I got all the Jobs I have ever applied for through the use of speculative cover letters.  Most companies may not advertise for positions and they mostly rely on their networks for referrals of possible candidates. Especially small to medium companies. And when you are starting out in your career, focus on learning first and not earning, and the best way to achieve this is to join small/medium/startup companies. For example when I was applying for an electrical engineering role at consulting firms in Kenya, I simply googled their email contacts, applied for the same. Within a month I got Job at one of them. Same technique when I applied for a teaching assistant position at one of the public universities in Kenya.

One of the other effective way to get a job is through referrals. Learn how to network. It will really help. As a starting point, read and internalize this book “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi

Also make sure you download these career development  resources here;

How to go about it.

• Research the field you are interested in and the companies that offer such roles.
• Once done with step one, get the companies contacts (email).You can easily google these. Or better still make it a priority to attend your industry related conferences and network while taking note of the present companies.
• Prepare your speculative cover letter and focus it to the specific role you are applying to. Keep reading the post for more tips. What is a speculative cover letter? Read this.
• Prepare your CV cover letter and focus it to the specific role you are applying to. Do not use a generalized CV. Keep reading the post for more tips.
• When sending out your cover letter and CV, sent it to the specific company email address and do not cc or bcc anyone else. This is a very bad behavior and shows how careless and unconcerned you are. There is better way to quickly send out emails to many emails addresses while still sending to one address at a time. Learn how.

Steps

• Simply say you are using, GMAIL.
• Send the first email.
  
• Go to sent folder and open the sent email.
• Click forward (and make sure your click “edit subject” as well).
• You can now easily edit the contents such as removing the “RE” in the subject line and the contacts and time stamp from the previous sent email.

CV and Cover Letter Tips.

All it takes to win is to be slightly better than everyone else in the game of resumes and cover letters.

A good resume is a focused resume. In fact, top performers often spend weeks getting crystal clear about the job they want BEFORE they ever send out a single resume.

Do not rely on resume only. Have a strategy. Start slow: do research, talk to peers in the industry, and build relationships so that you can learn exactly what kind of resume they should create (and who they should send it to).

A resume only really needs these two main sections:

• Experience
• Education

You can add other sections (Skills, Professional Development, etc.), but choose them wisely. It’s generally best to keep things simple.

Keep it as short as possible, but not shorter. 1 page is ideal; 2 pages is probably plenty.

You don’t have to include everything! This is a marketing document, not your entire work history.

Give only the highlights that support your narrative.

Most resumes are simply a list of facts: “I went to school at X, then did Y and Z.” Facts are not enough. An effective resume needs a narrative: an underlying thread that ties all your facts together into a crystal clear “snapshot.”

Your hiring manager’s #1 question is: Who are you, and what can you do for me? Yet nobody thinks about resumes like this! Don’t leave it up to them to decipher your resume. Be clear. Decide in advance the top 1-3 things you want them to take away.

What message do you want to pass along? Do you even have an idea what it is? Do not give answers such as “”I’m hard-working.”

• Do your homework, so by the time you sit down to write your resume, you already
  know:
  The exact role they’re targeting
  The exact words their prospective employers use
  Their employers’ biggest challenges

Be focused.

Look at your resume, one line at a time, and ask yourself: What am I really trying to say here,
in plain English? Is it interesting enough to include?

• Then ask yourself:
• Is this compelling?
• Does it support my narrative?

Use engaging language to enchant your reader. Try to surprise them by injecting vivid details, credibility markers, and tangible results where possible.

Say, “Crafted and developed dynamic websites with interactive audio and video elements that led to over Ksh.10, 000,000 in new sales.

Remember, the most important thing about any resume isn’t your design, font, or how many “power words” you use. It’s your narrative.

Don’t, for example say “”Delivered results under tight deadlines and last minute time constraints.” In plain English, this means “Got the job done on time.” Not so compelling when you put it that way.

Choose a Narrative.

A truly excellent resume is one which can be reduced to a single message:

“I am the ___ who can help you ___.

Example, “I’m Benard, the web developer and designer who helps small companies get more customers in record time.”

“I’m Mumo, the electrical consultant who helps design quality electrical and ICT systems with minimal cost implications.”

If the underlying message of your resume is unclear, a hiring manager will give it 10 seconds, think “I don’t get it,” and move on. Be clear. Decide in advance the top 1-3 things you want them to take away.

The Perfect Cover Letter

If your resume answers the WHAT, your cover letter answers the WHY.

Do not treat your cover letter as an afterthought to their CV/resume — or worse, just their CV/resume in paragraph form.

Instead, think of your cover letter as the written response to the question, “Why should we
interview you for this job?” In other words, if your resume answers the WHAT, your cover letter
answers the WHY.

“Why should we interview you?” Because you will work for free? I have seen many young people assume that they will be hired simply because they mention they will work for free. But who cares? I would want to hire someone good, proven, and easy to work with.

Once again write down ALL the reasons why your target company should hire you.

Having a great track record is always a top selling point. But what if you’re relatively inexperienced? If so, now is the time to talk about your intangibles, like these:

• Taking initiative in past jobs.
• Being referred by a mutual acquaintance.
• Having a genuine interest in the field and/or company.
• Having the right personality for the job.
• Being creative.

Whatever you come up with, choose your top 1-3 best-selling points.

Tell a Story.

The best cover letters tell stories. Why?
They capture our attention. We can’t resist reading them.
They show, rather than tell.
Nobody else writes them!

Most importantly, stories show that you’re a real person. In a sea of boring, faceless applicants, this is how you stand out.

In your cover letter, tell a story that demonstrates each of the selling points you chose.
Stories are what separates the actual doers from everyone else. Everyone says “I get things done.”
“I’m a strategic thinker.” “I’m analytical.” But can you prove it with a unique and compelling example?

Show, Don’t Tell

What’s the more memorable of the two?

A.”I’m passionate about electrical design.”

1. “For example, I have done comprehensive electrical designs for over 15 projects ranging from hotels, commercial malls, serviced apartments etc. and all these are in use. Project budgets ranging from Ksh.100, 000,000 to Ksh.3Billion”

Write With Confidence.

Do not use language like this: “I believe I may possibly be adequately qualified…” Instead use this example:

An example of writing with confidence:

“Dear Hiring Manager, I’m thrilled to write to you about [Position]. Here are 3 reasons why I’d be a
perfect fit for the role.”

A simple call to action at the end:

“I’m confident that my skills and experience would be a great asset to Acme, and I’d love to chat with
you about the role in more detail. Sincerely, Benard.”

Write to sell.

Give some details. What parts of the story were most VIVID?
“We were up to our neck in designs and paperwork until 5AM.” And not (“We had a client emergency. So worked extra hard)

Get emotional. What did you FEEL?
“It was frustrating! But at the same time, I felt proud to be working with smart, driven people all committed to the same goal.”
Share your insights. What was the big takeaway?
“There’s nothing like being on a team where everyone can count on each other, and that’s the kind of attitude I try to bring to every project I work on.”

The hiring manager wants someone to come along and impress them, so why not make their lives a little easier?
Stop worrying about over-selling. Chances are you’re not doing it enough.

After incorporating what you just learned, you’ll have a huge advantage over your competitors. Not
because of better skills, but because of better marketing.

Thanks, and all the best!

Resources

To learn how to design the best curriculum vitae, download the following free resources.

OVERNIGHT RESUME MAKEOVER
C.V WRITING SKILLS_ENHANCED EDUCATION GROUP
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN THE INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS &ANSWERS
STANDARD SPECULATIVE LETTER