Specultive letters - yes or no and how?!

[carocaro]

I am planning to send off abour 25 letters/CV's to prospective employers, in the area of public relations. A creative industry, so to stand out should I do something more, coloured paper, include a business card, a photo - do people send photo's these days? Or should I just keep it strictly professional, with examples of work.

I don't want to come across as too desperate and cheesy, when I feel so totally out of touch with the tone and pace of the industry. And I am desperate in more ways than one!

Also what is this 'key skills' section I hear people on MN board talk about.

God, I feel so pathetic before I even start!

PS: I have 20 years experience, so not a newbie, but have not worked for 7 years.

Yes, I've done this in the past (in my previous career). I was offered a couple of jobs off the back of it. People were impressed that I had made an effort to seek them out and 'find' a job rather than wait for one to fall into my lap.

People rarely send letters these days though. I would write a straightforward professional email and attach a copy of my CV. There's less chance it will be lost. It can be forwarded quickly and it also won't cost you a stamp, ink and paper!

I would include key skills in my covering email. It's basically just a bulleted overview of who you are/what you do:-

• Graduate
• 10 years experience at board level
• Fluent in Spanish, Japanese and Urdu
• Etc.

Hope that helps. Good luck!