Get a job with a Pain Letter?
When you're looking for a job, filling out online job applications is the worst possible way to get a job. After you've spent an hour or two completing their online job application, in most cases you will never get a response. If you do hear from them, it's likely to be in the form of a generic and insulting auto-response message that might as well say " We have received your material. Don't call us, If we feel like talking to you, we will contact you. Otherwise, continue to have false hope that your efforts are important to us. Please feel free to grow old and die waiting to hear from us. Thank you for wasting your time applying.
The questions on online job applications are brainless and insulting. They ask you, as though the most important thing about a working person is "What are the Tasks and Duties in every job you've ever held?" Rather, the most important thing to know is "What did you accomplish and leave in your wake at each job you've held?" Online job applications, are not where you should rest your job-seeking hopes because the vast majority of applications, resumes and cover letters are never seen by human eyes.
A better way to get a job these days, is the ability to find the hiring manager inside most organizations. Once you've done that, you can reach that person directly by sending him or her a letter in the mail.
It's called a Pain Letter, which is different from a cover letter in several ways:
The Pain Letter is written for and addressed to specifically your hiring manager, who is the manager that oversees the department you want to work for in one of your target employers.
The Pain Letter, unlike a general, generic traditional cover letter, is specific. No boilerplate language here. In the Pain Letter, you'll write about the very hiring manager receiving this letter, and you'll make an educated guess about his or her business pain.
The Pain Letter won't drone on and on about your background. Instead, share one short and pithy David and Goliath Story about a time when you made something awesome happen at work. One good story is plenty!
Your Human-Voiced Resume will be attached to The Pain Letter with one staple in the upper left-hand corner. Your hiring manager doesn't even have to read your entire Pain Letter (although it won't be a long letter) before deciding to flip over the page and read your Human-Voiced Resume.
The Pain Letter won't mention a job opening. It won't use the word "job" at all. If the word "job" or the phrase "job opening" is used, or if it reads too much like a traditional cover letter, your hiring manager is likely to send it straight to HR and that will defeat the purpose of composing the Pain Letter in the first place!
The Pain Letter won't be stiff and formal, instead you'll mention "I was intrigued by your job advertisement..." It will use your own human voice throughout. Address your hiring manager by name, the way human beings do!
The Pain Letter won't grovel. You are not begging for a job, just the opposite. You are saying "I wasn't sure whether you and your firm might be dealing with a common problem that I run into often. If you are, maybe we should talk!"
Research each of your target employers and your specific hiring manager of that employer before beginning to compose a Pain Letter. Your muscles will grow as you gain experience researching employers and making educated guesses about your hiring managers' Business Pain!
The Pain Letter will present you not as a bundle of skills, experiences and certifications, but as a pain-reliever and consultant. Don't be surprised if a hiring manager gets your Pain Letter, reads it, gets excited and picks up the phone to call you then and there!
Finally, your Pain Letter breaks rules. Many companies state in their job ads "Do not contact our hiring managers directly." Since when are you responsible for reading job ads? That is not your job! You are not bound by the weenie rules set forth in job ads.
A new day is upon us. Those who take control of their careers and run them like businesses move ahead fast. Job-seekers who wait for the approval of an entry-level person or a keyword-searching algorithm will be waiting for a long time.
You don't have extra time to wait for a resume-screener or keyword-searching algorithm to find your worthiness, do you?
You are awesome Patrick!!!!
wow I never heard of that thanks
I have been looking for a position in my profession - the legal profession. I haven't had much luck even though I have all the skills and qualifications required as I worked in the legal profession for top firms for 30 years. I have been trying to find something part-time however in my profession everything is full time. I am disabled and working full time is not feasible but I'm willing to take the chance and see if I can do it. Any advise as your Pain Letter sounds like an awesome idea? I have applied for so many positions but have had few interviews and they are not in my profession, only to be told I'm over qualified, so what was the point of even having me come to an interview if they already knew I was over qualified? Is there some trick to be qualified just enough to get hired? Any advise would be welcomed. Thank you.