Hello, I graduated in August 2011 with a marketing degree from a local university. I am still looking for my first position in the field of marketing. I'm going to send out an unsolicited resume and cover letter to local marketing businesses or businesses who might have an open marketing position. I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me on doing this. Like for example what are some of the current buzzwords. I'm not going to lie about my experience but, I might have experience in some of the buzzword categories that I haven't yet realized I have. Also, any general advice about finding a job in the field of marketing would be appreciated. Below is a copy of the unsolicited cover letter I am going to send out. Date To Whom it May Concern, Please accept this resume in regards to any marketing related positions you may have. I have several years of marketing experience in a variety of settings including non-profit, medical, and private business. I have a Business Administration Bachelor’s Degree with an emphasis in Marketing. I am skilled in internet, social media, and traditional marketing. My marketing skills are complimented by my attention to detail, drive to complete a task, and ability to make every interaction a personal experience. I am career focused and open minded. I am willing to accept a position that may not be directly related to marketing but that can utilize my skill set. I would sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak with you in person to review any openings you may have. Please feel free to contact me at (cell phone) or email I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Tom Jenkins
A buzzword that comes to mind: tech savvy. I know it's been overused, but still a cool sounding one. Not sure about "open minded". It can mean so many different things to different employers. If I were an employer and I happened to ask you: So.... what are you open minded about? What would you say?
Spend the money... go pick up a copy of "What Color Is Your Parachute" - you can often find it in used bookstores for a few bucks. You'll get a graduate level education about how to find jobs that have taken most of us our entire lives to learn. Just off the top of my head - were I to receive such a cover letter - I'd probably ignore it. Your problems are not my problems. You didn't take the time to figure out what my problem is, and how you can solve it. When someone makes a hiring decision - the number one thought that will seal the deal is that "This person will not embarrass me for my decision to hire them" 'Buzzwords' won't work nearly as well as a cover letter addressed by name, and referencing some knowledge of how you might fit in to the business... ie; you have at least a general idea of what sort of jobs the company might have open. Many companies don't as yet have in-house website administration - if you can handle this - it might be an excellent wedge... Just my two cents worth...
Thank you guys both for the advice. You have both made some very awesome points and I will definitely incorporate them into my approach. I'm assuming the name and the contact information of the person who is the gatekeeper for the hiring department (or whatever you want to call the folks who make the decisions about hiring) is pretty guarded. My first thought is to call or email and try to figure out who I need to send my letter to. Also, I assume using LinkedIn could be a valuable approach. Does anyone else have any other advice on how to go about this?
Believe it or not, I've found that just calling the company, and asking for the information works wonders. It's the simple things like this that make a huge difference. Fridays are perfect for calling (Monday is bad), because anyone answering the phone is relaxed and looking forward to the weekend.
This is what you need to do! Sending a resume or a CV is fine, but here are some other suggestions: - Put a photo on your resume or CV. This will give the employer a face to to associate your resume with. Think about it, employers go through tens to hundreds, to even thousands of resumes a day, and a lot of them are just words on a piece of paper. - When calling them, GO FOR THE HEAD HONCHO THAT HIRES! I cannot stress this one enough because it is not the secretary, it is not some receptionist, etc that will hire you, but the head honcho. In my experience when I have to first talk to the "gatekeeper" I just connected with the person on the other line on a personal level, and this shows that you are likeable and would put a good word in for you because a lot of the time they aren't appreciated for what they do. I have spoke to the hiring person in a few places by just connecting with the secretary - If you live near one of the places you are hiring... GO THERE. I remember going to different places to try to speak with the Head Honcho there. It works because it shows people that you are willing to put yourself out there. - The most important advice, yet most cliche advice I can give you is... Do NOT GIVE UP I've applied to positions in different countries like South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong etc, and have got rejected so many times. I've spent a lot on international calling and traveling, and I know its a mountain to climb at times. You feel that no one wants you, that you aren't doing enough, haven't studied enough, gotten the right qualifications. Then you may think a company will hire you because you may feel that you connected with them really well or found it suits your needs only to be rejected in the end. I will tell you that there will ALWAYS be a company or place that will want you because you have something they want and they need. Go all balls in. Who cares what people think about you, what YOU may think about you if its bad, or if the situation says you cannot get it. Know that you are special because you are. Once you know and believe that for yourself, then others will see that and will want you wherever you go. By the way, I didn't apply for a marketing position, rather as a teacher.
Thanks so much for the advice. I'm definitely going to take your advice. Figure out where I want a position and then I'll just go pay them a visit.
Like everyone's mentioned, the little things count. Someone said call on a Friday, I like that. Also, write a really smooth cover letter. The cover letter is MOST important. PS: Try JUST sending an awesome cover letter. Do people hire people they like? Yes, so make them like you with your cover letter.
I completely agree. One thing I don't really have down pat is what makes a great cover letter. I suppose it's really different for every scenario. Although it is probably different for every scenario, any advice on how to make someone like you in a cover letter would be appreciated.