YouMap

by Kristin A Sherry

  As you view employees on LinkedIn at your target companies, determine whom you know best and are comfortable sending a message to request a networking conversation. Ideally, you want to contact first degree connections initially because they work directly at your target company. If you’re not comfortable contacting your first degree connections, or you don’t have any first degree connections, view your second degree connections to see shared first degree connections.

  Look again at the previous screenshot and notice where it says “11 shared connections” under Stephanie Hall. If Stephanie were a second degree connection who worked at a company I want to work for, I could click the eleven shared connections hyperlink to view the eleven people I am connected to who are also connected to Stephanie.

  I could then write to some of those connections and ask if they would be willing to introduce me to Stephanie.

  Here is how you might word a request to a 1st degree connection who works at your target company.

  “I’m writing because I see you currently work at Virtus Career Consulting. [I recently applied for a job | I am interested in this company | I am researching this company as a potential future employer] and would appreciate speaking with you briefly about your experience working there as part of my research on the workplace culture.”

  Here is how you might word a request to a 2nd degree connection who knows someone at your target company.

  “I’m writing because I see you are connected to Stephanie Hall at Virtus Career Consulting. I’d greatly appreciate it if you would introduce me to Stephanie. I’d like to request a brief conversation to discuss her experience working at Virtus Career Consulting as I research the company’s culture. If I can do anything for you, or introduce you to anyone in my network, please do not hesitate to ask.”

  I suggest identifying more than one person to contact. Sometimes people can be unresponsive to their LinkedIn messages so it’s good to have a backup. You can also look at the individual’s profile to see if their email address is displayed in the upper right-hand corner under Contact and Personal Info to contact them by email. If a user has their email hidden in their privacy settings, the email will not be visible.

  Tip: Always personalize your LinkedIn invitations. For example, share why you want to join the person’s network.

  Once you’ve identified target roles, desirable companies, have your networking conversation down pat, and maybe even a snazzy new networking sheet, it’s time to create the marketing materials that will get you the job!

  Ideally, you should have at least your resume and LinkedIn profile ready as you begin networking because the people you are networking with might ask to see your resume. Don’t worry, we’ll cover all this, and more, in this section.

  Employer-Focused Cover Letters

  Do people read cover letters? It depends whom you ask. A lot of recruiters will tell you no. When I was a hiring manager in the corporate world, I read every cover letter passed on to me by the recruiter. Your audience for the cover letter is not the recruiter; it’s your potential manager.

  I read each cover letter because I wanted to make the best hiring decision possible. Why would I ignore another piece of information available to me in making that decision? Recruiters at my company viewed candidates with a different lens than I did.

  It’s tempting to listen to recruiters tell you not to waste your time but consider this: You will never be penalized for taking the initiative to write a cover letter. If it comes down to you and another candidate, don’t let the fact your competitor took time to write a personalized cover letter and you didn’t be a deciding factor.

  The good news? You’ve done a lot of legwork for your cover letter in section two, “Blaze Your Path.” In the “Targeting Opportunities” section, I showed you how to research companies to determine where you’d most like to work. Then, in the “Networking and Informational Interviews” section, I reviewed creating your three-part value statement. You’ve already done your research to know why you want to work at the company and how you can bring your skills, strengths, and experiences to deliver value to the employer.

  The following information is not meant to provide exhaustive instruction on cover letters. My goal is to provide basic direction and, more importantly, to help you convey an authentic, employer-focused brand message.

  Cover Letter Basics

  • Use the same font at the top of your cover letter as your resume so they are consistent.

  • Include your name, email address and one contact number, preferably a mobile number.

  • Limit the length to one page.

  • Attempt to find the hiring manager’s name to personalize the letter. Contact HR, ask the recruiter, or use LinkedIn to search the company name and job title you might report to.

  • Structure the opening paragraph to be employer-focused instead of all about you.

  • Leverage your values from your YouMap® to bring shared values to light.

  • Connect your motivating skills and experiences to the requirements in the job description.

  • Do not simply reiterate your resume. A cover letter should explain why you want to work for them and why you’re a good fit for their needs.

  • End with a call to action.

  Sample Cover Letter

  The following cover letter example illustrates five distinct sections of a cover letter:

  ① – Indicate the position you’re applying for either by position title or the Job ID in the job description.

