This week I’m sharing another success story that wouldn’t have happened without our candidate’s persistent phone follow up and his excellent targeted cover letter.

I was conducting a search for an experienced Employee Benefits Account Executive. The agency role supported a very successful benefits Producer. It had a home-based office and required that the candidate reside in a specific state to allow for frequent client travel. I received over 150 resumes in just 48 hours! Sadly, over 90% lacked the required insurance Benefits Account Executive experience or were from out of state candidates with no industry experience who were just attracted to the “work from home” option.

When I initially received our winning candidate’s resume, I put it in my growing “no” pile. His resume listed benefits experience, but it lacked employment dates and used a generic “one size fits all” approach that wasn’t targeted for the AE requirements for the role.

Fortunately, our candidate was very proactive. He called me shortly after he emailed his resume. He convinced me to set up a Zoom call with him right away and once we were face to face, it was clear to me that he was an excellent candidate for the role, except that his resume was never going to get past the client’s hiring team. I told him to revise his resume to better target the AE role, and to write a targeted job-specific cover letter that I could put with his resume.  I had it within an hour. It was his “golden ticket”. It “pre-sold” him to the Hiring Manager who was so impressed that he immediately set up a Zoom interview for the next day. Their video meeting went so well that they set up a 2^nd meeting with the producer on that call, which our candidate aced, and he received the offer the next day!

The moral of the story: Thoroughly read the job posting requirements then write a good cover letter to go with your targeted resume and follow up!

1. A well-written targeted cover letter will separate you from the pack. Make sure your cover letter clearly shows that you have the required technical experience for the role or at least addresses any skills deficiencies.
2. Good old-fashioned telephone follow-up still works. It demonstrates that you can communicate effectively over the phone and not just over email or text.
3. Target your resume to the job posting, don’t use a generic “one size fits all” resume. This will make your application stand out and moves you to the “yes” pile.

If you are an experienced insurance professional and are frustrated with the resume search process, I can help.  “Contact me”, and let’s set up a confidential meeting to discuss your job search goals.