| Prospecting
Letters
Prospecting letters are similar in format and sometimes
content to the application
or cover letter, but the purpose of prospecting
letters
is different. Prospecting letters are often used in long-distance
job searches but are used also to contact organizations that may not
currently have a listed position. We have a few tips to offer concerning
writing prospecting letters.
Tip #1: Write to a person. While it’s good advice in an application
or cover letter, writing to an individual within a company is a must
with a prospecting letter.
You’ll want to use this person’s name within your salutation
(i.e. Dear Mr. Phillips).
Tip #2: Indicate your interest and tell how you learned about
the company. Generally, you’ll want to begin your letter by discussing
how or why you became interested in working for the company. Obviously,
several possibilities exist here—you may have read about the
company, a colleague might have referred you, and so on. Also, indicate
what kind of position you are interested in.
Tip #3: Indicate your major areas of qualifications. You want to
indicate two or three major areas of qualifications that relate to
the kind of position that you’re interested in.
Tip #4: Create a tailored prospecting letter by describing
how your qualifications would contribute to the company. It may be tempting
to create just one prospecting letter to mail out to everyone. However,
mass-produced letters look like impersonal or
generic letters and are usually thrown in the trash. Your prospecting
letter should be tailored to the company and type of position that
you’d be interested in. Your goal is to show how your background
and skills can be beneficial to a particular company by describing
and providing examples from your background and skills. You may need
to research the company to create a tailored prospecting letter.
Tip #5: Suggest an action plan and express appreciation for
the employer’s
consideration. Suggesting an action plan will involve two parts—you
want to request an interview from the employer, and you want to indicate
that
you will call the employer to discuss interview possibilities. You
also want to thank the potential employer for his or her consideration.
Tip #6: Include a resume. Finally, send a resume along with your prospecting letter.
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