The Perfect Fit

Introducing Yourself . . . Cover Letters

In following up on yesterday's post regarding resume fundamentals, there's another element of your self introduction that is extremely important.  In fact, it's so important that it set's the tone for presenting your resume.  If you don't approach the cover letter or email properly, you reduce the chances of your resume even being considered.

It is essential that you personalize and target the cover letter or email. Believe me when I tell you that people who deal with resume for a living can tell instantly (if not sooner) when we're reading a "stock" cover letter.  The assumption quickly becomes that the candidates is lazy and not interested in taking the time to make a powerful first impression.  That extends to how the person will perform their daily tasks . . . by taking shortcuts, with a lack of thought or attention to detail.  Obviously, not the impression you're trying to make.

Personalize that cover letter or email.  Let the reader know that you've taken the time to do some research, before just firing off another cover letter and resume.  Mention something about the reader and/or their company.  For example, when I read a cover letter where someone mentions my background as a photographer, I know that not only have they visited my website, but that they've actually spent enough time there to find and read my bio.  I like that . . . it impresses me.  If they've taken the time to find out something about me, I'll take the time to find out something about them.  It's simple and makes all the sense in the world.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share some examples of just ineffective opening lines:

"During my research on recruiters who place sales leaders in the financial services industry, I have identified Bishop Partners, LLC as a valuable resource."

"I appologize I signed up for a service that auto applies to certain jobs matching my criteria. For whatever reason it did not attach the resume. I'm including a copy for you to review."

"I would like to learn more about what you are seeking regarding the director of marketing and strategic development position.

"Please accept my resume and feel free to contact me at any time at (phone number)"

"I have reviewed your job specifications and I believe that I am a great fit for the job."

and finally . . .

"Hello-

      I am in search of a creative job opportunity. I have been having some difficulties in my search for a position. I am wondering if you could provide me some help in my search. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you."  (no resume attached).

I'm sure those examples illustrate my point!  Be sincere, respectful of your reader's time and personalize your cover letter or email.  Personalization is a simple first step in developing the relationship you're looking for with your reader.

Quick Resume Fundamentals

I've been compiling a list of components of resumes that are ineffective or annoying.  I'm amazed on a daily basis at what apparent lack of effort candidates make in introducing themselves to prospective employers, responses to job postings or soliciting the assistance of a headhunter.

It seems common sense to approach this in a careful way, attempting to make a positive first impression on the resume's recipient.  I bet that over 70% of the time, the candidate for one reason or another does not make a positive, powerful and professional first impression.  Here are some of the things I like to see in resumes. 

A personalized cover letter to me, letting me know that you've taken the time to find out about my company and what I do.

Fonts large enough to read and some white space surrounding them.  Don't minimize your font size and maximize your margins to get as much copy as possible on that "one" page that everyone strives for.

URLs for the companies you've worked at.  It's such a simple way of adding significant additional information to the document, I'm surprised more candidates don't do it.

Clients you've worked with.  Whether you're creative, an account person or client side marketer, tell us the accounts you've worked on.

Quantified achievements . . . not your daily responsibilities.  You must "Prove Value" by quantifying achievements.

Things I don't like seeing:

Sending a resume for a job that you're blatantly not qualified for  . . . "just to see".  Spare us all the time.  If you don't really think you're qualified, hiring authorities and recruiters won't either!

Creatives, don't send a resume with just your employer's names on it, no matter how badly you hate resumes and want to rely on your book.

Embedding resumes into PDFs (because databases cannot parse those resumes) with samples of your portfolio.  Send the PDF with a resume if you like, but send a separate resume file for database purposes.

Resumes available by following a link to a website.  Hey, make it easy for the viewer.  Chances are, your desired viewer won't waste the time going to the site, trying to find the resume link, then downloading the resume . . . Help your reader by making it as easy for them as possible!

Using "personal" email addresses that aren't professional.  Create an email address that's as close to your name as possible, and use that for personal professional email correspondence.

Home phone numbers.  If you have a cell phone number, use that as your principle contact number.  If someone calls you about a job, enhance your chances of answering that call!

The goal of your resume is to introduce yourself to someone who doesn't know you, and be intriguing enough to demand a response from that person.

