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Wednesday, July 16, 2003 ( 10:47 AM ) axmc From Mick Faloon Dear Mick: In the first part of this POV, we discussed some basic rules of advertising and marketing, and how to apply them to your resume and cover letter. In this part, I'm going to suggest some practices you should avoid when developing your cover letter or resume. Here are some practices to avoid: Never start your cover letter with a question that can be answered with the word "No": "Would you like a CEO who can speak four languages?" Or, "Are you in the market for an aggressive, hard-hitting sales leader?" As simple as this sounds, it gives the decision maker an "easy-out." You don't want to lead someone in the wrong direction, and "No" is defiantly the wrong direction. Never use attention getters that set a negative tone: "I'm going to ask you a question you're not going to want to answer." Or, "You may not think I'm the person for the job, but I'm going to convince you that I am." Your cover letter, or any other contact you make with a recruiter or company should always be positive. You may feel an aggressive approach makes you sound serious and professional, but in an e-mail or on paper, you may come across as angry and negative. Don't write your entire life story: "I was captain of the Chess club in high school and here's what has happened since." Keep reminding yourself that you only have 20 seconds or so before the next step in the process is going to be made. Keep your letter simple and direct. If and when you get to an interview, you will have plenty of time to tell the recruiter more. Don't use abbreviations: "I was Dist. Man. in NYC @ REX Corp. for 3 yrs." Definitely not on your resume. Abbreviations are hard to read, and your letter and resume should not be hard to read. If you are going to put them in, make sure they are only the most commonly accepted ones, such as for degrees or professional certifications. No jokes or industry "insider" remarks: "As you and I both know, no one in publishing knows anything about designing websites." Never assume you can "bond" with the decision maker either by demonstrating your insider knowledge of an industry, or displaying a pleasing sense of humor. This might work during an interview, but it's a lot harder to do in writing, (especially when they don't know you). Don't answer questions that are not being asked: "I can save your company thousands of dollars in printing costs." Or, "I can cut your production time in half." Focus on the specs and (as we like to say) the "been there, done that" aspects of your experience that shows you've solved the relevant problems before. Addressing non-issues could make you sound like a one-note candidate, or (worse) that you're using a recycled letter written for a different job." Avoid "Flashy Designs": (Your first thought might be, "Executives don't do this, do they?). Whether you're sending your resume over the web or through the mail, too many type faces and sizes, bright colors, inappropriate art work or an "overly artistic" design, can be distracting and could cloud your message. As we have stated before, a good clean design will make someone stop and look - and that should be your major goal. We all recognize that when it comes to resumes and cover letters we are dealing with an art and not a science. While it is true that the Internet has made communicating a "snap" (or more appropriately a "click") it really has not changed the fundamental do's and don'ts that we have tried to share in this two-part Point of View. The name of the game is to make that presentation as effective and leveraged as you possibly can. Keeping things simple and direct is the best place to begin and end. I hope you found this helpful. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Pat Lewis Director, ExecuNet pat.lewis@execunet.com 800-637-3126 # |
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