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How
to Write an Unsolicited Cover Letter
By Kevin
Donlin, CollegeRecruiter.com
Here's a
question I hear frequently. "I want to work for a company
that is not advertising any openings on the Internet or in the
newspapers, but I can't figure out how to write my cover letter.
Any suggestions?"
The good
news is, you don't have to wait for a job opening to apply to a
company that interests you. In fact, simply identifying a target
company puts you ahead of most job seekers, who know only that
they want a job ... and not much else.
Use this to
your advantage.
Start by
defining what you want to do for your desired company. What
department do you want to work in? Sales? Information Systems?
Customer Service?
Next, find
out the name of the person you'd be working for. You can look
through the company's Web site for organizational charts, often
found under "About Us" or a similar link. Or, just pick
up the phone and call to get that manager's name.
Once you
have the name of your potential boss, it's time to write your
cover letter.
The more
customized and specific your cover letter is, the better. So, try
to research this firm to ferret out as much as possible about
their problems and opportunities
When
writing, be sure to include the contact person's name and mailing
address at the top. If you have a potential answer to a problem
the company faces, try to start your letter with that information.
To get you
started, here's an example cover letter for the position of
Customer Service Manager, sent unsolicited to a targeted employer.
It's from my e-book, "Guaranteed Cover Letters," which
is available at http:/www.gresumes.com/cbook.htm
--
Dear Mr.
Jenkins,
How often
have breakdowns in your customer service resulted in lost business
and costly headaches?
I can help
you.
I've been
following your firm, ACE Electronics, for some time. As you will
see from my enclosed résumé, I know how to manage teams of
customer service reps for maximum productivity.
My
experience has shown me how to train and motivate staff to
identify and meet the needs of even the most demanding customers.
This will greatly increase loyalty among your XE-400 customers in
particular, given the fact that your competitor, Dynamic Systems,
has recently introduced a lower-priced, similar product.
Because you
will undoubtedly need expertise of this kind, I hope you will be
able to take my call next Tuesday at 10:00 to discuss your needs
and how I might benefit ACE Electronics.
Sincerely,
John Q.
Public
--
Print your
cover letters on plain white typing paper. Sign at the bottom,
neatly. That's it.
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