Cover Letters

[WxMurray 0]

Okay, so I graduated college in May, and I've been looking for a job since. I've found quite a few. They just haven't found me, apparently.

 

So for the first time in a month and a half, I have come across a job opening that has a lot of potential. Among the items I send in each resume package is a cover letter, that thing that's supposed to be a bit more personal than just a resume. I've never been truly satisfied with the ones I have been writing up until now, and I'd like some advice from you people on how to write one, the sort of thing to put in one, etc. I suspect people are better at this than websites are (the best advice I've had thus far is "look it up on Google, there are bound to be websites out there that tell you how" - yeah, a bazillion of them, none of which are of any real help. Real, live people are so much better).

 

And for you high school and college students out there, if you have the opportunity to take a course on job interviews, resume and cover letter writing, etc: TAKE IT! It never occured to me to take one, nor did anyone else ever recommend I take one. In hindsight, while I may not have enjoyed the class, as I probably wouldn't, I would have taken away a lot from it that would have helped me.

[V'Roy 0]

I have never seen a college course on resumes, cover letters, interviews, etc. However, pretty much any college has a career counseling office that offers these services, often for free. Also, don't be afraid to use a professional resume-writing service. They will know how to present your background / education in ways you had not thought of. Usually they charge $100-200 for their services. This may seem like a lot for a college student, but if you get a job out of it then it pays for itself.

 

As for cover letters, I'm not sure how valuable they are. Some job boards won't let you send your resume unless you also have a cover letter but the most used ones do not have this requirement. There are some jobs I applied to where cover letters were mandatory, especially at educational institutions, but every offer I ever received was without a cover letter.

[WxMurray 0]

Cover letters are mandatory in the TV industry. :lol:

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

Cover letters are mandatory in every industry, even if they don't say they are. No faster way to get your resume tossed in the circular file than to send it without one.

 

I've never been entirely happy with mine, either, but I get compliments. (Actually, usually on the order of, "And you actually knew to include a cover letter! That's so wonderful!!" See? Mandatory.)

 

Basically, you want to try to tailor the letter to the job. Pick one or two things about the job position or the company that you can point to and say, "I'd be really good at that!" and in your letter try to give an example that would show you'd would be good at it -- phrase it as you being helpful to the business. I'm afraid that's not much help, but it's really hard to give general advice. Which is why all those websites aren't much help, either.

[Cptn Corizon 0]

In one of my 300-level and again in a 400-level as part of our final we were required to find a job and fill out the application, resume and yadda-yadda for it and turn it in. I found it really helpful...not that helps you any lol

[Grom 0]

There's really no one way to write a cover letter, but as Harper said, it's important to gently show the potential employer that you're the right fit. Don't be afraid to praise yourself a little, but at the same time realize that the experience you bring is only modest at this point.

 

As a side note about jobs, in the area I live in, it's more about connections than anything. If an employer doesn't have to sift through a gazillion resumes every time a job opens in his company, they won't. It's important to keep a list of people who could potentially help you out, even if your relationship with them is only casual. Having a connection is the fastest way to have your resume placed on the top of the pile!

[Kansas_Jones 0]

Cover letters are mandatory in every industry, even if they don't say they are. No faster way to get your resume tossed in the circular file than to send it without one.

 

Cover letters are the pre-version of your resume - if you hit the right formula, not only do you include the important resume tidbits, but why you want the job as well.

 

If I was hiring? Sure, the resume is important, but don't want to sit there and read through the whole dang thing - so, I look at the Letter, get the rundown, and if I'm interested I then go to the resume.

 

Quick, to the point (Intro, 2-3 short paragraphs, closing, usually? this is what I have on mine), and as the Colonel said along the lines of why you'd want to hire me for said position. But - you're going to have to find the version that works best for you Weatherman, and sometimes its a blend of common sense, grammar/spelling, presentation, website templates, and tailoring the letter to the position you are going for.

 

Good Luck!

 

EDIT: and in this world of emails? Just because its an email to a potential employer, don't skimp on the cover letter presentation. A short, relaxed "Hello, hire me" email just doesn't cut it - I encountered this bit of information on my last go round of job hunting and took it to heart, blending everything together... sort of a intro cover e-letter. It worked.

 

The art of job hunting! we love it. ;-)

[Mreh K'hal 0]

You still have to have some sort of "pop," even though a cover letter must be something professional. A cover letter really is a story: who you are and how you'd be a protagonist for the employer and not the antagonist. It's a difficult piece of work to accomplish, but try looking at some novels/short stories that you really like that caught your attention from the first few paragraphs. Study what it was about them that grabbed you to get some idea of how to proceed. If you can tailor that approach to suit your personal life and the job offer, and keep it professional, you'll have the HR dept doing cartwheels to see the resume.

[Kansas_Jones 0]

As a side note about jobs, in the area I live in, it's more about connections than anything.

 

It's not what you know, it's who you know.

 

While this can/does happen at times, it's good to also realize that having connections might not be a viable option for all job opportunities - either for a pavement pounding vet and especially for someone just out of college who has not yet established that network.

 

My first "real" job, I had a connection that gave me a heads up about the opportunity. For the current job I have now, no connections were used to get me "in", I responded to an ad in the newspaper. Yep, this particular ad wasn't online, it was a hard copy! Newspaper! Ink is not dead yet Jim!

 

I'm sure having a cover letter helped. ;-)

[V'Roy 0]

Oh, yeah, try to make your first contact the person you would actually be reporting too, not HR. This is where networking and membership in professional organizations can help - even if you are still in college.

 

When I was in college I applied for an internship and got no response from HR after several weeks. Then I just happened to have dinner at a student-alumni banquet with one of the hiring managers. I gave him my resume and the next day he called me for an interview. I went on the interview, got an offer that day, and met with the HR VP for the basic paperwork. When I got home from that interview and checked my mail I got a postcard from the very same HR VP telling me there were no internships available (meaning it had been mailed a couple days before).

 

Also, HR people don't always know the particulars about the jobs they are screening for. A couple times HR really liked my resume and they showed them to the hiring managers. When I got to the interview and they described the job it was obviously something I wasn't qualified for.