  ② – Briefly explain why you want to work there. Focus on values you uncovered in the “Discover Your Values” section that align with the employer’s values and brand. Make the connection. If you know someone in the company who referred you, mention it here.

  ③ – Highlight your experiences and the abilities they seek in the job description; this is the value they’ll receive. Use language that’s consistent with the strengths and motivating skills you’ve captured in your YouMap®. You could also weave your networking conversation into your cover letter.

  ④ – Illustrate the kind of workplace or team culture you’re looking for and share more about yourself without getting too personal. The values section of your YouMap® contains relevant insights.

  ⑤ – Call to action. Customize this sentence and invite the hiring manager to contact you by phone or email.

  JOHN DOE john.doe@samplemail.com (555) 456-7890

  11/8/2018

  Dear Ms. Jones:

  I was pleased to discover ACME Pharmaceuticals is seeking a Territory Business Manager for the Atlanta, GA area. ①

  ACME’s unwavering compassion for patients and respect for the individual echoes my own values and operating principles. The company’s mission to bring life changing therapies to market is admirable. I am a passionate advocate for healthcare professionals and patients and would be proud to launch Mirellus for patients with critical, unmet medical needs. ②

  My experience and abilities also strongly match your needs. My background as a trust-building sales representative with analytical abilities and swift clinical mastery—earning numerous awards for clinical knowledge and selling skills—afford me the business-critical context and insight into the lifeblood of our business: our providers and patients. ③

  I have deep experience, including eight product launches, turnaround of underperforming territories, provider education and training, managed care and reimbursement, prescriber influence, and managing cross-functional relationships. I recognize patterns and generate new insights, simply explain complex information and findings, persuasively present ideas, and collaborate on solutions. My specialty is tying it all together to convey how a therapy has a meaningful impact
on a patient’s life.

  I value progressive thinking, initiative, teamwork, commitment, and performance. I seek to work within an innovative company such as ACME that shares these values and a drive for success. ④

  I reiterate my enthusiasm to join your team and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me at (555) 123-4567 or john.doe@myemail.com. ⑤

  Sincerely,

  John Doe

  Many other cover letter samples exist online. If you use one, remember to weave your own authentic brand into the template using your YouMap® insights, begin the letter with an employer focus, and make intentional connections between you and the employer through your strengths, shared values, and experience.

  Resumes Employers Want to See

  Don’t be daunted by what might seem to be a disproportionately large section of this book. Resumes are undoubtedly the most stressful exercise for job seekers, so I’ve decided to give this topic its due attention. What you’re about to read is chock full of great advice, examples, and tips!

  One of the most frustrating experiences for job seekers is the varied and inconsistent information surrounding resumes. Even the simple topic of resume page length continues to be a subject of debate. Also important to note is that resumes vary widely in different countries.

  For example, it’s common for a picture to be included on a resume in many parts of the world, yet this is not recommended in the United States or Canada due to employment discrimination laws. Also, in the US, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a term largely reserved for academic resumes, yet CV is a preferred term in many countries.

  Resume writing is both an art and a science, therefore, some advice is merely opinion. There are, however, many agreed upon best practices, although not all advice is a best practice for all industries. Feeling confused, yet?

  Don’t worry! I’ve invited additional experts in the career services industry to add their advice and tips to this book to help you make sense of the noise.

  In cases where our resume experts have a difference of opinion or approach, you can choose your preferred option and take comfort in the fact it’s a preference more than a rule.

  Tackling your own resume can be a challenging and trying exercise. Therefore, if you’re in the market to hire a resume writer, I’ve included the contact information for the experienced writers who have contributed to this book in Tools & Resources.

  The first question you must ask before tackling your resume is, “What position(s) am I targeting with my resume?” The main goal of the first two sections of this book was to help you answer this question.

  I had a former client who insisted upon keeping his options open when job searching. He wanted to keep his resume and LinkedIn profile general for “broad appeal.”

  The only thing a generalized, untargeted resume will bring is practice shots on the hiring manager’s trash can with YOUR resume. One of the best practices most resume writers agree on is this: If you market yourself to everyone, you will end up appealing to no one.

  If you aren’t certain of your target, you can go back through the “Blaze Your Path” section.

