According to one of this week’s readings, specifically Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes by Teena Rose, only approximately 40% of cover letters are actually ever read. Nonetheless, it is recommended that one always be included so as to best represent yourself in every possible circumstance. These readings also jump at the opportunity of bashing generically structured and impersonal cover letters. This is best summarized in the reading entitled Kairos and the Cover Letter, which simply states, “don’t spend too much time refining a hackneyed approach that you use invariably. Adjust your tone and style to the tone and style of the job ad, the nature of the organization, and to suit your own goals for a position”. The main point that seems to continually be driven at is that your cover letter should always be a unique creation, specific to each opportunity. In Rose’s article, she recommends that the job seeker ask his or herself several “thought-provoking” questions to guide one’s work. She states that it isn’t too unreasonable to have a hard drive loaded down with 50 plus cover letters, and that the real concern and focus should be on quality, and not quantity.
I find all of this advice very interesting, as I’ve definitely been one of those individuals who has sent out a near copy version of his cover letter on more occasions than I can count. In the past I have always seen the cover letter as a time consuming waste of energy and haven’t put forth nearly as much effort as I should have. I think one of my biggest challenges in constructing these letters has been my lack of understanding about what they should contain, and how the information should be presented. After reading these articles and blog posts, I feel more confident about what I should write about and the sort of style that I should use. I definitely need to get away from standardized cover letters and really put more time into researching the company and really adding that personal touch that I didn’t really have before. I think I will benefit a lot from asking myself these questions that Teena Rose has outlined in her article.
A Personal Touch
Submitted by nmhess on Mon, 02/09/2009 - 15:49
cover letter
After reading your comments on the cover letter articles, I agree that they were very helpful with the different strategies. I'm guilty as well using a “stock” cover letter for every job application, instead of tailoring for a job ad position. The author of “Junk Cover Kill Good Resume” stressed this point by saying," it wouldn't be uncommon to have 50 cover letters on your computer." Even though a cover letter is harder to write than a resume, I still prefer to have on attach it. The positives of having a cover letter outweigh the risks in my opinion.
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