Modified Letter Resumes Show Off Transferable Skills
Do you want to get the attention of employers? Do you know you can do a certain job, but worry about how your background looks on paper?
Are you looking for a career change but don't have the exact experience listed? Are you entering the job market after a long time away? Or for the first time?
A modified letter resume can help an employer notice what you can do, rather than focus on a lack in your experience.
You can mail this type of resume - also called a broadcast letter - to a number of companies or organizations where the work you want to do exists. Be sure to mail it to a specific person. Remember that the idea is to intrigue an employer enough to get an interview. At that time, you can address questions about your background or your lack of certain experience.
Skills and Accomplishments
Write a one-page letter. Give details about your skills and accomplishments. Show the connection between what you have done before and the work that you want to do now.
Your previous experience may be in a different field. If so, write about skills and accomplishments that apply the most to the new field.
Don't apologize for any lack of direct experience. Just show what you can do.
For example, say that you have worked in various office support positions. You also speak Spanish. For years, you have led arts and crafts workshops for your church and your children's school. Children's reactions to art fascinate you.
You hear of a job that you would love - an art assistant in a nearby private school where many Spanish-speaking children attend. Your modified letter resume could say:
- I have more than fifteen years of experience in organizing and leading children's art activities. I am an efficient worker and a team player. My Spanish language fluency allows me to communicate well with both children and their parents.
Then you can describe several of your administrative skills that you think would be especially helpful in a classroom setting.
Or, you have worked in sales for years. You get reading glasses for the first time. You feel intrigued by the new optical technology that the optician explains to you. He tells you about a sales job opening. You want to apply, even though you've never worked in any health-related field. You could write:
- I have had long-term experience in the growth and development of several firms. My results include increased sales, greater profits, new systems, and procedures that are more workable.
Then you could present 5 or 6 major accomplishments in a bulleted list. You don't need to explain that you have no experience in the optical field. Instead, show how your sales skills are transferable.
Use action verbs to describe your skills. As much as you can, describe actions you took and the results.
Sample Modified Letter Resume
(Adobe Acrobat Required)
Book
Find these books online at Barnes and Noble.com
The Perfect Cover Letter, Richard H. Beatty, John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Includes examples of broadcast letters. Learn what phrases will give you the best chance of getting an interview.
