introduction for you.

Basic Letter Format

Use plain white paper for your resume and contrasting white or off-white bond paper for your letters. Envelopes should match your letter paper. Use paper with a smooth surface, especially if you’re using a laser printer. If the paper has a watermark, be sure the watermark is face-up when you print the letter.

The following figure shows how to structure a business letter. The numbers in circles on the letter relate to comments following the example.

Leave a 1-inch margin around your page. Use a 12-point serif font such as Times New Roman or CG Times. Keep it simple. Content is king. Fancy fonts are a distraction.

Leave a space of two lines between your contact information and the date. Use a smaller font for your name and contact details.

Increase or decrease the space between the date and the address fields to balance your letter on the page.

Use the addressee’s full name, title, company, and address.

Leave one line between the addressee block and your salutation (two lines in the UK).

Most of your letters should use the formal Mr., Ms., or Dr. If you think the recipient would expect you to use their first name, use “Dear [first name],” such as when you already know the person or you’re at a very senior level. When trying to decide, envision how you would expect to see the letter if the recipient of your letter were writing you.

Leave one line between the greeting and the first paragraph. Your opening paragraph should be an introduction limited to two to three lines maximum. The remaining paragraphs shouldn’t exceed four or five lines each.

Sign your name similarly to how you address the recipient. For example, if you addressed your letter to Dear George, you would sign Jack. If you addressed your letter to Mr. Allen, you would sign Jack Welch.

When writing, use the language of the industry or the profession you’re trying to address. If you’re writing to an accountant, use accounting terms. If you’re writing to an engineer, use engineering terms.

8 Basic Letters You Are Most Likely to Write

Here are the eight basic letters you’ll need most often:

1. Letters transmitting resumes.

2. Letters responding to an advertisement.

3. Letters to recruiters sent speculatively.

4. Letters to companies sent speculatively.

5. Letters sent to a company contact referred through your network.

6. Letters sent to an employee in a target company referring to an article he wrote.

7. Letters to companies when you know a retained recruiter is involved.

8. Letters to send when you’ve successfully found employment.

1. Letters Transmitting Resumes

A transmittal letter arises when someone you’ve talked with asks you to send your resume to him, or to someone else. If the recipient is already expecting your resume, you may not need to reiterate your career objectives or highlight your skills and experience. A typical transmittal letter follows on page 192.

If you met with a new contact whom you didn’t know before and, after the meeting, she asked you to send your resume to her, you should include one or two paragraphs reminding her what position you’re seeking and an achievement story that demonstrates your skills and experience. You might also want to add a paragraph that reiterates or addresses a topic you discussed when you met.

2. Letters Responding to an Advertisement

Responding to a print advertisement or an Internet posting often makes you feel like you’re taking a positive step toward getting a position that sounds right for you, and you’re anxious to hear back. The disillusionment comes after several weeks pass and you don’t hear a thing.

To add to the frustration, there’s usually no way to contact whoever placed the ad to check on the status of your resume submission. Chapter 7 talked about the small likelihood of a senior person finding a job from an advertisement.

If you see an advertisement for a job that you think is appropriate for you and decide to send your resume, make sure there’s sufficient information about the position and the industry for you to identify in your letter why you’re qualified. If the position or industry is defined only broadly, such as just “manufacturing,” or is undefined, it probably isn’t a real job. A new contingency recruiter is probably attempting to add resumes to his database, and responding won’t be an effective use of your time.

Assuming the advertisement adequately describes the position and otherwise looks like a genuine opportunity, your response should address each of the skills and experience the advertisement indicates the company wants. Cover only the stated requirements of the job. Don’t stray into other areas that aren’t specific to the advertisement. (I’ll address requests for salary history in Chapter 11.)

Your letters should use the following format in four paragraphs:

1. Reference the source of the advertisement (publication and date or Website URL).

2. Identify the skills and experience they say they want that you have.

3. Summarize an achievement story that demonstrates those skills and experience.

4. Indicate any preferences or limitations for contacting you, such as an absence, or include a concluding statement.

An example of a letter responding to an advertisement is shown on page 194.

