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Qualifications letters, better known as Q-letters, are special types of cover letters that highlight your skills and qualifications in direct correlation with the requirements of the position you are applying for. Q-letters work better than the traditional cover letter because they provide an immediate representation of how your specific skills and experience will translate into value for the employer. A well-drafted Q-letter can even be sent in lieu of a resume for positions which are unsolicited and have not yet been announced.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions 

things you'll need:

Read over the job description for the position you are applying for. Circle each of the job duties and responsibilities that you have performed within your current or past work experiences. If you have little or no work experience, look for key transferable skills. These are skills that can apply to any industry and could have been acquired in any life experience (work, volunteer, school, parenting, etc.).

Prepare a two-columned table. In the first column, create a numbered list of up to five duties and requirements from the job description with which you have the most experience. In the second column, write an accomplishments-driven statement that fulfills the correlating job duty or requirement. For instance, if the job duty required is "answer phones", your corresponding accomplishments-driven statement could be "routed calls via a multi-lined switchboard".

Begin the letter as you normally would a traditional cover letter by addressing the hiring manager, announcing the reason/position you are applying and a quick introduction to your qualifications. Next, include your comparison table. Be sure to format it properly so that it can be easily read. Conclude your letter with a paragraph summarizing your skills and another value-added accomplishments-driven statement that makes you an excellent candidate for the position. You may also add a tidbit about the company (information you gathered from your research) that appeals to you as an ideal workplace. Remember to provide your contact details and the best times to reach you for an interview.

Check back in with the hiring manager in about five to seven days to ensure the Q-letter was received and to ask if there are any questions regarding your skills and experience. You may decide to forward a fresh copy of your resume at this time if you did not include it with your Q-letter.

Tips & Warnings

• Jobseekers with little or no work experience (career changers, college students, teens, etc.) should use skills-based functional resumes to highlight their key transferable skills over job history.

• Providing your target salary in a Q-letter or cover letter is an excellent way to deal with the salary history question. Your past salary history is really none of your potential employer's business so you do not have to provide it if you do not want to.

• Research your position to find out the current market rate for the position you are seeking so that you do not price yourself too high or too low when requesting your target salary.

Resources

• FREE Introductory Career Coaching Session
• FREE Resume Workshop for Career Changers
• Buy Resumes for Dummies