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"Show Me the Money!" Resume Strategies that Get Employers to Call (Part 2) by Susan Britton Whitcomb

In the first article of this series "Show Me the Money!" you learned that, like the Cuba Gooding-character in the movie about sports agent "Jerry Maguire" (Tom Cruise), your goals and the employer's goals are not all that different. Both you and your employer-to-be are interested in:

* Advancement-for you, your career; for the company, its business interests
* Exposure-for you, to get in front of a hiring manager so that you can become employed; for the company, to shine in front of customers, business partners, or the media
* Money-for you, a solid paycheck; for the company, profit so that it can keep on paying you and its shareholders!

Most cover letters fail miserably when it comes to broadcasting the show-me-the-money theme. Here's how to make sure yours succeeds.

The Introduction

Offer a carrot to get people to read. Depending on your profession, consider starting off with "numbers statements." Here is an example:

Dear Hiring Manager:

You no doubt need a sales professional who can develop a solid customer base. In my most recent assignment, I delivered a 47% increase in new accounts. More important, sales from these customers generated a $650,000 increase in revenue...the largest annual increase in the company's 25-year history.

The Body

Remember that money is described with numbers. Don't be afraid to spout off a few in the second or third paragraphs of the cover letter. Note how these "after" sentences (excerpted from cover letters) are more impressive by using numbers:

Purchasing Professional

* Before: As a proactive procurement professional, I pay attention to the bottom line.
* After: Throughout my procurement career, I have delivered a hard-dollar savings of more than $500,000 through outsourcing, contract negotiations, and vendor alliances.

Teacher

* Before: My classes consistently score well in standardized tests.
* After: My classes have consistently scored in the 90th percentile (up from the low 80's) on SAT 9 for total reading, total math, and total language, with annual double-digit NCE increases in all academic areas.

Management Trainee

* Before: My training includes comprehensive management course work through my employer, The Doubletree.
* After: Last summer, I was selected from a competitive candidate list of more than 300 for a prestigious management training program at Doubletree University.

The Close

After your strong introduction and body content, remember to close with a variation of the show-me-the-money theme. For instance,

In advance, thank you for reviewing this material. I look forward to discussing how my track record and talents would enable me to contribute to the strength and profitability of your company.

This type of cover letter tells hiring managers that you're not just looking to work in a company-you're committed to working on a business ... and helping to make it productive and profitable. Candidates with the latter mindset will be snatched up quickly, paid well, and promoted ahead of the curve!

Susan Britton Whitcomb, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW (California)
Susan provides executives and career-minded professionals throughout the United States with long-distance and Internet-based resume and coaching services. She is the coauthor of eResumes: How To Write, Design & Deliver Your Resume Online, author of Resume Magic (JIST Works), and contributor to 10 other job-search and resume-related books. She also serves as Monster.com's Job Shadow career writer and has contributed articles to the National Resume Writers' Association monthly newsletter, where she holds positions as Western Region Board Member and Certification Commission Member. She also serves Career Masters Institute as an Advisory Board Member. Susan has been cited in U.S. News & World Report, CBS Marketwatch.com, and National Business Employment Weekly with respect to resume and job-search trends. She has made presentations on traditional and electronic resumes at industry conferences and on television and radio broadcasts.

This article courtesy of Stewart, Cooper & Coon (publishers of The Gladiator) www.stewartcoopercoon.com