Agencies and Brands, Principles and People

A couple of weeks ago, I made the decision to attend an all day conference presented by AAAA, "What Separates the Best from the Rest? . . . What the Best Agencies Do Differently".  Essentially a day spent hearing about the best practices of agencies in the U.S., including operational, creative, account and business growth related issues.  Phenomenal . . . I might add that the same principles that were applied to agencies can certainly be applied to brands and/or companies.

I was impressed with Tim William's presentation, experience and obvious grasp of the subject.  Tim is the President of the Ignition Consulting Group in NYC.

I'm so glad I decided to spend the (rather significant) amount of money to participate.  About an hour into it, I knew that I'd made the right decision.  It was interesting to see what agencies attended and which didn't.  If I could list the attendees, I would because I was impressed that they would make the commitment of one full day to improve (or at least hear about) better ways of doing things.  A few agencies sent multiple representatives.

I mention all this, because I was just going through my notes.  I'm going to share some thoughts here and probably more at another time.  I hope you find some of these notions as interesting as I did.  There was so much substance that I'm hoping there is benefit in taking some ideas out of context.

“A big problem with working at ad agencies is that management is too often unwilling to stand up for their own people if it means taking on the client.”  74% of Euro RSCG (global behemoth, check out their site's opening animation . . . ) agreed with that principle.  What do you think?  How about your agency or employer?

"The basic principle of what separates the best from the rest is Owners know that there’s something more important than making money.  It's what they do with that knowledge that separates the best from the rest."

As Bill Bernbach said, “If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some against you.”  “If you stand for nothing, you will have nobody for you and nobody against you”   The point obviously being that you can't be everything to everybody!  The world’s strongest brands are polarizing.  People have feelings, either for or against them, but people are engaged in them.

Appealing to everybody is not a strategy . . .  Strategy is a series of trade-offs.  What are you willing to be good at?

Some examples of icons that have probably gotten to their position of leadership because of their fanatic adherence to their own guiding principles.  For example, design hero Bruce Mau's Manifesto . . . or Strawberry Frog's "Frogisms" (at the home page click "about" > "frog versus dinosaur").  There are others.  Too few organizations have sincere principles that guide their activity.

These companies understand that commitment to themselves and how they conduct business is paramount.  As long as they stay true to their principles, good things happen.  Seems like a simple idea.  You have to wonder why more organizations don't have the belief or strength to do it too.

It is the foundation upon which clients are won and the foundation upon which employees are inspired, recruited and retained.

REBUS Visits Geileon . . . Hospitality and Creativity Rule

I walked into Geileon last evening for the October REBUS event, to the aroma of freshly grilled tube steaks, all the fixin's and lots of icy cold beverages . . . what a wonderful way to set the stage for what was to come!

Sarah Waters, one of the REBUS Co-Chairs made an announcement about the opportunities available through fREBUS and their pro bono efforts on behalf of regional non-profits.  fREBUS needs Young Guns and Ad Club members in positions like Sr. Designers, Sr. Writers, Sr. Account Execs, Web Developer/Programmers, Interactive Designers, Videographer/Editors and PR folks. 

fREBUS' next big project is to develop and execute all the branding, promotion and marketing for the "World Record Baseball Game" (according to Guinness) to be played in St. Louis in November, 2009.  It's an exciting opportunity for professionals to get involved in a world class project, build their books and give back to our community.  Proceeds from the game will go to benefit local Charities.

Back to Geileon . . . Kathy Leonard was kind enough to move her clients out of the main conference room, to her office and the presentation was lead by agency principle, Tim Leon.  Tim took questions from the group and explained the value of the discovery process with a client, prior to starting any creative.

Thanks to Tim Leon, Del Schwinke, Kendra Pennycuick and the other GL staffers who made everyone feel so welcome.  Hospitality coupled with openness and creativity . . . what a wonderful combination!
 

Technisonic is Gone . . . !

. . . as we knew it.  Technisonic Studios lost several key employees last week, who left to start a new St. Louis production facility called 90 Degrees West.  90 Degrees will be located in the Lafayette Square area.  There were layoffs of other Tech employees as a result of the lost clients.  Technisonic will continue in it's existing location while attempting to replace the lost business. 

The bomb was dropped la week ago today, at about this time of day.  Tech lost key personnel including editors who had long established and close relationships with many of Tech's clients.  As a result, an important amount of business was lost to the new firm.

