Here is the big difference between the resume and the application message: The resume is all about the applicant, but the application message is all about the employer. In the resume, you highlight the education, experience, and skills you bring to the workplace. But in the application message, you show how you understand—and can meet—the goals and needs of the prospective employer.
A note about application messages before explaining this approach. What I call the application message some old timers insist on calling the cover letter. Several textbooks call it the transmission message. Whatever you call it, I am referring to the paper or electronic message that accompanies the resume when seeking an interview for a position. Below are my answers to five commonly asked questions about the application message.
Why is the application message worth so much attention? You can pay a hack resume writer or ask your Aunt Beatrice to write your resume. There may be zero effort on your part in crafting a resume. Don't you think the employer knows that? But the application message tells the employer so much more about you:
- your communication skills – These days most people in a service position do their job through writing. Because of the time-sensitive nature of the application message, you most likely have to doi it yourself and show you can write clearly, confidently, and quickly.
- your industry savvy – Every field has its own language. The application message is your opportunity to prove you have the experience and skills to understand the fundamentals, developments, and prospects of your field.
- your knowledge of the job – Writing about the exact job you are seeking shows an extraordinary level of confidence and depth of wisdom. How else would you explain the nuances of the job unless you ahave the right stuff to do it?
Isn't the application message just a brag sheet? No. This message, whether it's a traditional letter, email, or secure website posting, should not simply repeat what the employer already knows about you from your resume. It's a testament of your knowledge about the employer's needs and the job requirements. It proves you are the right person for that job.
Then should you mention your work experience or education in the application message? Only to the extent that you can weave them into the employer's needs. It's all about the employer.
Must you customize every application message to the company you apply to and the job you seek? Absolutely. That is not as much effort as you think. The job seeker should treat getting a job as if it were a part-time job or volunteer assignment. Once operating from this mindset, customizing such messages to the employer becomes second nature.
How do you learn what the employer
needs? The job posting. The website. Connections. Industry research. Whatever it takes. Of course, you are creating the application message and resume to get an interview. But you are also creating the resume to take stock in yourself (read previous posts in this series) and the application message to discover all you can about the employer. So much is available out there. Get all you can to walk into the interview knowing whatever you need and ready for anything that pops up.