  The next question is really a cluster of related questions, “What organizations or companies do I intend to target? What is their culture like? What are their needs, and how can I add value to this company through the position I’m targeting?” Your YouMap® can help you answer this last question—specifically, with your My Unique Contribution statement.

  Next, ask, “What are the skills, experiences, characteristics, and strengths they are seeking in the job description that my resume should include? What do I do better than other people in this kind of role?” Hint: Think of your strengths revealed in the “Find Yourself” section.

  I asked resume writers and job search strategists Patricia Edwards, Kerri Twigg, and Kamara Toffolo to share their approach to writing resumes to help you transform your resume from weak to wow!

  Each writer has a distinct style with advice that progressively builds on the last writer’s advice. We’ll start with the prework and questions you must ask yourself, then dig into storytelling, and finally conduct a section-by-section walkthrough of resume construction. This section is a goldmine with something for everyone.

  Tip: Read Patricia, Kerri, and Kamara’s bios in Tools & Resources to learn a bit more about them before reading their advice.

  The following pages contain advice based on Patricia, Kerri, and Kamara’s extensive resume writing expertise and the most important information they think you should know.

  First, we’ll hear from Patricia Edwards.

  Patricia’s mission is to educate, inspire, and empower job seekers to land their ideal role. How does she do that? With more than twenty-five years of experience recruiting, interviewing, hiring and developing professionals in previous roles as a senior human resources and talent manager, she is well equipped.

  Patricia recommends a series of five reflection questions, which she shares here to help you develop the right frame of mind as you begin writing your resume.

  Focusing Your Resume through Reflection by Patricia Edwards

  The conversations I have with job seekers are not really different from those I had with the employees of Fortune 100 and 200 companies I supported to hire and retain top talent. I typically ask these five questions in my initial consultation.

  If we were talking one year from now, what would be different, what would you be doing, what would be the environment, with whom would you be working, what role would you have and how would you know you were successful and fulfilled?

  These questions get at the heart of what the job seeker is striving to find in his or her ideal work world. It is also a stretch for some to be able to articulate those desires, values, and goals in a more tangible way.

  Describe one of your best days at work

  and one of your worst days at work.

  This question is designed to quickly understand what makes the person feel successful, valued, and recognized, as well as the drivers behind the desire for a career change. Perhaps he wants to use natural gifts and talents more often. Perhaps it is a matter of a bad culture fit or a poor work relationship with his manager, peers, or clients.

  What are your top three career achievements?

  This question is an eye-opener for many, and I am surprised at the number of high level professionals who cannot think of more than one achievement. That tells me they are either beaten down from not getting recognition for their contributions, or they are not aware of their successes. So, we need to drill down to the achievements I know they have accomplished so they can articulate these on their resumes, as well as their LinkedIn profiles and, most importantly, in interviews.

  If I were to ask your manager or colleagues

  what your top five strengths are, what would they tell me?

  I often get the deer in the headlights look initially; however, after a few moments, I help the individual inventory what she does easily, naturally, and well. This is a critical self-assessment to communicate her value and stand out against the competition in the job market. My work with emotional intelligence coaching has assisted me with coaching clients in self-awareness, realistic thinking, and positivity when viewing their strengths.

  If you were given a going away or retirement party, how would you want to be remembered by those with whom you worked? What would you want them to say about you?

  This question reveals the person’s career and life values and ultimately what matters most to them. Few people consider this question, especially younger people. It is derived from a principle in the great book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Begin with the end in mind.

  Much of the la
nguage above, such as strengths and values, should be very familiar to you by now. These questions can help you refine the direction and focus you take with your resume. Based on the answers to these questions, you’ll want to focus on skills and accomplishments that have motivated you and values that are most important to you.

  Your answers to the above questions should also be instructive on what not to include in your resume. You don’t want to attract opportunities that use your burnout skills, will not capitalize on your strengths, or violate your values.

  Tip: Keep your YouMap® close at hand as you prepare the first draft of your resume to ensure you are representing your deal makers well with your skills and accomplishments, while avoiding your deal breakers by not including skills and accomplishments that demotivate you.

  Now, what if you want to change careers?

  I could share hundreds of examples as inspiration. Here are some real client examples of career transitions. If they did it, you can too.

  • Lawyer to corporate communications manager

  • Personal banker to real estate analyst

  • Mortgage processor to executive assistant

  • Marketing specialist to branding strategist