So you’re seeking a pharmaceutical sales position, well, that is wonderful. Pharmaceutical sales is a great field and is wide open to outstanding sales people like you. However, you must keep in mind that competition is fierce but if you have what it takes you can and will succeed. The key to succeeding however is getting hired and in order to get hired, you’ve got to stand out from the other applicants. A great sales cover letter will help you do just that.

After all, a cover letter is the first thing your potential employer will see. In fact, potential employers often review it before they even see your résumé. Many times they’ll simply review the cover and if it is lacking, they’ll simply trash it along with your resume. So, to keep this from happening, you need to create a great cover letter that avoids the trash and gets you noticed.

If you’re like most applicants however, you have no idea how to go about creating a great sales cover letter. Well, we can help. You see, we know all about creating great cover letters and will help you succeed in your cover letter writing quest. In this article, we’ll help you avoid the general mistakes that novice (and unemployed) cover letter writer make. We’ll teach you how to create an outstanding cover letter that gets you noticed!

Here are some tips that you must follow:

1. Don’t brag. First of all, you must keep in mind that there is a definite line between bragging and highlighting your accomplishments. Although it is always a great idea to accentuate the positive, bragging is an absolute no no and so is lying. Therefore, be honest and open and don’t brag.
2. Sell yourself. Second, focus on selling yourself. A cover letter is a place where you focus on how you would meet the requirements of your potential employer. In the cover letter, you must sell yourself and your qualifications. Talk about what you can do for XYZ Company not what they can do for you.
   • Keep it brief. Highlight the most important qualifications in your resume and keep in short sweetie. Nobody is interested in your life story. Only include relevant points that will add to your qualification and help you stand out from the crowd. Never make your cover letter too long. Instead focus on why you’re the most qualified and what you have to offer the employer.
   • Do not be repetitive. A cover letter should build on what is in your résumé. Do not make a mistake of repeating all that you have said in it, at least not word for word
   • Address it correctly. Never address a cover letter to “Whom It May Concern”. This is the shortest route to the dustbin. If you do not know the name of the person concerned, you can start with, “Dear Mr. HRD Manager,” or “Dear Mr. Hiring Manager”

In conclusion, you can create a great cover letter that gets you noticed. One that doesn’t get thrown in the trash and gets your résumé read. Simply follow the above mentioned tips and you’ll be on your way to getting hired for yoru dream pharmaceutical job.

Everyone knows that it is customary to send a cover letter with your resume when applying for a position as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Unfortunately, many people have no idea how to write a compelling letter that not only highlights their skill, but calls for action on the part of the reader. All too often those seeking a job as a pharma rep write a boring letter that tells the reader the same thing as the resume that came with it. When your cover letter lacks meaningful information, it may cause the hiring manager who reads it doubt about your ability. A poorly written cover letter can actually work against you, even if your resume is perfect!

Since it is essential to creative a favorable impression, you want your cover letter to be effective. This applies to cover letter s sent for specific pharmaceutical sales rep job openings, networking within the pharma industry or submission to a major pharmaceutical company to explore any opportunities. Effective components that must be present in a cover letter include:

• Your name
• Your contact information (be sure to provide as many ways to get in touch with as possible and always have an answering machine hooked up to each number).
• Your ultimate objective (why you are writing).
• A reference to any previous conversations or meeting you have had with this person. For example: “When we me at the Seattle Pharmaceutical Conference, you informed me of a pending launch date for a new drug aimed at alleviating congestion. In my current role, I have assisted our product launch group with the introduction of 3 new drugs within the past 8 months. As a result of my efforts, sales of these new products have set records within my defined territory since introduction.”
• State your relationship to the recipient or how you were referred and why.
• State a good reason for your interest in that particular pharmaceutical organization. That will require research, but will set you apart if you are thorough and sincere.
• Request network referrals. If you are writing a blind networking letter, try something like: “I would appreciate any referral you can give me to those within the pharmaceutical industry who may benefit from my skills and experience as a sales representative.”
• Always request follow-up from any letter you send. State the action you want or will take, like: “I will call you next week to discuss the available opportunity further”.
• Never, ever forget to thank the reader for their time and consideration!
• Always include a copy of your resume and a business card.

