I DESPISE writing cover letters!!!

[dolo amber]

:nuke:

I demand this practice be discontinued immediately. WHY do I have to write a cover letter, basically re-stating what my resume says?? And I have a really hard time with the "I'm SPECIAL!! PICK ME!!" sort of attitude you're expected to have. :grr:

From now on, I am going to submit the following.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I'm swell. Read my resume if you don't believe me. That is all.

Carry on,

Diane

:D

[Catholic Sensation]

1. I wrote a bunch a couple of weeks ago, and I've never felt dirtier

The tone of my cover letters is the complete opposite of how I really am. I sound like I'm some kind of happy go lucky 100% optimistic acynical child.

Of course if I wrote like I do on my site, I'd probably never get hired.

[Guy_Montag]

2. Yeah - damn right. n/t

[Fenris]

3. Aww, dolo's angwy!

:loveya:

[dolo amber]

9. Shaddup, foo'!!

Hey, Fen, ol' buddy ol' pal who's all good with the words and the writing and such...help a brotha out!! :D

:*

[Fenris]

11. Dunno, babe. Never had to write a cover letter.

Although I've written many "official" things, the kind one sends to offices. I am usually short and to the point, and don't use language that sounds haughty or elitist. Be positive, but don't be chipper (which you should have no problem with).

[GregW]

4. Don't sweat it!

Let's face it, your cover letter lasts all of 30 seconds after being received, recruiters only retain and scan your resume. Develop something boilerplate, make one paragraph variable and customize for each targeted company. Spell check. Send.

[Xithras]

27. Not quite, they can be your only hope sometimes.

Sorry, but I've been tasked with doing the initial cull at several companies in the past, and your cover letter is often the only thing read on your resume. One position that I sat in on about a year ago received more than 600 resumes from people wanting the job. Two of us got the job of going through this stack to whittle it down to the 30 or so applicants we'd actually interview.

Our first pass was based solely on their cover letters. If I didn't see the requirements and experience that we had posted for the job listed on the letter, the resume went into the circular without ever being read. The resumes themselves were never even opened until we got the applicants list narrowed to the top 100. This is a common practice in many companies, and one that every job seeker should be aware of.

Your cover letter may only last 30 seconds, but those 30 seconds often decide whether you get an interview or get overlooked.

[GOPisEvil]

5. I hate them, too.

If I were hiring, I'd only read through the cover letter to see if the applicant could spell and complete sentences. Asfor qualifications, that is what the resume is for.

Cover letters suck!

[supernova]

6. I know what you mean, Dolo

Cover letters sound so fake, but it's what hiring people expect.

I just left a job fair that basically didn't have anything for me, so I came home early. :evilfrown:

*sigh* another day in the pits.

Hope you are having better luck.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

7. I feel your pain

Our career services office recommends the following format for our cover letters:

1st paragraph: Introduce yourself briefly and them what you're seeking
2nd paragraph: Sell yourself! Describe your strengths and skills
3rd paragraph: Thank them and tell them when you'll be available for
interviews, etc.

It always seems to help having a format. I can just tailor the 2nd paragraph to the job (e.g., if it's a criminal practice, I mention my criminal law experience; if it's civil practice, I mention taking Trial Advocacy and doing a clinic this fall)

What sort of job are you seeking?

[dolo amber]

18. Busboy, toilet scrubber

at this point, I ain't picky. ;)

Most of the jobs I'm applying for at the mo' are just your standard admin asst, clerical kind of thing. There are loads of them in this area and they pay pretty decently. I've had a few interviews and I'm not sure why I'm not getting hired; they all tell me I'm very qualified, they seem to get along with me...Maybe I'm just too fidgety (as I tend to get when sitting and talking for prolonged periods)...:shrug:

[achtung_circus]

8. One of the things I have judged cover letters for

is whether the applicant felt strongly enough about the job to provide one. I usually feel that otherwise I'm just part of a mass fax-out. As we usually get 200 applicants for each position the whittling down process is brutal.

One quick scan quickly consigns most of them to file 13. Other factors- if they can't demonstrate in their cover letter that they read the job posting and have some clue just what the job entails---OUT.

Cover letters may be a pain to write but the boilerplate idea works long enough to make it over that first hurdle. After that I judge on the contents of the resume.

[dolo amber]

10. Yeah, I know I know...

*sigh*

I know it actually DOES serve a purpose, but dear lord it's tedious...especially after job-hunting for what is quickly approaching a YEAR...:cry:

Just blowin' off some steam. :)

[rogerashton]

12. Story!

A retired colleague directed the music programs here at Drexel University for many years. He is a horn player and composer.

