I often compare the hiring process to dating or parties.
The interview is like a private exclusive party, and you need to have an invitation to get in. Your resume is your invitation, and if it’s not the right invitation, the bouncer is going to turn you away at the door.
Part of our job as recruitment specialists is to help you make sure you have the right invitation so you can rub elbows with the right players – the hiring managers.
Here is what you need to know about the process.
The NNP role is varied throughout the country
All NNP jobs are not created equally:
- The role at ABC facility on the West Coast may be considerably different than the one at XYZ facility on the East Coast.
- The role at ABC teaching facility may be different than the local community hospital.
- There may be delivery service
- There may be a transport component to the NNP role
The difference between an 85% match versus 100% match is vast
- What if you find the exact job you want but your experience does not fit 100% of their desired (or worse – mandatory) requirements?
- What if there are one (or more) employment gaps in your employment history?
- What if there are exceptional “soft skills” you possess that are not appropriate to place on your resume?
The cover letter is where we coach our candidates on how to strategically address or reflect these issues, using what we call the ‘ResuLetter’.
The “ResuLetter’” versus the cover letter
Most cover letters are created in a total vacuum. A candidate puts together a one-size-fits-all cover letter based on what they know about themselves, not based on what they know about the job, facility, or the hiring authority.
However, we might know that transport experience is really important to a certain facility and they’ve been thinking about starting a transport team (something that may not be in the job description), so we would encourage the candidate to highlight her experience in that area. Or, maybe the hiring manager has certain preferences or biases not listed in the job posting.
Ultimately, your goal is to flip the script and create not just a generic cover letter, but a ResuLetter that is custom-tailored to the job opportunity, the interpersonal aspects of the hiring authority, or the hot buttons of the position.
It’s also a great opportunity to mention elements of importance that you did not get a chance to talk about in your resume. The traditional cover letter is all about you whereas the ResuLetter is about the job.
That’s the information employers need to see.
To illustrate our point, here is a note we received from one of our clients regarding the candidates we present to them, and their ResuLetters:
Do you coach your candidates on their cover letters? Because the ones we are getting from you really stand apart. Were it not for that cover letter, I wouldn’t have interviewed this person – Anonymous Client, Midwest
Beyond The ResuLetter
The only thing that is better than the ResuLetter is a recruiter who can present the very best of what you have to offer to hiring managers. A recruiter who takes the time to get to know you, your skills and abilities and your goals are like a living, breathing resume.
During conversations with the hiring authorities, before and after each interview, we are there to keep you fresh in the mind of the hiring authority, answer questions they might have about you, and verbally communicate to decision makers why, beyond your resume, we think you are a great fit.
