When facing a stack of job applications, it can be tempting to craft one résumé and cover letter and send them to out to multiple recruiters/hiring managers to save time. They won’t know the difference, right? Wrong.

Recruiters and hiring managers can spot a letter sent to multiple recipients from a mile away. Generalized sentences or lack of a personalized greeting are dead giveaways that can instantly turn a recruiter/hiring manager away from your application, no matter how qualified you are for the job. Why should a s/he take interest in you when you haven’t even taken the time to show true interest in their company?

If you don’t personalize each and every résumé and cover letter you submit, you run the risk of seeming:

• Disrespectful: Mass messaging shows a lack of consideration for the recipient. Not showing care and attention now can suggest that you might be that way on the job, as well.
• Unknowledgeable: By not even taking the time to research the company you are applying for, it appears you may not be aware of everything your desired position may demand of you.
• Lazy: This is probably one of the worst traits to you can exhibit as a potential new hire. Customizing your résumé and cover letter may be time consuming, but doing so shows you have a true dedication to the job.
• Unoriginal: Recruiters and hiring managers receive countless résumés and cover letters each day. If you don’t use your application tools to present how unique you are for each position you apply for, you are missing a huge opportunity to show your worth.

Remember, cover letters and résumés are your first impression with a recruiter/hiring manager. They can make-or-break your chances of advancing in the hiring process. Getting the job you want takes time, diligence and definitely doesn’t start with the phrase, “To Whom it May Concern.”

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. She is also the national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

Cover letters are a disappearing art, we rarely see anymore. However, when they are well written they can provide an concisely crafted snapshot of you and tell a story that can’t possibly be told in your resume.

Through a cover letter you can explain why you are applying to a job from out of state, why you are interested in a position that doesn’t align with your past work experience, gaps in employment and additional accomplishments that would make you a top candidate. You can also give examples of your strong work ethic, write why you would like to work for the company and provide many other pieces of critical information about you that will entice the Recruiter to put your resume on top of the stack and not in the circular file. 

To make your cover letter stand out and get you the attention it deserves, take the time to research the name of the Recruiter or Hiring Manager and write the letter to that person. Salutations of “Dear Hiring Manager” will be a big turn-off and likely discarded. The same applies to canned letters that do not specifically address each particular position you are applying to.

I have received canned letters for positions which do not exist in the company I was recruiting for. Some have been compelling statements of why the individual was applying for that position. To me they were compelling reasons to not call the candidate. Why would I call someone who desperately seeks a position as a Medical Coder if company does not employ Medical Coders?

There is no doubt that taking the time to write personalized, targeted cover letters is time consuming. Remembering that you are “working” to find a job should motivate you to create a one page spell-checked, polished introduction to who you are, why you want the job and why you are the right candidate.

Isn’t it time to pick up the phone, call the receptionist to ask the name of the Recruiter and get writing?

Now here’s Bill!

I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but Karla has an obsession for food. Could it be that it’s a diet phase, and hunger is bringing food in to all her writings. Barely a blog goes by without a mention of an éclair, bun or other pastry product. We were discussing this on twitter recently (it was a Saturday) when I commented on two things: 1) Being a Saturday I should really get a life & 2) that I talk about “cake making” in my training. Curious about this, and desirous to discuss food further, invited me to add a guest blog.

If you bake a cake as badly as I do, the reason is because I get bored of recipes and guess the ingredients. Forget the scales; chuck in a handful of this and a handful of that. Mix it in a pot, drink a beer then stick it in the oven. Surprise, one hour later I take out the smoking stodgy mess and then rush to the shops to buy a real cake made by an expert baker, so that we don’t have to spend another of my children’s a birthday singing happy birthday whiles they blow out candles stuck in a potato covered in tinfoil. (This is true!) And a wife expressing an opinion that makes Gordon Ramsey sound like a priest.

Where did it all go wrong? Despite my blaming the cooker and banging the thermostat, I know in my heart of hearts I should have really paid more attention to the traditional recipe handed down from grandmother to grandmother, before deciding that actually I knew better than those that had gone before, and winging it. More preparation to get the ingredients and timings right, following the words of the wise and I would have ended up with a cake to be proud of.

O.K., that’s a wise culinary lesson but what has this got to do with a blog aimed at job seekers? For me, it’s simple. While putting together Career Carnival, I collected over 30 expert blogs and twitter tips on every aspect of the job seeking process. This is the recipe you need to follow in your search for your next big step. From reading all of this material I can give you my 10 commandments for the job search. Be sure to follow the recipe!

1. Before you start anything define what you want. Be clear what will be right for you, why you want it and use this to define your search. Check with people who know if you are being realistic in your expectation.
2. Create an on-line presence that includes a linked in profile fully completed including references. Check Facebook etc., and see what it says about you. Change it if you think it wouldn’t look good to hiring managers.
3. Collect references from past managers and create a brag file that illustrates your achievements.
4. Conduct at least 4 mock interviews with friends who you trust to be critical.
5. Apply for one job at a time, make each resume and cover letter personal to that job and keep a track on a spreadsheet of every job you apply for and where you’re up to. It’s not impressive to say “Sorry, what was the role again?”
6. Make friends of recruiters. They are not the enemy and your relationship with them will determine where you are in their thinking. Be professional and courteous, and always ask for (and more importantly accept) feedback.
7. never be late for an interview and spend time preparation. The right ingredients for the interview are 80% preparation,20% presentation.
8. During the interview take notes and ask 3 types of questions:
   1. Questions about something you’ve been told by the interviewer. Shows you have listened and are interested.
   2. Questions that show you have done your own research about something you haven’t been told.
   3. Qualify what the next step is, and if you want it, ask for it.
9. Make sure you close for any job you want by stating that and asking for reservations. If there are none, ask for the job.
10. Always plan and follow the plan. An old cliché but “Fail to plan, plan to fail!”

This is my recipe for success. Follow the instructions to avoid ending up huddled round a burning potato rather than pulling out a masterpiece, testament to your ability.

Good luck!
Bill

You can follow me on twitter: @BillBoorman (I highly suggest you do ~Karla)