woR玉sEET-1 IAM: BECAUSE I: (your skill, unusual ability, (how you acquired this unique trait, or area of expertise) particular strength) I am a silledvoter because I woad at yor leading aomstitr fr aer 15 yE I am kowieigsble invar because I studied at te (nter Training rter. I am eggneainhEEw because i was tenmetwobller fr um emmert sales Deee fr 3 years ama thiller fr Greal № tars for10 I am because i I an because i I a because i because i I am because i 28
WORKSHEET 3-1 23 I AM: BECAUSE I: (your skill, unusual ability, (how you acquired this unique trait, or area of expertise) particular strength) I am_________________________ ___________________________________ askilledworker because I workedatyourleadingcompetitorfor ______________________________ _________________________________________ over15years. _________________________________________ I am_________________________ ___________________________________ knowledgeable in word because I studied at the Computer TrainingCenter. p______________________________ _________________________________________ rocessing _________________________________________ I am _________________________ ___________________________________ experiencedinheavy because I wasthenumber-twobillerforJohn eq_________________________ ___________________________________ uipmentsales Deerefor3yearsandatopbillerforGeneral M_________________________________________ otors for 10. I am because I ______________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ I am because I ______________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ I am because I ______________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ I am because I ______________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ I am because I ______________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 23
WORKSEIEET3-2: SO YOU With that done, you're now ready to seize a powerful advantage over your com- petition In their letters, those against whom you' re competing are certain to include the type of facts you've written in Worksheet 3-1--facts like"I am a skilled work er,"and"I am trained in using a word processor. Although these facts may be true, standing alone they require recruiters and employers to do all the work, that is, to interpret what these statements will mean to the company, to discern why they are beneficial. You, however, can easily handle this for your reader. Simply ask yourself, What does this mean to my potential employer? " Instead of just stating that you are a skilled worker, translate this fact into a benefit, such as"so you won t have to train me. "To the statement"I am trained to use a word processor"you might add"so you save training time and money because I can begin being productive for you from day one. If you have chosen to cite the fact that you rarely take sick days, translate this into"Because I rarely take sick days, you can count on adding a very reliable worker to your support staff Therefore, to complete Worksheet 3-2, think about the benefits you can offer your next employer based on the statements you made in Worksheet 3-1. For each I am"and"because I" you wrote on the preceding page, add a corresponding, And what this means for you is"in Worksheet 3-2. As a guide, relate benefits to the areas that are of greatest concern to employers: profits, productivity, and per- formance Go directly to Worksheet 3-2. Or, complete this and the other two worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You'll find instructions for using the CD-ROm at the back of this book. 24
WORKSHEET 3-2: SO YOU... With that done, you’re now ready to seize a powerful advantage over your competition. In their letters, those against whom you’re competing are certain to include the type of facts you’ve written in Worksheet 3-1—facts like “I am a skilled worker,” and “I am trained in using a word processor.” Although these facts may be true, standing alone they require recruiters and employers to do all the work, that is, to interpret what these statements will mean to the company, to discern why they are beneficial. You, however, can easily handle this for your reader. Simply ask yourself, “What does this mean to my potential employer?” Instead of just stating that you are a skilled worker, translate this fact into a benefit, such as “so you won’t have to train me.” To the statement “I am trained to use a word processor” you might add “so you save training time and money because I can begin being productive for you from day one.” If you have chosen to cite the fact that you rarely take sick days, translate this into “Because I rarely take sick days, you can count on adding a very reliable worker to your support staff.” Therefore, to complete Worksheet 3-2, think about the benefits you can offer your next employer based on the statements you made in Worksheet 3-1. For each “I am” and “because I” you wrote on the preceding page, add a corresponding, “And what this means for you is” in Worksheet 3-2. As a guide, relate benefits to the areas that are of greatest concern to employers: profits, productivity, and performance. 24 Go directly to Worksheet 3-2. Or, complete this and the other two worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You’ll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book. 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 24
woR玉 SHEET3-2 AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU IS: (what benefits your skills, special traits, or background offer your next employer what positive difference or improvements you can make so you will save tie arney sirre yuuuwm'thae totrainne so you will have a waker wo is prive famdaye so you gtasalesrepesartative wm chit tregromnmirg .so you so you .so you so you 25
WORKSHEET 3-2 25 ...AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU IS: (what benefits your skills, special traits, or background offer your next employer, what positive difference or improvements you can make) ...so you will save time and money since you won’thavetotrainme. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you willhaveaworkerwhoisproductivefromdayone. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you getasalesrepresentativewhocanhitthegroundrunning. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ...so you ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 25
Once youve completed Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2, youve identified you strengths and the facts that support them. More importantly, you've linked them directly to benefits that you can offer your next employer. Now you have suc cessfully created unique ideas that you can introduce in your jobhunting letters The sample letters in this book will provide many examples of how to do this Or, try to combine your entries from Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2 into full tences. Use the sentences word for word, or reconstruct the sentence into alte tive forms. The options on Worksheet 3-3 demonstrate how many ways there are to build a sentence describing the benefits you offer an employer Go directly to Worksheet 3-3. Or, complete this and the other two worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You'll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book 26
Once you’ve completed Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2, you’ve identified your strengths and the facts that support them. More importantly, you’ve linked them directly to benefits that you can offer your next employer. Now you have successfully created unique ideas that you can introduce in your jobhunting letters. The sample letters in this book will provide many examples of how to do this. Or, try to combine your entries from Worksheets 3-1 and 3-2 into full sentences. Use the sentences word for word, or reconstruct the sentence into alternative forms. The options on Worksheet 3-3 demonstrate how many ways there are to build a sentence describing the benefits you offer an employer. 26 Go directly to Worksheet 3-3. Or, complete this and the other two worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You’ll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book. 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 26
WORKSHEET 3.3 HOW TO USE THIS IN YOUR LETTER: enefit Statement Options What this means for you is Because i I am What this means for you is so you You(so you) because I L and I am You(so you) y am which I developed/became /achieved through/as (because Through(because D) I have developed/built/become(I am) and that means you Throughout my(because D I achieved/succeeded in/produced/excelled at (I am) As a result, you/The result is that you(so you) 27
WORKSHEET 3-3 27 HOW TO USE THIS IN YOUR LETTER: Benefit Statement Options I am ________________ because I ______________________________________________. What this means for you is ___________________________________________________. Because I ______________________________________________, I am _______________. What this means for you is ___________________________________________________. Because I ______________________________________________, I am _______________, so you _____________________________________________________________________. You (so you) _____________________________ because I __________________________ _________________________________________, and I am _________________________. You (so you) ____________________________________________________ thanks to my (I am) _________________________, which I developed/became/achieved through/as (because I) _________________________________________________________________. Through (because I) _________________________________________________________, I have developed/built/become (I am) ________________________________________, and that means you _________________________________________________________. Throughout my (because I) ___________________________________________________, I achieved/succeeded in/produced/excelled at (I am) ___________________________. As a result, you/The result is that you (so you) _________________________________. 04 6/27/03 9:20 AM Page 27