English 421Y: Technical Writing Online

I did not know much about a cover letter before this employment project. I did not think a cover letter was very important, nor did I ever feel like writing one. After completing this weeks readings, I have realized that the cover letter is a lot more important that I thought, but that still doesn’t mean I want to write one.

One of the major differences between resume’s and cover letters is that cover letters are in essay style. They are not a collection of bulleted items which are optimized to be scanned, but instead cover letters are meant to be read from beginning to end. This offers the candidate additional techniques for presenting themselves. As mentioned in instructor blog #3, unlike a resume, a cover letter has a tone. Instead of simply conveying a series of facts, the candidate can tell a story which paints a mental picture of the candidate in the eyes of employer. They can also argue why they are a good fit for the position advertised.

After getting through this week’s readings, it has become clear that most of the same rules for resumes apply to cover letters. Most importantly, know who your audience is, and tailor make your cover letter to their eyes. It is a little harder to do this for a cover letter compared to a resume, however. A resume is quantified and concise, displaying the black and whites of who you are and what you have accomplished. A cover letter is, in a sense, the lead-in the conversation that is your job interview.

Before this class I had never written a cover letter. I wasn’t very sure what I was trying to accomplish. After reading these readings I have a much better understanding of what I am trying to do. I have a better understanding of how make this cover letter. I now realize that your cover letter is to expand on what you talk about in your resume. This is where you can really sell yourself with more details about how you’re qualified for the job. I feel that it is important to make sure to focus the cover letter to your employer and position.

I would like to be upfront with everyone who happens to read this response. I have never written a cover letter in my life. In classes before this one I have spent an unbelievable amount of time drafting resumes and participating in things that "enhance" my resume. This is because I have always known who I am applying for a job with. Today, I find myself living in a different state from where I grew up and away from the people I know. For me it is more important that ever that I know how to construct a cover letter.

Since I have never really needed to write a cover letter before, I found this weeks readings very helpful. I know I probably would have ended up doing some of the things that the reading said not to do. The most important aspect about writing your cover letter, in my opinion, would be to make sure that you tailor your cover letter to the company you are applying to. If you know something about how the company works and the business ethic within the company than you can write your cover letter to accommodate these factors.

Although some believe cover letters are unimportant waists of paper in the hiring process, they can be used to work to your advantage as a person looking for employment. A resume that woos the employer should be accompanied by a cover letter that does the same. The readings express the importance of a legitimate cover letters as well as what to do in writing your cover letter. "Kairos and Cover Letter" focused on the approach you choose in your cover letter.

While applying to many companies, I have never produced a letter to send with my resume. There are not too many people I know who have written cover letters while applying for a job. The readings were very useful with providing information on creating a good cover letter to accompany your resume.

Before if an ad asked for a cover letter I wouldn’t have applied. I thought a cover letter was just a useless piece of paper required by companies. Besides who a why write one when no one was going to read it. However after reading these articles, for the first time I see the cover letter as a useful enhancement instead of something useless required by a job.

Based on the tone of the instructor blog on cover letters and a thread on the home page, the issue on how to formulate a resume and/or cover letter seems to be at least partially resolved. That is to say, focus your documents with regard to your situation and the primary reader with a certain level of empathy towards that primary reader.