Just like other people, I also do not have very much experience when it comes down to writing cover letters. After reading through all the material provided I have a much better understanding about what it takes to create a well written and well composed cover letter. One interesting aspect that I stumbled upon while reading the instructors blog was, using the same header that was used in the resume as the header for the cover letter. I thought that leaving out the header and just writing the cover letter the same as any other letter would work and add all the other header information in at the bottom.
I also have learned a lot about the different different types of approaches of cover letters that can be used when writing. Many of the suggested approaches of letter didn't appeal to me very well, but I guess it all comes down to is what the employer is looking for and what they are wanting to hear. If I were to choose any of the suggested approaches I would choose the I know what you need approach. Of all the suggestions I find this one to fit what I am trying to go for. It isn't very demanding yet it gets to the point of who you are and what you have to offer the company if getting hired was to happen.
Another statement that I had read says it all, "...it's rumored that approximately 40 percent of cover letters aren't read." After reading that statement, cover letters should be treated the same as resumes. You only have that one chance and a short period of time to make the right impression, so making it look and sound good is important. It was also said in "Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes," that too many people over think cover letters and that all that needs to be thought about when writing a cover letter is you need to make yourself sound the best possible and include some information about the company that is being applied at.
cover letter advice
I have to agree with you on the importance of a cover letter. Assuming that the recruiter reads your cover letter, it has to stand out and impress them. So its very important to make sure it portrays you in the best light possible and shows your interest in the company as well as what you can offer the company if they choose to hire you for the position. Also I appreciated the advice from the instructor blog about the header being the same as the one of the resume, because that is something I would not have thought of doing on my own.
Patrick Griffin
pgriffin@purdue.edu
To over think, or not to over think, that is the question.
Although I agree with the majority of what you’ve written here, there are 2 points that I feel differently. First, although you do only have one chance with both the resume and the cover letter, I don’t feel that “cover letters should be treated the same as resumes,” as you’ve suggested here. Resumes demand much more consideration and preparation. Also, as jtirrell offered forth in another post, the cover letter is read only after your resume survives the initial rounds of scanning. At this point, the recruiter is genuinely interested and the time limit that you suggest to consider is likely lifted so you can be more precise and elaborate. I also feel that your closing argument is rather conflicting. You suggest, in accordance with “Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes,” that we should not “over think” what to include in our resumes, but then you state that we should only be concerned with making ourselves look good. To me, this inherently means over thinking, and considering every aspect of what you have to choose from, then when to include.
No time limit
The fact that the recruiter probably will take more time because they are probably interested is something that I hadn't considered but it makes sense. It also reinforces why you should make it as conversational as possible. More than likely you've hooked them with your resume, you don't want to risk losing them by writing a boring cover letter or one using the styles shown in the Karios article. However while the resume does demand more consideration and preparation (in terms of what to include and how to format it), the readings do suggest that some research is also involved in writing a cover letter. They recommended personally addressing the cover letter as well as including information about the company to show interest, both of which take some time and preparation.
Andy