It’s a daunting market for many job hunters. Every corporate job opening gets about 250 applications on average.
Candidates are struggling to stand out in a crowded landscape. If you have a solid resume and cover letter, that’s a start. But you may need a letter of experience as well.
What is a letter of experience? It’s a bit like a letter of recommendation. If you have references, you might ask them to write one for you.
Keep reading to find out more about letters of experience, including how to request one.
What a Letter of Experience Says
Many job applications ask you to list references right off the bat. That can be frustrating if you’re not even sure if you’ll make it past the initial screening.
But there’s a reason companies do that. They know that you’ll present yourself in the best light possible. They need outside verification that you’re as good as your resume says you are.
That verification can come about in a couple of different ways. Many employers still want to call or email your references. That lets them ask questions in the moment.
But some will also accept a letter of experiences. Here’s an example of what that might look like.
On your resume, you mention your work as a social media manager. At a past job, you claim you increased the number of Twitter followers from 1,000 to 10,000 in six months.
That’s an impressive claim. An experience letter will confirm that yes, you do have that particular experience. The number of Twitter followers truly did increase that much while you were in charge of social media.
Asking for a Letter of Experience
Learning about a letter of experience might make you nervous. After all, you already feel weird asking people to be a reference. Isn’t asking them to write a letter a bit much?
That depends on your relationship with the person referring you. Chances are, anyone who is willing to get listed as a reference is also willing to write a letter of experience on your behalf.
The letter doesn’t have to be long. It can be brief and still hit the high points of your time working underneath the person.
It’s also not a big design project. In fact, there are templates for letters of experience available online.
If your reference is struggling, hand them a copy of your resume. That will give them something to use as a guide.
When they know what you want to highlight, they’ll have a better idea of what to showcase when they write a letter of experience. If possible, you should also send them the job posting.
Maybe you have experience in marketing and communications, but you’re applying to a job that’s focused more on the latter. That will help your reference decide what to say in the letter.
More Job Hunting Tips
A letter of experience can be part of your initial job application. Attaching it could be a great way to impress the hiring manager before they even talk to you.
If this article was helpful, we’ve got more. Bookmark our site for additional tips that will keep you feeling productive and motivated.