Getting the Job You Want

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Q: How do you get the job you want? A: Send off your CV. Right? Well.....

I'm going to be suggesting that the traditional way of sending off a CV (1) speculatively to organisations (2) in response to advertisements, is not always effective. A more proactive approach is in either of those cases to send the CV but attach a value proposition letter. Be clear that this is a lot more than just a ‘covering letter’. And the most proactive approach is to actually write (value proposition letter + CV) to the organisations you would like to work for even before they start advertising.

Choose your organisation. Choose the organisation you want to work for. How do you know about them; by reading. Read your main business press, your vertical market press and begin to note the organisations at which you would like to be employed.

Once you have a target, think what they want from you? If you are HR, how can you help reduce the number of good people leaving? If you are Marketing Director, try and put a number on the improved return you will bring to the marketing budget. Write a concise letter. Good help with these skills is available from Jeffrey Fox and also my book. Now send those letters and leave a couple of weeks then follow-up. Be polite, be persistent.

As with so much of the good advice Curt offers: think differently and you can get some different results.

Good luck. I'm Nicholas Bate. Visit my blog sometime. Nicholasbate.typepad.com

Comments

[Tess Marshall]

This makes a lot of sense, Nicholas.

I also think it's important to differentiate your CV. I've worked as both an HR and operational manager, so have seen a lot of CVs (sigh!) over the years. Only two really stand out in my mind.

In one the person said she wanted to "make a difference". I thought she would be either unbearably cheesy or great, and when I met her I knew she'd be the latter. I employed her, we worked together for a couple of very productive years and now we're good friends. And she always makes a difference.

In the other, instead of putting "Profile" or "Skills" at the top of her CV, the applicant put "What I can do for you". I interviewed her and really liked her. I've not yet found the right job for her at my current organisation but I going to keep on trying.

In both cases, all other elements of the CVs were great: spelling, punctuation, content, skills; this should go without saying, but unfortunately doesn't.