When recruiters place advertisements, they usually receive hundreds of responses, sometimes more than a thousand. To manage reviewing such large numbers, they typically prepare a 5” × 8” form identifying the assignment, position title, and three to five major attributes their client wants. See page 195 for an example of how a recruiting firm might prepare and use such a form.

Although each recruiting firm will have its own system and forms, the review of your resume works something like this:

1. A reviewer, typically an administrative or research person working with the recruiter, quickly reviews the resumes (generally ignoring the cover letters) to see if each person’s resume reflects some pre-determined number of the requirements. If not, the resume is set aside. If it does, the reviewer attaches the form and enters the person’s name.

2. The reviewer checks off the applicable attributes that the candidate meets and enters the information requested in the blanks.

3. The reviewer looks at the required attributes that he checked and, again based on pre-determined criteria, enters a number in the upper right Code box. For example, if they have all the qualifications, they would be coded 1, if they have four of five, they might be coded a 1 or 2, and so on (on a scale of one to five with one being the ones that are closest to meeting all the requirements).

4. The reviewer sorts the resumes by code, with the 1’s on top followed by the 2’s, and so on. The reviewer passes the documents to the engagement recruiter.

5. The recruiter looks at all the 1’s and 2’s first, and if she finds enough “good” candidates, she looks no further. If she doesn’t have enough candidates coded 1 or 2, she might look at the 3’s and, possibly, 4’s.

6. If the recruiter finds a reasonable sample to consider, she (or a researcher) calls or e-mails each candidate to set up a telephone pre-screening interview.

7. If the recruiter does not find a reasonable sample to consider, she’ll go back to her client and discuss whether the client is willing to modify their requirements and in what ways.

If you see an advertisement and think, “I could do that!” and send your resume, the recruiter who’s handling the assignment will probably never see it unless you have enough of their required attributes.

Some recruiting firms might have someone review all the responses and decide whether to keep them in their database for future consideration. But if they don’t think they could reasonably expect a client to ask them to recruit someone at your position and with your industry experience or if your resume is not well prepared, they’ll dispose of your resume and cover letter.

Responding to a fax number

If you’re responding to a fax number instead of sending a letter with your resume, include three pages containing your cover letter and two-page resume.

Responding by e-mail

If you’re responding by e-mail, send one document file that includes three pages: your cover letter, using a transmittal format, and your two-page resume. If you e-mail your cover letter and resume as separate files, they may not even open the file containing the cover letter. Even if they do open it, it may still not find its way to your resume.

I recommend that, when responding by e-mail, you send your letter and resume in Microsoft Word format, because that’s what most businesses now use, or use .rtf (rich text format), which retains most formatting, such as bolds and indents. Keep your letter and resume simple, without special fonts, symbols, or extensive formatting, such as tables. Different software programs or even different versions of the same software might not translate your documents the same way you prepared them. Your attention-grabbing or may look like §, ?. or .

Don’t send a text-only version unless they specifically request it. Text versions are hard to read because you can’t highlight what you want to emphasize.

3. Letters to Recruiters Sent Speculatively

If you send your letter and resume to a recruiter as part of a job search mailing campaign and not in response to a specific request by them relating to an assignment they’re currently working on, recruiters will classify it as a “speculative resume.” You might also hear some refer to these types of resumes as sent “over the transom.” (For those too young to remember, transoms were narrow windows above doors that were usually left open for ventilation even after business hours. You could then literally throw your envelope “over the transom” and safely into the office.)

Before you prepare your letter and send your resume to recruiters speculatively, check out their Website or call. Whereas many recruiters keep resumes and maintain them in a database, many small boutique search firms do not.

Larger recruiting firms divide their business into industry or functional segments, and consultants often specialize in only one particular industry or function. If the information isn’t apparent from their Website, you can try to call them to find out who specializes in your field or function so you can address your letter to him specifically.