This comes on the heels of more uproar locally with CORE laying off employees and rumors about Drive being on the edge as well.  It's apparent that after a rough summer of layoffs at the big three public agencies, RT, Fleishman and Momentum the local advertising and marketing industry hasn't finished its shake up.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more in the near future. 

Senior Interactive Project Manager #8058

Job Number: 8058

Senior Interactive Project Manager

Location:

St. Louis

General Description:

The region’s leading advertising agency is looking for a project manager with an experienced understanding of the internet and interactive marketing.  We’re looking for a PM who has experience guiding clients through the experience of developing or expanding their online presence.  We need a smart, motivated and self-confident professional who understands the critical importance of managing client expectations.   We’re looking for that professional who wants to be challenged to support the most elegant and effective marketing solutions across varied media, for premier regional and national clients.  The more creative experience and understanding, the better!

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Be an integral part of an experienced team, managing all tactical aspects (strategy, production, budget, timeline) of daily client interface between creative and our client.
2. Manage their client’s expectations around process (what comes next) and deliverables.
3. Be accountable for the clients’ complete satisfaction and loyalty by being detailed oriented and capable of organizing simultaneous projects.
4. Assist in normal office management duties and support colleagues as needed.

Experience:

A degree and at least seven years of prior success in account support or management in an agency, design firm, sales promotion or public relations firm is necessary.  There must have been daily experience dealing with internet and/or interactive issues with your clients.  We want someone who has proven the ability to multi-task while being extremely detail oriented.  We’re looking for ambitious, over achievers who haven’t found the right situation for professional satisfaction and the environment in which to be challenged while learning the business and growing professionally.

Director of Marketing and Strategic Development #8092

Job Number: 8092

Director of Marketing and Strategic Development

Location: St. Louis

 

General Description:

This is a new position to develop and deliver an ongoing marketing plan for our client, as well as be the conceptual thought leader in their response to their client requests for proposals.  You will report directly to the President, while working closely with the creative and account service staff in creating, developing and executing innovative marketing interaction centered on events, experiential and face-to-face encounters.  You will meet with senior clients, develop an understanding of their business needs along with an ongoing genuine relationship, resulting in your ideas consistently generating revenue, friendship and loyalty (repeat business). 

Primary Responsibilities:

·         Lead the existing sales, creative and account service teams in ideation and concept development in response to existing and new client opportunities.

·         Develop an ongoing, comprehensive marketing plan for our client recognizing their industry leadership in innovative experiential marketing communication and create a new, broader awareness of their history of successes. Manage a significant budget in support of that effort, with accountability for results.

·         Meet the client at their offices to ask the right questions to understand their needs and to help develop the proper solutions.  Write the resulting brief and present to the internal staff.  Lead ideation and RFP response.

·         Develop big ideas that are executable across a variety of marketing channels including, but not limited to events, direct (including online), outdoor, PR and video creating an integrated ability to touch consumers where they happen to be.

·         Present those ideas in a clear and persuasive way back to the client in a way the client understands, agrees with and buys!

·         Mentor younger colleagues, and live our client’s brand as a way of supporting and growing the reputation, brand and culture of our client.

·         Travel as necessary (up to 30%) in support of client communication and projects.

Experience:

We’re looking for candidates with a degree at least 10 years of marketing leadership.  We want strategic thinkers who know what questions to ask to identify opportunity. We’re looking for candidates with national CPG branding/promotion/marketing experience.  You should have experience simultaneously overseeing projects of at least $250K.  We’re looking for someone with high amounts of ego and empathy, someone who’s altruistic and willing to sacrifice.  We need someone with versatility and a willingness to adjust their thinking as necessary.  Premier candidates have played this role before in advertising, sales promotion, or perhaps public relations agencies and understand that it’s all about dialog and identifying the big idea, to be executed across multiple, integrated strategies. You need to be able to develop relationships and close the deal!  This is a sales position based on strategic creative concept ability.

HR’s Dilemma, Matching Resumes to Job Descriptions

I’m not trying to slap myself on the back when I say I really try to take some time to read a resume and understand transferable skills, career progression and the candidate’s growth of responsibilities and achievement.  Headhunters deal with humans.  We need to understand as much about them as possible, what they’ve accomplished, what makes them tick . . . and what they ideally want.

