I @%$&# hate cover letters.

[Chan790]

I just need to get this off my chest. I detest them because it is impossible to write a truly interesting one that isn't summarily rejected. A idiotic piece of minutia which could be useful if they were not so formal in terms of form and expected content.

Everyone reads exactly the same:

MM/DD/YYYY

Ms. Elaine Boss-Person
Director of Human Resources
Blah-blah Foundation
123 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10012

Dear Ms. Boss-Person:

I was so excited to see Blah-blah Foundation's current opening for a (insert inane position that probably should not require a cover letter) on Idealist.org. I have been seeking an opportunity such as this and feel that I would be a great fit for your needs.

In my most recent position with ______, I have done X, Y and Z. Some of my achievements were A, B and C. I have experience with D, E and F. I also speak fluent Urdu, won an award in ____ and successfully ___________.

I look forward to hearing from you and would be glad to answer any questions you might have about my experiences and qualifications.

Sincerely,

Chan790

So blah, so boring and unoriginal...how the heck do you stand out writing this crap?

[Bucky]

1. Mail them your shoe.

The letter should only say, "I just wanted to get this in the door." Then have your resume glued to the heel.

You won't get the job, but you'll sure as hell stand out.

[graywarrior]

2. LOL!

[KG]

3. I've never used one. got plenty of jobs w/o it.

[Chan790]

4. The one I really want...

expressly states that resumes without one will not be considered. It's not really unreasonable honestly, it is a position which requires a lot of letter writing. Development Associate for the NY Public Library.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. You stand out by being grammatically correct, dynamic, terse, and efficient.

They look for a few things, and so here is how you stand out from the others:

1. Does the cover letter shout out "I spent time raking over this sonofabitch making sure every word is spelled correctly, every sentence makes sense, every rule of grammar has been followed". That tells the person that you actually care about your work.

2. It's a chance for you to brag about the stuff that doesn't go in the resume, and highlight the successes you've had, to show that you can get a job done, get it done well, and have some initiative.

3. It's a chance that you actually know what the job is that you are applying for (that it's not just a generic cover letter that you send to everything)

4. And a chance to show that you are literate.



You're right, though - they are a pain in the ass.

But many will be passed over for the simple shit - spelling the company name wrong, grammar errors, getting a job title wrong, long-windedness, incoherence, and so forth.

Amazing how many people don't bother to write correctly, and lose out on the good jobs, and so have to filter themselves down to the second and third and fourth tier places that only get poorly written stuff, and so don't discard resumes for being poorly done.

[elocs]

6. What a charade the whole cover letter/resume razzamatazz is.

A dance of deception where everyone knows the steps are hyped or misleading.

[triguy46]

7. I got a cover letter once for an entry level marketing rep that was not a cover letter....

rather a Glamour Shots photo much like this, then followed by pages with large font exclamations like, "She's FANTASTIC!!!!!" with stars, smiley faces. My only regret is I didn't keep it.

[Chan790]

8. Didja hire her?

:hide:

[triguy46]

9. She didn't even get an interview.