Cold-Call Letter to a Recruiter
Recommended formats: Paragraph style; bullet style
Cold-call letters to recruiters are strategically identical to cold-call letters to companies. In essence, you are writing to the recruiting firm to introduce yourself (the who and the value) and explore your potential fit for current search assignments (the type of position).Two features distinguish recruiter cold-call letters from company cold-call letters. First and foremost, it is important to disclose information about your job preferences—specifically, your preferences for type of position, type of company, and geographic location. If you are willing to consider only management opportunities, share that information with the recruiter.
If you are interested in opportunities with only high-growth technology companies or medical device R&D firms, state that in your letter. If you know that you are not willing to relocate, say so.
The other unique feature of a recruiter cold-call letter is the straightforwardness with which you present information about your salary and compensation objectives. We recommend that you provide some information to give the recruiter an idea of the level of salary or type of compensation you are seeking. You can do this in several different ways, generally in the last paragraph of your cover letter.
The most common strategies for disclosing this information without giving away too much information include the following:
- Most recently, my salary has averaged $50,000 annually.
- My current salary objectives are in the $100,000 to $150,000 range.
- My salary requirements are negotiable and can be discussed at the time of an interview.
- My salary history can be discussed at the time of an interview.
Mentioning salary in cover letters is a controversial topic. In fact, discussing compensation at this point in the job search process with any recruiter or company is an issue of constant debate.
Characteristics
Cold-call letters to recruiters are uniquely characterized by the following:- Disclosure of job, company, and geographic preferences. Lay your cards on the table, and be specific about your job preferences.
- Disclosure of salary and compensation information. Unlike cold-call letters to companies, where you should never discuss compensation, it is a good policy to at least "define the ballpark" when writing to a recruiter.
Back: Types of Cover Letters
