I decided to do something different today.  In my prior applications, I’d send a “one size fits all” cover letter. I’d send these out by the hundreds every day.  Yes, I’d get job interviews but it would almost always be from recruitment companies or from companies that weren’t offering what I was looking for.  I don’t think those cover letters were doing what I wanted them to do.

Today, I changed my approach.  I decided to be more approachable, more personal — all the while stating what I was looking for.  In vivid detail, I stated why I would be beneficial to the company looking to hire me.  More importantly, I tailor-made each cover letter according to each company’s needs.

Rather than sending out a hundred cover letters, I sent out merely six.  Here’s a sample:

Hi there,

From what you describe on your CraigsList posting, you are looking for someone in your office who is unflappable, works great under pressure, and yet is approachable and personal.  I can indeed do these things — yet I can offer you more.  I offer proven leadership, outstanding efficiency, and genuine “blue sky” thinking.

In turn, I am looking for personal and career growth.  I am also looking for a job that offers excitement. You want an entrepreneurial spirit?  I have one!

Let’s start a relationship.

Christopher Trottier
http://jobprowler.wordpress.com
604.314.9529

What do you think?  Do you think I adequately communicated the message I was hoping to convey? I’d love to hear your input.

I am looking for a change: a positive direction in my life. I have already made changes in my life over the last year. For instance, I met my girlfriend. Also, I moved out of my bachelor suite and am now renting an entire house (with a roommate). These are all good things.

However, there are bigger things worth aiming towards. Do I want a family in the future? Do I want to pay off my student loan? A $10/hour is not going to get me these things.

Yet, it’s not just about money. It’s about doing something significant. Everyone wants to wake up in the morning with the full knowledge that whatever they do will make a difference. It’s not just about punching a clock, it’s about job satisfaction.

I have values. Along with my values, I have many personal strengths, ambitions, and interests. Would these be of benefit to any company looking to hire me? Hopefully.

This blog was created because I wanted to do something different. Everyone is emailing their resume to an HR department — where it promptly becomes “one of many” in their inbox. When it finally does get read, there’s little to differentiate one resume from another — most job seekers write about what they have done in the past. However, I am more than the sum of my past. I have a bright, radiant future and I want to communicate that.

Please join me while I hunt for a new job. I am not a job seeker. I am a job prowler.