Many of the larger firms prefer that you use a resume-submittal facility on their Website. It may be as simple as entering your name, contact details, some basic information about your function and industry experience, and then posting your resume.

Alternatively, they may require you to complete a questionnaire, which creates a profile patterned like a resume, and then allow you to upload your resume. Some may not even accept cover letters or resumes.

If you’re able to send your resume, include a one-page cover letter structured as follows:

Tell them what you want. Start with the basics: position, industry, and location—for example, “I’m searching for a Head of Production (VP/Director level) position in the plastics extrusion industry in a $1 billion-plus company, preferably in the Northeast.”

Include one achievement story. Expand on an achievement that illustrates your skills and experience in your industry. Keep it short and focused.

Indicate your salary requirements. Recruiters need to know salary information so they can assess whether you fit one of their clients’ opportunities. They’ll want to know this information early on. Specify a prospective compensation range and not your previous actual salary. If you’re uncomfortable including this information, it’s acceptable to omit it and talk about it later in an interview.

State why you’re available. This will be one of their first questions, so save the recruiter time by stating it up front: “My most recent employer (realigned my division, closed a manufacturing facility, eliminated a business line, and so forth).”

Acknowledge that you understand how they work. Include something along these lines: “I understand you handle assignments in the [blank] industry and that your firm is driven by corporate clients and not candidates. I would appreciate hearing from you if you’re currently involved in an assignment that matches my skills and experience. You may retain my resume on your system for future assignments that might match my career objective. However, I would appreciate your contacting me before you forward my details to a client for any potential opportunity.” (Don’t be surprised if you get a form letter in response that indicates they only work for companies but will keep your information. You really weren’t expecting them to read your letter, were you?)

If you call recruiters, don’t call more than about three times. If they’re currently handling an assignment needing someone with your skills and experience, and you’ve sent a resume which shows you’re qualified for the position, I can assure you they’ll call you immediately.

If they aren’t handling an assignment needing someone with your skills and experience, they won’t have the motivation or time to take your call or call you back. Don’t take it personally. Clients are paying the bills, and they expect the recruiter to focus on finding candidates for them.

Following on page 199 is an example of a cover letter to a recruiter whom you’ve been unsuccessful at contacting.

4. Letters to Companies Sent Speculatively

Ideally, you’ll have already identified your target companies and the target person in each one. You will have then contacted your network to see who knows the target company or target person. If you’re able to find this connection, you’ll be able to write a letter making the connection. I’ve known executives who’ve said, “I’ll just circumvent the networking bit and send letters directly to the CEO. Surely, they’ll know whether there’s an opportunity for me.”

Alternatively, you might feel you don’t have a good network, and, instead of working to build one, you’ll just send letters to employers instead. After you’ve sent more than 1,000 letters (as recommended by one book targeting executives that claims it’s all about numbers) with nary a positive response, you’ll recognize that building a network is not an option—it’s a must!

Unfortunately, there will be instances when your network won’t be able to help you connect with your target person, and you’ll have to approach them on your own, without a referral. If you’ve followed the suggestions in this book, the speculative letters you’ll need to send will be few.

When you construct your letter, you’ll have to know the following:

Does the job you want currently exist? Or does the need for the function exist, and you must convince them to create the position?

Do you have an introduction, or are you writing speculatively?

Are you writing to the person who would be making the hiring decision, or have you not been able to identify that person?

If you have a referral, is she a close friend of the person you’re writing to, or only an acquaintance?

If you have a referral, do you know whether your target person respects her opinion?

I’ll cover some suggested letter formats, with the hope that the ones I do cover will give you ideas about communicating in situations I don’t cover. You’ll have to consider the following objectives in each of your letters to companies. If you shortchange any of them, you’ll have wasted an opportunity. Carefully consider these five objectives:

1. Identify the recipient of your letter.

2. Get past the gatekeeper.

3. Find the hook.

4. Describe what you bring to the table (that you believe they need).

5. Ask the question.

Your letter will have to accomplish each of these objectives in sequence. If it doesn’t, your letter won’t make it to the next objective. Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Objective 1: Identify the recipient of your letter.