Here are some other Do’s and Don’ts that are helpful to ensure your targeted pharmaceutical sales cover letter makes the right impression:

• Do: State your message clearly and concisely. Keep the cover letter to one page.
• Do: Send an e-mail cover letter , BUT always follow up with a hard copy.
• Do: State your position objective (why you are looking for a new opportunity, but use your judgment here).
• Do: Provide specific examples of your achievements pertinent to the job posting, description or stated needs of the pharmaceutical company.
• Don’t: Use cute or risqué e-mail addresses. If you have an e-mail address like babycakes98 or hotpants, get another one for professional use.
• Don’t: Be cute on your voice mail greeting. Rerecord it to be generic and professional.
• Don’t: Use a PO Box as a return address. It sounds too impermanent and that can scare some employers. Many postal stores have street addresses and suite numbers for your mailbox.
• Don’t: Write your letter as though you are the end-all-be-all of the pharmaceutical sales reps. Be honest about your achievements and do promote them, just don’t come across as too heavy handed.

Copyright © 2000 by Kevin Donlin

Career changes are common today. And challenging.

If you’re like most people trying to switch careers, you’ve had a hard time writing an effective résumé and cover letter . Because to do so, you have to prove you have the skills and/or experience to do a job that’s very different from what you’ve done before.

Here’s how to make that career switch by writing a résumé and cover letter that get results.

1. Consider taking a half-step toward a new career.
   Let’s say you’re an administrative assistant … who wants to be a lion tamer. You can certainly try to move right into lion taming and write a résumé that emphasizes those skills.

   But another way would be to get a job as an administrative assistant at a company employing lion tamers. Once inside, you can try for an internal promotion to lion taming after you’ve had a chance to learn from those on staff.

2. Avoid functional résumés.
   The functional résumé, which usually lists “skills” or “areas of expertise,” followed by a sparse career history, is the kiss of death.

   Why?

   It’s used by job seekers to hide something in their past, which is a red flag for most hiring managers.

   So, what résumé format works best?

3. Try a hybrid format.
   Write a résumé that mixes relevant skills, achievements and experience, with your most valuable points near the beginning.

   You could lead with a tailored objective, like this: OBJECTIVE “Position in lion taming where skills in communication and a strong knowledge of animal control will add value.”

   Then, follow with a PROFILE section, where you define and develop the 2-4 skills or areas of expertise you offer. These can come from anywhere in your career — a degree you completed last month or a hobby that makes you an expert.

   If room allows, follow with a SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS section, where you can include 2-4 bullet points describing the best things you’ve done related your target job. You can include achievements from paid or volunteer work, hobbies or education.

   Then follow with your EDUCATION/TRAINING or EXPERIENCE section, depending on which is more relevant to your new career.

   Be sure to include dates, explain any gaps and write in language that fits your next job.

4. Use your cover letter to really state your case.
   If you show enthusiasm in your cover letter and make it easy for the reader to see that you have the potential to succeed in a new career, your chances of doing so are much improved!

   Taken together, a résumé that makes it easy for employers to see your relevant skills, combined with a hard-hitting cover letter, can help make your career change a success.

Best of luck to you!

. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letter s and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal’s National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.

How many fishermen do you know who only have one lure in their tackle box or always use the same bait every time they go fishing? None, probably. That’s because a smart fisherman knows different situations require different lures and different baits. A smart job hunter knows this, too, and includes several types of lures and baits in his or her job search tackle box to attract prospective employers within different situations.

An effective job search requires four types of resumes for use in four different types of submission approaches. Each of these resume “end products” serves a distinct purpose in your job search. Armed with all four submission products, you will be able to conduct a full job search campaign using both traditional and electronic job search methods, increasing your chances for a successful job search.

1. Word Processor File – This file is at the heart of the job search and forms the basis for each of the other resume types. As a stand-alone file, it can be used as an attachment to e-mail messages so that prospective employers can bring it up on their screen, view it, print it out, and/or store it in their computer database. You can also copy the file to floppy disks and use them as handouts to people you meet.
2. Printed Copies – This is the most commonly known resume presentation used in a job search. The traditional printed resume has been used successfully for years as a mailed submission and as a professional presentation attached to an application form. Your printed resume should be attractive and conservative in layout. It should be printed on high quality, light-colored stationery. To prevent “bleeding” of text, ink jet printing is not recommended. The text should be dark in color, preferably black. If your resume is two-pages in length, or accompanied by a cover letter , don’t staple your documents together, but use a paper clip to bind. When mailing your resume, use a 9×12 envelope so you can mail your documents without folding. Following these guidelines will ensure that your documents will arrive in good order and that they can be photocopied, faxed, or scanned by the recipient with good results.
3. HTML Coded Resume File

   – HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the language and coding system used for everything you see on the World Wide Web. Your resume has to be in HTML code to be viewable as a Web page. Although raw HTML code can be pretty intimidating, software is available that can convert standard word-processed text into HTML code. This allows the HTML resume to retain much of its format and attractive presentation. The bad news is that the resulting file usually still needs some “tweaking” to make it look good on the Web, and it may never hold the complete formatting that your word processed file contains (although it’s close). One of the advantages of using a resume Web page in your job search is the ease and speed with which you can submit your document to potential employers and companies of interest. Your resume can be in the hands of the potential employer within moments, and, unlike other quick submission methods (faxing, for example) the resulting presentation is attractive, cost effective, and convenient. HTML code also allows your e-mail address to be presented as a hyperlink in your resume, making a response from your reader easy and simple. You can also include a hyperlink (preferably at the bottom of your HTML resume) to your MS Word file, so that interested employers can download this file of your resume for inclusion into their resume databases. The resume Web page gives your readers several convenient options for handling your resume, including: reading from their computer screen, printing, saving to file, and bookmarking for later review in addition to giving them a convenient way to respond to you (via e-mail).

   A couple of words of caution on your resume Web page design:

   • Unless you’re looking for a position requiring skill in Web page design and graphics, be careful about adding lots of graphics (especially large graphics) and colored background files to your resume. These features can add significantly to the time it takes for your page to load and can be especially bad if you’re on a slow server.
   • Also, some people like to add links (on their Web resume) to current and previous employers’ Web pages, particularly when they’ve participated in the creation of these sites. Before you do this, however, consider that when you include these hyperlinks, you are actually sending readers away from your document. Additionally, you may distract your readers’ attention away from your qualifications and hiring value for the position you’re currently targeting. You want to keep your reader focused on your accomplishments and current career goals, rather than diverting their attention somewhere else.

   Once your HTML resume file has been created, there are several different ways you can use it in your job search:

   • Your own Web page – Most internet service providers and commercial on-line services include space on their servers where you can post your own Web page as part of your standard monthly service.
   • Submittal to employment-related sites – Some employment-related Web sites accept HTML resume files for searching by prospective employers. Most of these sites charge a separate fee to convert your resume to HTML code and a separate fee to post the resulting file. If your resume is already in HTML format, you can save anywhere from $10 to $75.
   • E-mail to prospective employers – Most e-mail packages (including Netscape Mail, Microsoft Mail, Pegasus Mail, Eudora Mail, Hotmail, and others) will automatically create a hyperlink to your resume Web page when you include your URL in the body of your message. This makes it easy for the recipient of your message to go directly to your resume. When you include your URL in your messages, it’s important to use your full address and to surround it with the “<>” symbols. For example: . Surrounding the URL with the “<>” symbols defines the full URL and keeps it from including other text and/or symbols (the period at the end of a sentence, for example, if your URL is at the end of the sentence.)
   • Posting to Usenet Newsgroups – You can include your resume Web page’s URL in posting to the job search and resume newsgroups in the same manner as you do for e-mail messages described above.
4. ASCII Coded Resume File – Like the HTML resume, the ASCII file resume is also used for your online job search. Other than the fact they are both used on the Internet and, therefore, are both referred to as “electronic resumes”, they share nothing else in common. The HTML resume contains rich formatting that makes your resume come to life, visually, when posted as a Web page. In contrast, the ASCII file resume is a very plain, text-only version of your word-processed resume. Visually, this version bears absolutely no resemblance to your HTML or word-processed resume. It has a “typewriter” look to it and has no boldface type, italics, tabs, underlining, or fancy fonts. It also has to have “hard” carriage returns at the end of each line and the line length should be no longer than 65 characters. While the least attractive of all the various resume end products, it fills a need for certain situations where none of the other formats will work. Its applications include:
   • Submittal to employment-related sites – For those employment sites where you cannot post your HTML resume, you will need to submit an ASCII file version. The procedure for using your file this way is simple . . . just “cut and paste” the file to the designated area on the Web site.
   • E-mail to prospective employers

     – In some cases, you’ll need to use the ASCII file of your resume in your e-mail messages. For example, if you think the recipient may only have e-mail service with no Web access, you’d want to “cut and paste” your ASCII file into your message since the recipient wouldn’t be able to access your HTML Web page. Also, if you send your word processed file as an attachment to your e-mail message and your recipient isn’t using the same word processing software you use, they won’t be able to read it. In this situation, you’ll want to give them an ASCII file since an ASCII file can be read by all word and text processors.

   • Posting to Usenet Newsgroups – Instead of including a hyperlink to your HTML resume Web page, you could “cut and paste” your ASCII resume file into your newsgroup posting. The advantage is that your resume is right there in front of the reader when your posting appears. The disadvantage is that your resume won’t be nearly as attractive as your Web page resume. Of course, you could do both.

You’ve filled your job search tackle box with all the lures and bait you need . . . and you know where and how to use them. So hang out your “Gone Fishing” sign and bring home a big one!