He once told me over lunch how he got his first job. Basically, he applied for everything in sight, even if it was 'way off. Got nothing. At the last minute, he got a call from a university that had advertised for two fields he was not qualified in, with "teach horn" as the third field. They really needed a horn teacher, but had figured that would be easy, so listed the other fields first. But none of their applicants who were qualified in the other fields could teach horn! So they finally got down to the longshot applicants who didn't have the first two fields ... my friend got the job, and it gave him a great start.

And I said, "That story has a moral."

He said, "What?"

I said, "If you want to get a good job, you have to toot your own horn."

It's true, too.

[dolo amber]

13. Boooooo!!!!!!!!

x(

Actually, that's pretty encouraging! I'm about down to the 'longshot' category right now, so I'll start a-tootin'. ;)

[Lisa0825]

14. I have three cover letters saved, and I basically just edit them

for each job I apply for. I customize them by mentioning a few things that were in the job ad, and how I have just those very skills. It's not so bad when you just have to edit them. Starting from scratch is a pain!

Even if the letters aren't read thoroughly, or at all, they do make a more professional impression, and also give yo a chance to add a couple details that might not fit well in the resume.

You're gonna hate me for this too... I am an employment counselor, and I have asked numerous hiring managers about little details that caused them to choose certain candidates for a second interview, and almost all of them mentioned thank-you letters as one of the things that really made an impression on them. Few people send thank-yous anymore, so it really gets you noticed!

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

15. I agree about the thank you letters

I even ordered some special monogrammed cards so I could handwrite thank yous. You just don't see those much anymore.

[dolo amber]

16. Actually, I have no problem

with sending a thank you...because I'm usually genuinely grateful that they chose to interview me. It's the fake-y cover letter rubbish that makes me crazy. :crazy:

;)

[ewagner]

29. That's my tactic

It usually works pretty well.

I have a pretty high interview/application ratio. Problem is when a 50+ year-old man is being interviewed by a late-twenties something kid............

btw: thank you letters tend to move the process along one way or the other...that's a blessing.

[Whitacre D_WI]

17. Have your youngest finger-paint a picture of mommy.

Let that be your cover letter.

It will get the attention of the person responsible for hiring, and should at least get you in the door for an interview.

That is, unless you want to get a job at a stick-up-the-ass corporation like that for which I work; then you just need to type up a few paragraphs of stupid bullshit, 'cause they won't bother to read it anyway -- they just want you to do it so they can see how well you do what you've been told.

[dolo amber]

22. I'M TIRED OF BEIN' HASSLED BY THA MAN!!!

I like the finger-paint idea, tho'!! :D :hi:

(And btw, you sound like you could use a :hug:...)

[Whitacre D_WI]

23. Don't effing hug me.

I'll give you a quick kick in the shins!

[dolo amber]

24. Hmmm...

You're testing my willpower...:evilgrin:

[Whitacre D_WI]

26. Yeah, well...

You can bite my ass, you mod-faced mod!!!

Screw you and everybody who looks like you! Go jump in a lake and... um... doggie-paddle, or whatever.

Poopiehead.

[pagerbear]

19. For God's sake don't try to be clever!

Make it brief. Just follow a brief, simple formula like those others have posted. Did I mention it should be brief?

I've seen far too many cover letters and resumes from people trying to be clever--you couldn't have paid me enough to bring those people in for interviews! And the one person who was hired at my company who had sent a clever cover letter was let go within months--she was all wrong for the job.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

25. In the books I read to prepare for law school,

such as "Law School Confidential," they mention different ways people try to get an edge when applying for admission (think "Legally Blonde"). People have sent their shoes and a note saying, "Just trying to get my foot in the door!" One law student applied for jobs by sending pencils embossed with the words, "I'm on Law Review" and his name.

My take? I agree with Pagerbear. Show them how professional you are and don't try anything wacky. (Although a classmate got a scholarship interview by including on her list of hobbies on her resume that she "enjoyed operating heavy machinery!")

[DS1]

20. Do it. Be different. F*ck it.

[skippysmom]

21. I love cut and paste

I work in a very specialized field so I can send very similar letters out for each job, as the requirements and job duties are really similar. It makes cover letter writing a snap.

And I second the note about thank you notes. I was always taught to send one, but when I was in a position to hire people, I was surprised how few people actually sent one. They do impress some people, me included.

Edited to add: good luck on the job search, dolo amber!!!

[sus]

28. just say no

to writing cover letters.

there. i hope that helps.

[felonious thunk]

30. Dear dolo amber,

Thank you very much for reading my post on the topic you posted on Democratic Underground on Monday, May 24, 2004.

It is with great interest that I read your post and determined that my response would be a nice fit and quickly gain the appreciation of your other posters.

I believe this post possesses many of the skills and talents required to be a strong candidate as the best response you have received thus far.

Please do not hesitate to reply if you believe this post matches the qualifications for inclusion as relevant to this thread. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
felonious thunk

Enclosures

[dolo amber]

31. Best. Cover letter post. EVER!!

You goofball. :D :bounce: