A rewarding part of this job is the mentoring aspect–helping folks find the areas where they excel and watching them thrive. Obviously I try to do this everyday for those around me. Having been in the industry for a long while, I will also get calls from people looking to make a move, and not necessarily to us. As time permits, I try to help. It’s a rewarding hobby.

A few things I’ve shared consistently over the years:

• College students are the ones who need a resume (and with a short concise cover note, I might add.) Where one has experience, a conversational letter in narrative form is much better than a list of bullets.
• When one makes a connection, it needs to be honest and be real. Anticipate how the recipient will read the message and picture yourself being them as you wordsmith it. Get to the heart and the brain in just a few sentences so they will continue to read.
• Written communication will not get a job. You will get the position based upon making the right contact with the right situation and then getting an audience. Devote your time to researching qualified leads.

If you make your focus more on personal relationships and less on the keyboard, I think you’ll be well served.