The person to whom you wrote the letter will remember your thoughtfulness. This is a form of networking that could pay dividends later on,
Didn’t Get the Job Thank-you Note. This is a difficult letter to write and one that most job hunters neglect. Why should you take the time to write it? For several reasons. The employer is not likely to get many thank-you letters such as this one. It indicates that you are a considerate, well-mannered person, and it gives you an opportunity to request that this manager keep you in mind should he or she hear of a job in your field. It's possible to get leads for jobs from rejections.
Didn't Get the Job Letter Follow-Up. This letter isn't suitable for everyone, but sometimes it leads to a second interview. If you think it's worth it, try it. You have nothing to lose.
Certainly the interviewer will remember you. You've gone through the interview process and have been turned down for the job. You feel the job is made for you. So you write to the company again, expressing your disappointment because you thought you were right for the job.
The next step is to follow up with a telephone call and request another interview. If this fails, you might say that you'd like to contact the company again in six months. Admittedly this is an unorthodox approach, but sometimes it works. The danger to avoid is making a pest of yourself, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Relocation Letter. Job hunters seeking work in other parts of the country often have an advantage. When a manager receives a letter from an out-of-town applicant, he or she is more likely to answer it than if it came from a job candidate in the local area. To be successful in these circumstances, you have to target the company or companies in which you want to work. It's a good idea to subscribe to local newspapers for several months to familiarize yourself with the locality in which you are seeking employment.
The next step is to write various companies to let them know you will be visiting their town on such-and-such a date and ask if they can arrange an interview. Target several companies and set up interviews with them for the days you plan to visit.
Executive Recruiter Letter. Letters to executive recruiters, or head hunters as they are commonly called, need only be a form letter on your stationery. Executive recruiters only call when they have an assignment for a specific job, so the chances of hearing from them are not good. On the other hand, you never know when one will call so it is worthwhile sending them a cover letter and a copy of your resume. Sometimes you will receive a postcard acknowledging that the executive recruiter received your resume, whereas others won't respond unless they have a client assignment.
It's best to leave no stone unturned during your job-hunting campaign. You never know when you are going to uncover a treasure.
Answering Classified Advertisements. Classified advertisements can be answered with a form letter, but not a photo copy. Although many job hunters send photocopy letters in answer to such advertisements, we believe the letter should be written on your stationery. The reason: it will stand out like a beacon in a blizzard of photocopy submissions.
Don't expect too much from classified advertisements in newspapers, especially in large cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Many trade and business magazines also run classified ads, and many of them are available in your local library. Examples include Engineering News Record, Publishers Weekly, Chemical Engineering, and Aviation Week Space Technology.
Classified ads, especially those in large newspapers in major cities, draw a large response. A Sunday ad, for example, may draw 400 or more letters. If you rely on such ads to get a job, you can quickly starve to death.
These ads are another aspect of the job-hunting campaign, however, and it's possible to get a job by answering them; just don't spend a lot of time on them. Set up a form letter in which you fill in the blanks. Even if you use a typewriter to answer classified advertisements, the form letter is easy to fill in and mail. Although the chances of getting a job through classified ads are much less than networking and targeting employers, many people have had success going this route. Don't overlook any possibility that could result in your getting a job.
When answering an advertisement, clip it and tape it to an 8.2 X 11 sheet of paper together with the date you mailed your letter and resume. This way you'll be able to keep track of your responses.
When you answer a newspaper ad, tailor your form letter to precisely what is asked for in the ad-with one exception.
Don't include the salary, which many such ads request. The reason: you don't want to specify a salary that may be too high or too low, which would eliminate you from the competition. If the person who reads your resume likes your qualifications, the chances are good he or she will call you.
Blind ads can be tricky, because they don't list the advertiser's name. You reply to an anonymous post office box or telephone number. Companies use blind ads for several reasons: they don't want people in their company to know about the potential job; they may be moving into a new field; or they may have a bad reputation.
The drawback to a blind ad, if you are working, is that it could be your own company that is advertising. If this is true, the consequences of your submitting a resume are obvious-you might end up applying for your own job! Don't overlook poorly written ads. Oftentimes those who write classified ads do so at someone else's request. They may not be qualified to write them and they may know little about the job being advertised. If you spot an ad that carries a hint of the job you may be looking for, answer it. You never know what is at the other end and you may hit the job jackpot.