Address your letter to the target person—the one with the authority to employ you. If you’ve been unsuccessful determining that from your network or calls to the company, here are some examples of whom you might target:

If you’re aiming at the CEO or president level, address your letter to a member of the board, ideally to someone on the nominating committee.

If you’re aiming for a C-level/VP executive position, such as CFO or Vice President of Marketing, address your letter to the CEO, President, or Executive Vice President. Whereas members of the board may pressure the CEO to employ someone at that level, they don’t usually get involved in C-level appointments below CEO.

If you’re aiming for a director or manager position, you’ll have to do some digging to find the appropriate level. Your network is usually the best source for this, followed by gatekeepers. Aim for the person one level above the person to whom you would report. If your target is the person to whom you would report, he might see you as a threat to his job. If your target is one level above your potential boss, he might see you as a candidate to replace your potential boss.

When you’ve decided the addressee of your letter, you can then decide how to craft the message. The ultimate objective of your letter is for the intended recipient to read and consider what you say in your letter.

Objective 2: Get past the gatekeeper.

Most gatekeepers are responsible for screening out unwanted telephone calls and correspondence. Telephone the company before you send your letter and ask to speak to your target person. You’ll likely get his gatekeeper. When you do, confirm:

That the person still has the same responsibilities.

The target’s job title (also confirm whether it’s Mr., Ms., or Dr., if in doubt).

The spelling of first and last names. (For example, Judith may not appreciate being referred to as Judy, Robert may not use Bob, and Bill may be Bill, not a nickname for William.)

If the person you’re targeting has left the company, try to find out details of his replacement, such as when she started and where she worked before. You might be able to use this information in your transmittal letter as well as to investigate potential openings at her former employer. New executives often make personnel changes within a few months of their starting, so this is a good time to let her know what you can bring to the table.

Receptionists may have information on a new executive. If they won’t provide it, ask to talk to someone in the department where the person works, such as her assistant. Tell that person you’re sending a letter to (use her name) and that you’d like to verify the spelling, etc. In a large company, avoid getting into a discussion about the purpose of your letter, because the gatekeeper probably will tell you to send your letter to the HR department.

If you have a referral, use that person’s name to authenticate the reason for your call. Don’t attempt to mislead the gatekeeper, because you’ll need her help and support later, and, if you antagonize her, she’ll surely let your target person know when the gatekeeper sees your letter.

If you don’t have a referral and she wants to know what you’re calling about, review the “Verbal Communication” section of this chapter.

Objective 3: Find the hook.

Personalize your letter by including something of interest to the reader—the hook—that will make him notice you and read more. The hook can be anything from something about the person to something important about the function, the company, or the industry.

You’ll greatly enhance the likelihood that your target person will read your letter if you find a way to pique his interest in what you have to say. If you want to grab his attention, the best way to do it is with a hook.

Your hook can be as simple as starting your letter with the following:

“I read that you….”

“Mr. Smith suggested I write to you regarding your planned….” (but make sure the addressee knows Mr. Smith).

“I understand that you’re….”

“As a fellow member of the….”

A more substantial hook is something that would interest the reader about some knowledge you have concerning what the company is doing, planning to do, or from your experience, should consider doing. Or it could relate to the function or the industry in general.

You can often find this type of information from your contacts during the Obtain phase. If you draw a blank and can’t find anything, complete Exercise 9.1.

Exercise 9.1: Find the Hook

1. Using a notepad, put the name of the company at the top of a sheet of paper.

2. Under the company name, write a short paragraph describing what they make or sell and how they get their products to market or deliver their services.

3. Draw a line down the center of the page under the paragraph. Identify and list on the left side what you think are the business or operating issues associated with what they do. These could be, for example, research, testing, manufacturing, quality control, distribution, sales, support, service, systems analysis, accounting, cost control, work scheduling, or management information systems.

