On the blog, I have a recap of Brandi Bernoskie, a speaker and chief executive officer of Alchemy and Aim, episode from the podcast. We discuss topics ranging from her evolution to bits of advice for people starting with a website and include leadership styles and nuggets for leaders, among other things. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss as well as the blog recap.
Who is Brandi?
Brandi Bernoskie is a speaker, strategist, and the founder of Alchemy and Aim, a brand involved in building excellent websites to support their clients. Brandi is a visionary that seeks to find new ways to co-create with collaborators and clients and to connect people and help them dream bigger by combining insightful questioning with strategic planning.
Nuggets and advice for listeners
When asked about her advice for the listeners, Brandi stated a couple of things that were the takeaway. She said people need to learn to embrace the evolution rather than trying to get to a particular point; she went ahead to mention that it’s not just about perfection but excellence because perfection is getting to a place and rigidly adhering to being there while excellence on the other is embracing the evolution of it all. In her words, “it’s all an evolution.”
Brandi is an expert in several areas of business ranging from starting her own company, leading teams from afar or remotely, but she’s definitely an expert on website creation and branding. One topic she shared on the podcast that we all wonder about is… is the cover letter dead? We started talking about this when building teams, especially remotely. So, here is my takeaway from her amazing perspective and insight.
For a very long time, cover letters have been used to convey information about prospective employees to the employer to convince them that they fit the job. Thus, cover letters were highly essential in the past, and one could say without them, there were few chances of getting hired, but today, you don’t just need a cover letter; you need an appealing one.
The cover letter is much more than a formality; it is an avenue to impress employers. The ways you express yourself in your cover letter will show the reader your personality, enthusiasm, and true intentions. Also, a well-written cover letter shows the employer that you have researched the company and understand the job requirements.
It’s essential to let the employers know why you are interested in the role you are applying for with the company. Hence, most companies prefer to give out some questionnaire with a couple of questions to determine if your resume is worth looking at. My guest on the podcast specifically stated that she doesn’t think the cover letters go an extra mile to let the employers know your real intentions towards their company. Hence, she prefers putting questions out there to avoid making the wrong choice. You need to think like the employer and sometimes put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, “If I was the on hiring, what would I be looking for?”, “What would be my criteria to hire someone?” and when you begin to think like that, you will now start to write not as an applicant but as an employee.
I am not entirely ruling out cover letters, but when you want to send them out, ensure that you do your homework about that company and most importantly, check your intentions and make sure that you are going there not only because you need a job or the salary is attractive but because you are passionate about the mission of the company and want to help with its growth. So to the question of the day, “is the cover letter still a thing?”, well, I would yes, but it has evolved from being just a bunch of information about yourself to a way to show your distinctive combination of skills and experience to meet the job description requirements.
To write a fantastic cover letter, use the following steps outlined;
- Research the company
- Use a tone that gives the employer insight into your personality
- List out the kind of traits you possess that could add value to their team
- Explain briefly why you are a good fit for the job (make sure to focus less on yourself and more on the company).
Finally, when writing your cover letter, don’t focus too much on yourself, rather than focus on the company.
Always remember your cover letter will determine if your resume is worth looking at.
Relevant resources and links
Connect with Brandi via her website https://alchemyandaim.com/
Or follow on Instagram to find out more about her business
https://www.instagram.com/brandibernoskie/
You can follow the podcast on Instagram using the link below
https://www.instagram.com/mayaroffler/
https://www.instagram.com/mayapinionpodcast/
You can connect via the podcast official website via the link attached
