Career Advice

Former recruitment agency experts answer employment questions, candidly suggesting how to negotiate your salary, find a really good job, handle phone interviews, and more.

Sage advice like this is priceless.

Cold Cover Letters

A cold cover letter is an unsolicited letter to an employer indicating your interest in working for them. Cold cover letters can create a job that didn't previously exist or get you considered for one of the many jobs that are never advertised. Another advantage is that since the employer isn't advertising your resume will not be buried in a pile of hundreds of other candidates.

• Although a company might not be advertising for open positions, the employer receiving your cold cover letter may be impressed by your interest in them, your enthusiasm, your knowledge of the company, and your skill set. They may decide you would be a asset to the company and don't want to lose the opportunity to hire a person of your caliber by waiting.
• Compile a list of companies you would most want to work for and send them a cold cover letter. You letter may arrive just when they might have a need for someone with your skills.
• Find out as much as you can about the target company, by researching their industry, goals, etc. so you can identify areas where you can help their operations.

Key parts of your letter:

• Salutation: Since your letter is unsolicited, it's important to address it to a particular person so that it will not be trashed as junk mail. Do some research to find out the name of the manager of the department most likely to be interested in hiring you.
• The Opening: Since your letter is unsolicted it is especially important to grab the readers attention early.
• The Body: Summarize your key qualifications.

More cover letter help:

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