I have written several cover letters for my job search but when I was writing them, the instruction that I used came in the form of sample resumes from the Purdue Career Center website. I never thought directly about a lot of the tips that were presented in the readings this week. For example, I never considered including company specifics such as a problem that I could help fix. I also never knew that using a conversational tone in the cover letter was appropriate. It always seemed that the resume had to be so formal, that the cover letter should be so as well.
I did use my cover letter as a bridge between my resume and the job by directly connecting my skills that weren’t necessarily important enough for the resume but might be important in a job such as good oral and written communication skills and leadership during volunteer activities. I always just put ‘To Whom it May Concern’ when the job ad didn’t specify a name but now I will definitely put ‘Dear HR Coordinator’.
While I tend to agree that a cover letter is definitely an important element of the job search, the implication that a ton of work and time needs to be put in to make a good cover letter is a little misleading. All of the ‘tips’ in the readings sort of suggest that the cover letter should be more personal and conversational. I want to let the human resources coordinator know that I am a well rounded person who can be personable while still being professional and impressive. For this reason, I think one should not spend too much time writing their cover letter but speak directly as the words come to mind as to why they are good for that job.
Be Yourself R5
I do not think the cover letter should be that much work either. There's no one on the planet you know better than yourself so coming up with something to say should be no problem. As for the the writing itself, if it is to be conversational then there should be a lot less changing words around for more proper ones, less emphasis on action verbs, etcetera. I understand that there is definitely a middle ground of tone but it is not as though you were writing a technical document or thesis. It is just a very abbreviated auto-biography.
Shane
Being Personable
Being personable is, I think, a very important aspect of a cover letter. As you have mentioned, being well rounded is somewhat required. Agreeably, it may be difficult to strike that happy medium between excessively formal (as in the case of the resume). Another classmate had pointed out that the resume is the 'first cut' and the cover letter is more towards a 'final cut'. The purpose of these documents (and eventually the interview) in the first place is to determine just exactly who you are-not just as a would-be employee, but also as a person in general. The cover letter is simply a means to show them the 'other' side (or another side) of you-so to speak.
Not so formal
I agree with you that cover letters shouldn't be so formal. As I was going through all of the reading responses it seems that most people think that the cover letter should be just an extension of the resume. While it should elaborate on your resume and show why you are good for the job, there is enough formality in the resume itself. The cover letter is your chance to show the HR rep who you actually are as a person, not to show them that you can be write papers in a robotic fashion. The only way to stand out to the person reading your cover letter is to relate to them as a person. I am sure they are already bogged down with stacks of formal cover letters from people trying to make a point. Standing out from the rest could be as easy as being conversational when everyone else is not. While it seems like most people don't agree that the cover letter should be conversational, I plan to write mine in a conversational tone and having a leg up on everyone else.
Not always HR
Be careful addressing your cover letter to “HR Coordinator”. A lot of times the cover letter will be read by a recruiter or company representative who has a different job title, probably not even in human resources. This is especially true for any technical field, at least in my experience. Most interviews I’ve had have been with people who currently hold the same position or similar position. Recently, I interviewed for a sales engineer position, and a panel of 3 sales engineers conducted the interview. Human resources job, in this case, was only to set up the interview and to handle any administrative questions. It’s probably best to do a bit of research first to determine who exactly will be reading your cover letter.