How to Write a Letter of Intent (With Examples) - TheJobNetwork

How to Write a Letter of Intent (With Examples) - TheJobNetworkBy now, you probably think youre familiar with all the pieces of an application package and process. You have yur resume (or CV), yur titel letter, your list of interview questions. And if you have those togetherbei, updated and ready to go, awesome But theres aelendher potential piece lurking out there a letter of intent. Wait, what? Is that the same as a cover letter? And if notlage, how do you write one? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Spoiler alert a letter of intent is not the same as a cover letter. Theyre similar (being letters and all, and focused on yourself), but are actually used in different situations. Your cover letter is what you write when youre applying to a specific job you found through traditional channels (online job search, referral, recruiter). It details why youre a great fit for this particular job. A letter of intent is what you write when youre cold -calling (leaving a resume without being solicited for one), or applying for a job in a more general situation, like a job fair or submitting your resume to a general pool. The letter of intent is similar in that youre selling yourself, but tends to be less granular about a particular location. Letters of intent are often more networking-related, or aspirational, than position-oriented.So what goes into your letter of intent? Lets break one down into pieces as an example.The GreetingBecause you may have fewer specifics in hand about what youre applying for and who will be reading your application package, its likely you wont have the most personalized opener. Thats okay Be general, but professional, formal, and polite.schwimmbad ExamplesHi,No openingHey hiring manager,Dearest sirs and madams of JobTech, Incorporated,Good examplesTo whom it may concernDear JobTech team,As with any professional correspondence, you dont want to seem too stiff or formal, like youre writing a letter from a Victorian template or a bad spam email asking someone to send money to a deposed prince overseasbut you also dont want to be too conversational. Youre not in a dialogue yet, so its important to treat this like a professional first interaction, and not like youre skipping several steps and asking to meet for coffee. The tone youre reaching for is, You dont know me yet, but Im interested in your company and want to tell you more about why.The BodyHeres where the difference comes in between a cover letter and a letter of intent. With a cover letter, you likely already have a solid idea of what the job opportunity is, and how to position yourself for it. With a letter of intent, you have to make a slightly trickier balancepositioning yourself as qualified for a job that may not be clear yet. To do that, align your self talk around the company or the industry, making sure to highlight your skills and achievements that would make you a good fit for the company. You can also be specific about your level and experience. For example, you should make it clear that youre looking for a manager-level position if you dont want to be considered for more junior or entry-level roles.Without job-level specifics, it can be tempting to get stuck in an Im awesome loop without giving enough specifics. If you have a general idea of what job groove youd be seeking at this particular company, build your letter body around that. If youre truly just trying to get a foot in the door at a company, you can use clues from your research about the company. What does their website say about their mission and priorities? What do current and past employees say about the company in online chatter? Even without specifics, you can cobble together a pretty good idea of what the company is seeking in potential employees. Sell your skills and experience points that are special to you, and especially relevant to your industry.Some Dos and DontsDO be specific about your accomplishments and skills.DON T get into details about why you left your last job.DO mention what drew you to the company.DO keep paragraphs short. Long-windedness is the enemy when it comes to fighting for attention in a crowded resume pool. Consider following this formula for the bodyParagraph 1 introduce yourself and summarize your intent (goal) in sending the letterParagraph 2 background information (brief summary of most relevant education, skills, and experience)Paragraph 3 call to action/summaryA Bad ExamplePlease allow me to introduce myself. I am Jean, slayer of sales goals and all-around great coworker. I have a B.A., and my people skills are superior. I am interested in JobTech for my next career opportunity, and have attached my resume for consideration. I hear youre hiring, and given that Im seeking a job, it sounds like a great fit.I hear good things about JobTech, and since I quit my job at Career Industries after working with a nightmare boss (never work with a Scorpio, ha), I am very interested