4. On the right side of the paper, write down your skills in each area, including specific knowledge gained in previous jobs, your accomplishments in those areas, expertise gained in those areas, or something that you can bring to the table in one or more areas.

You should now have an area that you can use as your hook. For example, you can start your letter with:

“I know the difficulties in maintaining high standards of service for fleet vehicles when they need to be on the road constantly.”

Make sure this is a very short statement that highlights an issue. (Don’t call it a problem, because companies don’t think they have problems.)

“While VP, Fleet Maintenance at Rent-A-Wreck Ltd., I reduced the downtime of our fleet by 3%. This translated into an annual savings of $675 per vehicle per year and, with more than 200 vehicles, we saved over $135,000 in the last year alone.”

Present yourself as a solutions-oriented person.

They may not have a “problem” with their fleet maintenance turnaround or quality of service. The point is that you addressed an issue that a company using fleet vehicles must be evaluating already or, if not, they certainly should be. The fact that you have accomplished something in that area tells them that you’re a resource, a progressive, thinking person who’s concerned about saving the employer money.

Objective 4: Describe what you bring to the table (that you think they need)

Keep their interest up. Tell them what you can do for them that would make them want to see you. Tell them how your experience can help them accomplish something. For example:

“My experience in developing a cost-reduction program for the Megalopolis Company saved them in excess of $300,000 over two years. I believe I could provide you with valuable assistance in your efforts to reduce the operating loss in the Stifled Division, which you recently announced.”

If your skills aren’t “dead on,” indicate how they translate to their company’s products or services. Don’t EVER assume they’ll understand. Companies and recruiters often stereotype or typecast people. You MUST bridge the gap and connect the dots for them.

Show that you’re flexible and can adapt to new circumstances or situations. Communicate that you’re progressive and welcome change. Indicate that you can assist, support, and help—not take over, manage, run, or infer that you can “do it your way.”

If you sense they want someone to reorganize and make drastic changes, and your style prefers building infrastructure and harmonious operations, don’t waste your time or theirs. Your preferred style will come out in an interview. If you’re a change person and they need one, your letter must stress how you’ve successfully made changes elsewhere. If you prefer building infrastructure and smooth operations, your letter needs to stress how you have achieved that for others.

Objective 5: Ask the question.

When you’ve hooked them into reading your letter, close by telling them what you want. Don’t ask them to call you, because they won’t. If you want an interview, say so. If you’re going to call them, say so. Then tell them when, and make sure you call when you say you’ll call. I’ve received many of these letters with resumes. I’d set them aside and then dispose of them if they didn’t call when they said they would.

5. Letters Sent to a Company Contact Referred Through Your Network

One of your network contacts has given you the name of someone he knows in one of your target companies. After several telephone calls and leaving messages on their voice mail, you haven’t been successful at talking to your target person. You decide to send a letter. The target person’s assistant has confirmed the contact details in an earlier conversation and has told you a letter would be the preferred contact method if you were unsuccessful at talking to him.

The following page shows an example of the type of letter for this situation.

6. Letters Sent to an Employee in a Target Company Referring to an Article He Wrote

Your research turned up an article written by or about someone relevant to you within one of your target companies. You know the name of your target person, but haven’t been able to find anyone in your network who knows him and could introduce you. Your letter can use this article as your hook to get his attention. You’ll want to demonstrate how your skills and achievements can help him get to a higher level. Use an achievement story to demonstrate what you’ve done before and can do again.

An example of how you can construct your letter is shown on page 206.

7. Letters to Companies When You Know a Retained Recruiter Is Involved

You know the company is recruiting for someone with your skills and experience, and you know they’ve already engaged a retained recruiter to find that person. Do you write your letter to the employer or the recruiter?

If you know that a recruiter is handling the assignment and you haven’t had any previous contact with him, send your letter to the recruiter with a copy to the company. You can tailor your letter to each differently, but be sure to include a copy of the letter that you sent to the other party.

