Resume and Cover Letter – A Dynamic Duo
By: resumeexpert

Pretend for a moment that you are a hiring manager. The receptionist knocks on your office door and announces that Mr. Smith has arrived to interview for the currently advertised pharmaceutical sales representative position. Baffled, the hiring manager states that there must be a misunderstanding because she never scheduled Mr. Smith for an interview. She instructs the receptionist to tell Mr. Smith to forward his resume and cover letter to express his interest in the company and the position.

Some people might think the hiring manager should have interviewed Mr. Smith since he showed an effort to apply for the position. Others would have done exactly what the hiring manager did. Why? Because she didn't know anything about this candidate. She would have been unprepared to address his qualifications without having had the opportunity to review his resume beforehand. What's more, she really didn't understand what his situation was or if he even qualified for the job. For example, does he have a required bachelor's degree? Does he have sales experience? Is his background in bio chemistry, pharmaceuticals or in medical equipment sales? Is he a job-hopper? Was he out of work for many years? Is he changing careers? Did he recently relocate? These are all very important factors to consider when trying to paint a picture of a candidate to get a feel for who they are and how they would be a good fit for the company.

This is why it is so important that a resume is sent first so that the hiring manager can PRE-QUALIFY a job seeker. This saves a lot of time and hurt feelings. After all, why would the hiring manager want to spend a half hour interviewing a candidate that does not qualify for the position? If every unqualified candidate showed up unannounced and was interviewed, there wouldn't be time to interview the qualified candidates! Believe it or not, there are still occasions when a resume is not needed. But, that is only when a company invites applicants to fill out a job application form or if there is a mutual acquaintance who puts in a good word for the candidate, and the hiring manager schedules and interview without needing to see a resume. Keep in mind, the hiring manager has been introduced already by the mutual acquaintance who has done the job that the combination of a resume and cover letter -- the dynamic duo --is intended to do: to introduce them to the reader and to provide a professional background and expressed interest in a company and a particular position.

Okay, now pretend that you are a HR Manager in a busy Human Resource Department of a large product distribution company that has over 15 divisions on a large complex divided between four buildings. This company is always growing, has many different types of job openings, a fabulous website, and is constantly advertising for new talent. As you can imagine, the resumes that pour in by email, postal mail, and fax is overwhelming to say the least. Screening these resumes is a full time job in itself!

Now, a resume comes in over the fax machine without a cover letter. It is very impressive. The person has fifteen years of well-rounded experience that includes five strong positions in the areas of sales, customer service, billing and collections, events coordinator, and computer trainer. Wow, they can do almost anything! But what position are they looking for and why are they contacting the company? Are they exploring their options (cold-calling) or answering an advertised job vacancy (ad response)? There is no objective at the top of the resume and there is no accompanying cover letter! Without the cover letter, the result is the same as the job seeker who showed up unexpectedly for a job interview. There are just too many unanswered questions. Who are you? What position are you seeking? How did you hear about us? Why are you interested in our company?

Unfortunately, with all of these unanswered questions, the resume is going end up in the trash. A busy company just doesn't have the time to call a job seeker to ask them what position they are seeking. Nor do they have time to figure it out. The only time it is acceptable to send a resume without a cover letter is when the company indicates "resumes only" in their ad. Otherwise, it is best to send a cover letter even when it is not specified to send one.

Remember, the cover letter needs the resume and the resume needs the cover letter. Together they are truly a dynamic duo! It is your first impression -- make it count!

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Ann Baehr is a CPRW and President of Best Resumes of New York. Notable credentials include her former role as Second Vice President of NRWA and contribution to 25+ resume and cover letter sample books. To learn more visit www.e-bestresumes.com

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