Congratulations! You’re more than halfway through the Job Application D.I.E.T.! We’re moving into the final stretch today by talking about the “E” – Experiment.
In the visual metaphor on the right, you are the scientist, and your resume, cover letter, and all of those are the mouse.
Yesterday, you were tasked with seeking out advice from others on improvements that you can make to your job application hardware. I also suggested that you adapt what they say for different positions – we’re going to go a bit deeper into that idea.
It’s a good idea to have a catch-all resume and cover letter for most jobs. it covers the bases, gets the most critical information to your reader, and can be used for any number of things – think of it like chicken. It can take on the taste of whatever you’re sending it to.
But sometimes, you don’t want chicken. You want steak, seafood, pork, or some other food that has more of its own flavor. In this case, you need to make specialized application stuff.
I have different cover letters for different job positions, different company types, and different search categories. That means that for most any job I see that I want to apply for, I have some sort of clue on what and how to write. However, I change around these templates to reflect the employer and the specific job duties.
For example, the tone, voice, and content of a cover letter for a job at a humor magazine would be funny and relaxed. I might be a little self-deprecating, and would want to show my personality through the writing. After all, that’s more likely to be what the hiring manager is after. But if I’m sending in for a financial adviser position, I’ll stick to a more formal, fact-based voice and contents. My resume will highlight different aspects of my different responsibilities in former careers, and as a result, the hiring manager will get a different impression of me.
Some people might call this deceptive or uncalled for, but I say that there’s a huge difference in doing a job where you post fart jokes and lolcats on a website (sometimes simultaneously!) versus explaining Roth IRAs and mutual funds to clients. While you might be adept at either job, they are not necessarily looking for the same person at both companies.
Diversity in your applications: it’s a good thing!
Diet Homework: Take some of the jobs from the list you made on day 2, and adapt your improved resume, cover letter, and any other materials to better reflect the positions. If you are so inclined, get some feedback from others on your submissions. Then apply!