in your opportunities for an experienced sales manager like me.Ill be calling you as well to make sure you received my letter, and are considering me for a position at JobTech.A Good ExampleMy name is Jean Smith, and I am writing to you today to submit my resume for consideration on your schlussverkauf and Marketing teams. As a proven leader with more than a decade of beating aggressive sales goals and working with diverse teams to produce great results, I am very interested in opportunities to bring that experience and growth to JobTech.With 12 years of experience in ausverkauf and Marketing in a variety of different roles (from an all-hands-on-deck startup to a Fortune 500 company), I know I can bring a strong, customer-oriented strategy to your company. Since graduating with a B.A. in Marketing from Benjamin Franklin University in 2005, Ive built my career on using customer data and strategic campaigns to get results. Most recently, as Sales Leader at Career Industries, my innova tive sales strategies and overhaul of our social media lead generation program increased widget sales by more than 200% from 2013 to 2016. While my time at Career Industries has been a valuable experience, Im ready to move on and grow into a senior manager position that better blends sales, marketing, and innovative strategy. Based on JobTechs commitment to being on the cutting edge of widget sales, I believe my skills and background jibe well with that mission.I look forward to talking with you about my qualifications, and potential opportunities with JobTech. I am attaching my resume, and have a comprehensive career profile at www.joblinkcareernetworking.com/JeanSmith. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to reach me at J_Smithemaildomain.com. Thank you for your time and considerationIn the bad example, Jean is too vague, and has a few red flags, like suggesting that her last job didnt end well, and making an inappropriate joke about Scorpios to gloss it over. You can t ell people youre great, but its better to prove it by offering specifics, like she does in the better example. In the second example, Jeans letter body is more clearly organized, and makes sure to give the most relevant details about her career so far.Also, her closing call to action sounds more like a threat. You want to leave the reader with an avenue for follow-up, but dont intimidate them into responding. After all, theyre not obligated to respond. You want to make them want to reach out to you for more information or next steps.The CloserYou want your closing statement to be the Mariano Rivera of letters of intent a clean win, effective, and unambiguous. Dont overthink it Basic, professional closings are the way to go.Bad ExamplesNo closing Jean SmithCall me please,Email me if you read this,Bye,Fondest wishes to you and yours,Good ExamplesSincerely,Best wishes,Regards,Go with one of the classics, because theyre used for a reason. If you sound too stiff and formal, it comes off like a holiday card. If you reiterate your call to action, it can carry a whiff of desperation. Just get out gracefully and quickly once youve said your piece.Assess Your Final DraftAt this point, youre ready to send it off, either in the mail, handing it off, or sending it through the Internet tubes. Lets take a last look at the good examples put together, Jeans better draft.Dear JobTech team,My name is Jean Smith, and I am writing to you today to submit my resume for consideration on your Sales and Marketing teams. As a proven leader with more than a decade of beating aggressive sales goals and working with diverse teams to produce great results, I am very interested in opportunities to bring that experience and growth to JobTech.With 12 years of experience in Sales and Marketing in a variety of different roles (from an all-hands-on-deck startup to a Fortune 500 company), I know I can bring a strong, customer-oriented strategy to your company. Since graduating with a B.A. in Marke ting from Benjamin Franklin University in 2005, Ive built my career on using customer data and strategic campaigns to get results. Most recently, as Sales Leader at Career Industries, my innovative sales strategies and overhaul of our social media lead generation program increased widget sales by more than 200% from 2013 to 2016. While my time at Career Industries has been a valuable experience, Im ready to move on and grow into a senior manager position that better blends sales, marketing, and innovative strategy. Based on JobTechs commitment to being on the cutting edge of widget sales, I believe my skills and background jibe well with that mission.I look forward to talking with you about my qualifications, and potential opportunities with JobTech. I am attaching my resume, and have a comprehensive career profile at www.joblinkcareernetworking.com/JeanSmith. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to reach me at J_Smithemaildomain.com. Thank you for your time and considera tionRegards,Jean Smith