I continually run into hiring managers who don’t really read the resume for career growth, achievement and consistent increasing responsibility.  Rather, it seems they try to most closely match previous experience (read, keywords) with the existing job description.  There’s sometimes no overall consideration of achievement, performance and previous opportunities for advancement.  Great candidates get lost in this shuffle.

The whole situation is compounded for those poor Human Resource people caught in the middle.  They have to deal with hiring managers from multiple departments.  There is no way they can possibly understand the nuance of some increasingly technical or multi-faceted positions as well as that hiring manager.  Rarely is enough time spent between the hiring manager (department head or person the new hire will report to) and HR, explaining the need and the kind of candidate who will excel.  Rarely does the hiring manager provide a well thought out job description for HR to work with.  Everything just happens too fast . . . everyone’s too busy.

It’s not like hiring is the only thing most HR professionals have to deal with.  Most are the go-to person for questions about vacations, benefits, insurance, the lack of coffee in the break room or the annoying employee in the next office.  The larger the office, the more work is on HR’s plate.  Talk about a juggling act . . . there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  It’s the most obvious explanation of why HR gets a bad rap for not being more responsive to inquiring candidates.  These are not the harried folks I talked about in my “Screw You” posting a week or so ago.

As a result of all these competing interests, HR and hiring managers default to matching up resumes and job descriptions.  The more keywords, titles, target companies or clients the candidate has on their resume, the more attention they get (or not).  There just isn’t the possibility of spending 10 minutes reading a resume from back to front and understanding just what a candidate may have to offer.  You’ve heard that people have an impression of your resume in 30 seconds?  It’s true.  I am not advocating that the “right” way to write a resume is to incorporate all of those elements, for the benefit of the harried reader.

The other unfortunate component is that most people aren’t great at writing resumes.  They never think about having one updated and on hand.   Most never see resumes in their daily routines and frankly have no idea what makes a good one, or how to write a powerful one.  It’s one reason I was compelled to start a resume and portfolio consulting service.  I kept running into great candidates who had resumes that were not representative of their abilities.  I couldn’t present their existing resume to my client and expect that my client would have any real idea of my candidate’s potential for them.  If I wanted that candidate to be taken seriously, I had to help them with their resume.

The whole job description and resume protocol hasn’t changed in 100 years.  There has to be a better way!  If you add the online (and sometimes anonymous client) component to it, it’s an incredibly impersonal process.  You’d think we could do better, for a hiring process that is dependent on personality, and personal impressions to succeed.

Lazy Responses to Job Postings

I have a client who asked me to help them quickly recruit a Marketing Manager in Dallas.  Because they’re such a good client, I agreed to see what I could do to help . . . notwithstanding a rather heavy existing work load.

I’m not normally a fan of relying on posting job descriptions as a prime method of identifying candidates.  Normally, the candidates I really want to be talking with aren’t spending time on job boards.  In this case, it had the most potential for a quick response.  I am just amazed at the lack of care and effort candidates expend in responding to online job postings.

Candidates don’t address their response to me, even though my name was in the posting.  They often don’t add any content in their cover email that is related to this particular search.  More often than not, there’s no email content at all, or it’s so obviously what they always send to every job posting, that it’s worthless.  It’s actually even worse because it quickly shows me the candidate doesn’t care enough to take the time to  make a powerful first impression.  “Stock” responses to postings will not impress anyone.

When you respond to a posting that might be of interest to you, find out all you can about the person or company posting the position.  Make sure that your cover letter or email makes it apparent that you’ve done the appropriate research.  Address the person or company by name.  Do a bit of investigating and see if you would actually like to work for that company, and if so, why.  Tell the hiring manager specifically why you’re interested in your cover email or letter.  Tell them (briefly) how your skills and experience can contribute value to that company, and more specifically the position being posted.

The more specific detail you provide, the more likely it is that the hiring manager will actually review your information.  I shouldn’t have to say watch out for typos, but I will.  Typos in correspondence relating to the job search will kill your candidacy immediately.  No question.  If you can’t get a document right while applying for a new job, it’s not likely you pay much attention to anything you do.

Take your time when responding.  Re-read your correspondence and double check for grammar errors or typos.  As they say, you only have one shot at making a positive first impression.