If the employer likes what you have to say, they’ll make sure the recruiter considers you along with other candidates.

If you write to the employer only, they’ll pass your letter and resume to the recruiter, because they have a contract that covers recruiting for that position. If the recruiter receives your resume from the employer, he’ll try to determine if you sent your letter directly to the company despite knowing he was handling the assignment. If he thinks you did know, he’ll question your professionalism and ethics. You can probably guess how positive he’ll be toward you.

If you’ve had some conversation with the recruiter about the position and he told you he felt you weren’t close enough to be considered, don’t attempt an end run and write directly to the company. The company would still have to forward your resume to the recruiter. Not only would the recruiter be unwilling to help you in the future, but the employer wouldn’t view you positively either.

8. Letters to Send When You’ve Successfully Found Employment

Success! All the work you’ve done finally results in you accepting your ideal job. Because you’ve remembered the acronym IOU, you know you now need to let everyone know that you have successfully found employment.

Include all those in your network, even those you don’t think helped you. You don’t know whether they put great thought into it but decided, reluctantly, that they couldn’t be of much help. It’s safer not to judge who helped the most and who, you think, didn’t help you at all. Consequently, you should include everyone in your network in your list.

Include all the recruiters and the people who interviewed you and rejected you for other positions. Now is your opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism by including them in your list. Now that you are employed, the recruiters might even want to talk to you because they know you might now be looking to engage a recruiter at your new company to make changes in staff.

Although a thank-you card might be seen as more personal and an e-mail will take much less time, take this opportunity to do some promotion of you and your new employer by sending a letter. Create two versions: one you can send to your contacts and one to recruiters and the employees in companies who had interviewed you and turned you down.

Your letter needs to cover the following four points:

1st paragraph:	Indicate your new position, when you started, and the name of the company.
2nd paragraph:	Describe the company, including its size, markets, products or services, and so on. This is a chance to promote your new employer.
3rd paragraph:	Explain how this new position furthers your career, what strengths you have that you’ll use. Remember that most of these people will be aware of your career search objectives, so connect the dots from what you told them you wanted to what you will now be doing.
4th paragraph:	For those in your network, thank them for their help and support. For recruiters and interviewers in companies, thank them for their interest and consideration. Conclude with a statement encouraging them to contact you if they think you might be able to help them in the future.

Following is an example of how you might prepare your thank-you letter.

Consider enclosing a brochure about your new company so your contacts can become more knowledgeable about where you are now employed.

In your letters to recruiters and the employees at companies where you interviewed, consider changing the last paragraph to something such as the following:

“Thank you for the opportunity to have known you during my job search. I appreciated your consideration. I hope you would contact me if you think I might be able to return the favor by helping you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Don’t let the disappointment of being turned down at another employer keep you from sending them a thank-you letter. They will be pleasantly surprised and, if you do need to approach them at some time in the future, they will be much more receptive to you.

Addressing a Redundancy

Communicating a job loss that resulted from a redundancy (layoff), termination, forced resignation, or a “mutual agreement” needs careful consideration, complete objectivity, an absence of emotion, and plenty of practice.

I know because I’ve been there and I’ve been on the other side of the table listening to others attempt to explain why they lost their jobs. This is a subject that you’ll have to perfect and practice over and over until you get it right.

If, consciously or subconsciously, you have the least bit of irritation, angst, or anger, trained interviewers will detect it immediately in your voice, your choice of words, and your facial expression.

This subject is so loaded with emotion that many people fail to communicate it effectively. You might ask, “Well, how can I put a positive spin on being laid off after putting in 20 years of dedicated work with long hours?” Your past is dead; you can’t control or change what already happened. Let it go! That chapter of your book is closed, and you’re writing a new chapter. Focus on the new chapter and where it will lead you.

We all know the best time to start looking for another job is when you’re still working. It’s certainly easier to say, “I’ve decided to move my career forward by looking for a new opportunity where I can….”

