The Differences Between Cover Letters to Hiring Managers and Headhunters

A reader asks, “What are the differences between a cover letter to a recruiter and one to a hiring manager? Do you make the same points?” Good question, the simple answer is that while the overall structure and intent of the letter is the same:

• Sell to the customer’s needs as you understand them
• 2-5 paragraphs
• For a printed document never more than one page
• For an email the same points apply, with your strongest selling points visible on the initial screen view of the page, with minimal scrolling beyond

• Legible 11 or 12 point sans serif font (the font has none of those touchy-feely curlicue touches that only Kindergarten teachers are authorized to use)

The Over-Looked Job Search Marketing Tool: Your Email Address

In a competitive job search, the little things can make a big difference and the way you introduce yourself is one of them. As one of the first things any recruiter or potential employer sees, your email address is s a powerful marketing tool that the smart job hunter doesn’t miss. But for job hunters like binkypoo@yahoo.com, bigboy@hotmail.com and DDdoll@live.com it’s a lost opportunity.

Now might be a good time to retire those college era addresses like binky, bigboy, and DDdoll, or at least restrict them exclusively to non-professional activities where they won’t detract from your professional reputation.