Today, many job seekers no longer know how to write a letter of proper
motivation. They seem to forget that the "sesame" opens the door to
their careers and their future. Sometimes, some bad copy presentations C.V.
that abound on the web. These align diplomas as strings of competence while the
employer only needs to know the personality of the next employee and what he
can bring to the development of his business. It is the job seeker to
understand the business needs to offer his services in trying to go beyond
merely required profile. so try to be the best among the other potential
candidates.
In
other words, a good cover letter allows you to go beyond the C.V. - which
despite its qualities is fully turned to the past - to touch what matters most
to the employer: the interests of his company.
Leonardo da Vinci and the coolest letter of the story!
The
first letter of the story was written by Leonardo da Vinci in 1482. He was then
30 years old and was not yet the genius that is discovered later marking the
Universal History.
Born
on April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci is only in 1482 that a simple Florentine
artist in the stable of Lorenzo de 'Medici, said the magnificent (1449-1492),
known as a patron of the arts and literature. He urges the military engineer of Ludovico Maria Sforza aka the Moor (1452-1508), Duke of
Milan in Lombardy.
Here is the content of his letter of Motivation:
"I
have a way to build bridges very light and easy to carry, for the pursuit of
fleeing enemy; others more solid, which resist fire and assault, and also easy
to install and remove. I also know how to burn and destroy the bridges of the
enemy. (...) I can build cannons, mortars, fire gear and practice different
form those in use. Where we can not use guns, I can replace it with catapults
and gear to launch features an astonishing and hitherto unknown effectiveness.
Finally, whatever the case, I can find endless ways to attack. (...) In
peacetime, I can match I think anyone in architecture, build private and public
buildings, and conducting water from one place to another. (...) In painting, I
can do that would make another, whatever it may be. (...) And if any of the
things listed above you seemed impossible or impractical, I offer you to try in
your park or any other place it please your Excellency, to which I recommends
in all humility. "
Leonardo
gets the coveted post!
What lessons can we learn from his letter?
First,
it is interesting to note this simple truth, followed to the letter by the
genius inventor: the main motivation of a person is his own interest. In the
fifteenth century, were constant threats of invasion. Like any head of state,
one of the essential roles of Duke Ludovico Sforza was the defense.
Before
writing his letter, Leonardo analyzed in detail the needs of Ludovico Sforza.
Then he made a list of his ten greatest strengths, focusing on military knowledge
and skills. His talents as a painter worth his fame now he will have been in
turn mentioned at the very end of the letter, anecdotally.
Like
the Duke of Milan, all employers are asking this question: Does this
candidate will be able to solve my problems? A cover letter well written and
documented answers to clearly and precisely this concern.
The difference between the C.V. and the cover letter.
A
good cover letter allows you to go beyond the resume - which despite its
qualities is fully turned to the past - to touch what matters most to the
employer: the interests of his company.
Another
useful lesson: Leonardo insists it apart from other candidates. He explains
that he can build war equipment "different from the one in use" and
"so far unknown". It also highlights its innovation capabilities and
says it will meet in the long term, the challenges of the war: "Whatever
the case, I can find endless ways to attack."
Draw the attention of future
employer originality.
In
their book Guerilla Marketing for employment (ed. Diateino), Conrad Levinson
and David E. Perry recalls that "the letter is a promotional personal
mail, and as in any mail, the main objective is to draw attention of the
reader. Why do you want a recruiter invites you to a job interview if your
(file) makes you look like hundreds of other candidates 'project managers',
teachers ',' accountants ' or other. "
They
add that nowadays, one of the biggest mistakes a candidate can make is to think
that his case will necessarily be read in detail by recruiters. They do however
have neither the time nor the desire to read the waves cover letters, versatile
and multi-purpose. These are ignored in favor of more original letters, in
which the candidate takes the time to detail the history of his career in terms
of the employer's needs.
How
to effectively stand out from the competition and enhance its uniqueness? E.
Conrad Levinson and David Perry recommend this game: delete your name from the
letter and tell a friend that this is the letter of a common knowledge then ask
him if he can guess the identity of the person in question. If unable to login
or if he thinks having to someone else, the problem lies in the fact that the
descriptions of your experiences and accomplishments are too generic.
Leonardo finally ends his letter as follows: "And if any of the things
listed above you seemed impossible or impractical, I offer you to try in your
park." As the famous painter, candidates should always suggest a meeting
and invite their future employer in a simulation to test their skills.
_____________________________
Based on Article by Amanda Castillo in Swiss newspaper "Le Temps" of
May 12, 2016.