If you’re looking for a new job because of a redundancy, it’s something that has been forced on you, not something you’ve chosen. Consequently, if you use the same language concerning a redundancy as you would for a job or career change that you initiated, you’re being less than truthful.

Discuss redundancy in your cover letter only if you think you need to clarify it up front. Potential employers and recruiters will soon learn the truth at the time of your first interview, anyway. If you give the impression in your letter that you’re looking for a career change and it comes out that you’re actually unemployed, you’re likely to have a short interview.

When you send your letter and resume in response to an advertisement, ignore the issue of redundancy, because you are responding to a request for candidates with certain skills and experience. Let the dates on your resume cover the question of when you left or are leaving your last employer. You can deal with the redundancy issue in an interview when it will inevitably come up.

When you’re sending a letter to a potential employer or on the recommendation of someone who’s acting as your go-between or referral, consider addressing your redundancy, because the recipient will assume you’re contacting him because you’re unemployed.

There are no hard and fast rules on this subject, so you’ll need to use your judgment. Try to answer the question by putting yourself in the recipient’s shoes. If you were the recipient of the letter you plan to write, would you want to know why the person is unemployed? If so, then you should cover it in your letter.

Here are a few examples of how to address a redundancy in your letter:

“Following the sale of ABC Ltd. to Megacorp Ltd. in March 2009, I, along with another 60 employees, or about 30% of its workforce, were made redundant last month. I now have an opportunity to broaden my experience in the retail home furnishings market and continue my career progression in motivating sales teams.”

“Following the merger of ABC, Inc. with XYZ Inc., it became clear that there was going to be a wide divergence in management’s philosophy toward customer service in the new company. I shared my views with senior management, and we have reached an amicable agreement for my leaving at the end of the next quarter. While I am contractually obligated until then, management has agreed that they will allow me to cancel my contract earlier, at my request.”

“Due to declining revenues in the Albatross Manufacturing segment of White Elephants, Inc., it became clear last year that a radical restructuring of the business was needed if we were to survive. The parent company decided not to provide the financial resources we needed to modernize Albatross’s production operations, and, in late 2008, we commenced closing some product lines and merging others with White Elephants’. I and three other senior executives were asked to manage the rundown and final merging of the retained business activities into the parent. Having successfully completed that at less cost than initially forecast, the parent was unable to provide another challenging opportunity for me. Consequently, I am using this opportunity to….” (Note: The details in this paragraph illustrate examples of issues you might want to use in developing a much shorter paragraph that works for your situation.)

Each of these examples explains the issue of redundancy objectively and succinctly, without emotion or commenting on the appropriateness or fairness of the event. Explaining your layoff unemotionally will cause the reader to think of you as positive and objective. If, however, you go into detail about how unfair it was or how you disagreed with the decision, the reader will view you as negative and subjective.

Milestones

The following milestones recap what you need to do to complete this chapter. Include those items you are unable to complete in your summary-level open-items list.

1. Before making telephone calls, prepare draft scripts for what you plan to ask and how you would answer various questions that you can anticipate others will ask. Use the drafts as a working list you can edit and add to when you begin calling. Don’t write out complete sentences, but rather use bullet points to highlight what you want to cover.

2. Prepare standardized letters to send to recruiters, to respond to advertisements, and to send to companies. Create a template for how you want to open and close the letter. If you’re clear about what you plan to say, complete the body, keeping your letter to one page. When you prepare each letter, you can start with your template and revise it as necessary.

3. Complete Exercise 9.1: Find the Hook. Identify some hooks you can use, and practice writing a short paragraph about them that fits into your template. Look at your achievement stories for inspiration. These will also help you prepare statements you can use in your networking.

4. Test your letters by having your mentor, a trusted colleague, or career coach review them and give you feedback on what message the letters convey to them. What the reader perceives is more important than what you think you’re saying in your letter.

5. Practice how you will respond to a question about a redundancy, if that is your situation. Ask another person to listen to you for any signs of emotional discomfort.