What It Looks Like to Have Work Benefits So Good that People Dont Believe Theyre Real

What It Looks Like to Have Work Benefits So Good that People Dont Believe Theyre Real For most of us, stepping out of ur comfort zone particularly when it comes to our careers can feel daunting. But according to Tenille Williams, a Custom Interface Specialist at Ultimate Software, it doesnt have to be. In fact, zu sich no. 1 piece of career advice for job seekers is to push themselves to develop by learning new skills.Williams is fortunate to work at a company that makes this easy Ultimate Software is hyper-focused on its employees personal and professional growth. Ultimate has an internal learning system where we can develop ourselves based on the core competencies of the company by reading articles, watching videos, and more, she explains.How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously?Im very new to my current role as a Custom Interface Specialist I just moved into this role this year. I started at Ultimate Software in January 2017 as a Core Speci alist. I welches actually in the first group of people to be hired for our new St. Louis office, which welches very exciting. Before Ultimate, I was a billing coordinator for about five years.Whats the first and brde thing you do at work every day?The first and last thing I do at work every day is check my email and team chat for any urgent issues. That way, I can plan for the day, get back to my priority customers, or tie up any loose ends for the day and prepare for the next day.Whats something you think most people (perhaps even current employees) dont know about Ultimate Software that you think they should?Most people dont know about ALL of Ultimates awesome benefits. People dont believe me when I tell them We have a 45 percent dollar-for-dollar match on our 401(k), unlimited PTO, the flexibility to work from home when needed (as long as your manager is okay with it), and 100 percent paid healthcare premiums for us and our familiesjust to name a few. Its realWhats something your e especially good at at work?Building relationships with customers. It comes very natural to me and I always try to give them the best experience I can. I love interacting with them on a day-to-day basis and helping them with their issues.What about outside of work?Im good at helping and motivating people in any way I can. Im working on building a blog called BeYOUtifully Konstructed at beyoukon.com. Its about self-image. I want to help young girls and women rid self-doubt and stand up against body shaming, bullying, and more. We should know that its okay to be different and that we dont have to look like what the media says we should, or follow the gender-role stereotypes. We were all constructed and created differently for a reason. I love how Ultimate shares the saatkorn values of diversity and inclusion. We recently launched U Belong, which is our new internal Diversity, Equality, and Belonging program, and Im excited to see Ultimate become even more inclusive.What are you tryin g to improve on?I love helping out fellow coworkers, but everyone at work looks at me as their superhero and I dont ever want to let anyone down. So Im trying to improve on taking care of me a little more. Thats why I love Ultimates wellness benefits like massages onsite, using our treadmill desks at work to get moving, and meeting with Ultimates on-staff wellness coach to talk about ways to destress.Whats your favorite mistake?As crazy as it soundsgoing backward. I feel like I did life a bit backward because I had kids before finishing school or getting married. I dont regret it at all, though, because my kids molded me to be who I am today. I know theyre watching me, so that helps me always do the right thing because Im their role model.Whats the one career move youve made that youre most proud of?My most recent career move Moving into a more coding type of role has been my goal for a couple of years. I actually interviewed for my current position at Ultimate last year and didnt g et it. Instead of feeling defeated, I worked harder to achieve my goal. I applied for a program called CoderGirl and was accepted for the SQL (Structured Query Language) track. CoderGirl is part of a nonprofit called LaunchCode that teaches you coding for free. This was my way of getting the additional knowledge I needed to further my career at Ultimate. I reached out to the hiring manager to let him know about my progress. I must have impressed the manager, because soon after, I was able to interview again, and I got the job I was and still am so happy I was able to develop my skills, and get rewarded for it.What do you love most about Ultimate Software?My company follows the People First philosophy. They put us first, and we, in turn, put our customers first.What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?Im currently reading three different books Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, Next Level Thinking by Joel Osteen, and The Wait by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good. Im also currently watching all the Marvel movies and shows on Netflixthey are so goodWhats your no. 1 piece of advice for women who are looking for jobs right now?Step out of your comfort zone by learning new skills There are so many resources available to help develop yourself, and a lot of people dont know anything about them. Ultimate has an internal learning system where we can develop ourselves based on the core competencies of the company by reading articles, watching videos, and more. But there are a lot of other resources, like the coding program I mentioned earlier (LaunchCode), that can help you as well.Who is the most influential person in your life and why?My kids. I have a 6-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. Theyre still young and innocent and give me advice without even realizing it. They teach me how to love unconditionally because they love me, regardless of my faults and imperfections. If I ever forget something, they dont get mad. They teach me to forgive and not h old grudges. If I fail, they hold my hand, hug me, and tell me to try again. They cheer for me nonstop, which motivates me to never give up. Theyre my biggest fans.Whats the most memorable piece of career advice youve received?Do what makes you happy.What was the best quality of the best boss youve ever had?Trust. Having an open and trustworthy professional relationship is so important. This boss knew my goals and took it upon themselves to push me and keep me accountable.--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Ultimate Software.Find a job there today

What the Pros Are Saying About Writing a Resume Companies and How It impacts You

What the Pros Are Saying About Writing a Resume Companies and How It impacts You The Advantages of Writing a Resume Companies To begin with, you can inspect the work posting that the geschftlicher umgang enterprise creating to pinpoint what precisely is necessary for the positioning. By checking out all features and services a business offers, were getting sufficient info to genetarif a conclusion on which are the best resume services that is able to help you get the job that you are applying for. Some businesses will check with you about your requirements, then quote you a flat rate based on the product theyll create for you. There are many companies which hire employees today for unique positions. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Writing a Resume Companies Following that, writing an overview of your qualifications like your educational attainment and the crucial skills needed in the position should be performed. You ought to have a different, unique resume for each a nd every job that you apply for. Lots of people dont like their existing job or career. Your employer will require an obvious picture what you could do to them. Companies definitely will demand for at least two references when submitting a charge card applicatoin for virtually any job. Virtually every job has different specifications with regard to its nature. A good deal of employers search for fresh thoughts and intriguing men and women. Recruiters spend just a few seconds looking at resumes, meaning making it as appealing as possible is the only means to pull their attention and make them consider you for the work position. Of course you might also be on the lookout for a different job because of personal explanations. Employing a one-size-fits-all resume might be a huge mistake when youre looking at an assortment of job opportunities. Up in Arms About Writing a Resume Companies? Then decide which will be contained beneath their various work in the Experience section of the resume. A Resume is the initial thing recruiter or hiring manager sees from you and thus its tough to overestimate the worth of the resume in the work search. Teacher Resume needs to be well drafted document. Details of Writing a Resume Companies You will discover the list of the very best companies on a single page. Companies value that which you have done lately. In just a couple hours, the business contacted me, and asked just a couple more info. Our company strives to offer the most competent review and accurate details. Among the most dreaded things about a work search is having to compose a resume. Apart from that, work experience is likewise very essential in that area. The procedure for searching for employment is grueling. During your job search procedure, resume is the sole thing that represents you in a very best possible way.