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.
The one thing that resounded throughout all three articles was the fact that when writing a cover letter you need to write in a conversational tone. Writing in a conversational tone not only makes the letter easier to read but it also ensures that you don’t unintentionally limit your audience by including lots of technical jargon. As “Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes” points out writing in a conversational tone will attract readers. While the article states that this is because it separates you from other cover letters, I believe that it attracts readers simply due to the fact that it is what most people are used to reading.
One thing that I like about the “Kairos and the Cover Letter” article was how to discussed the context and the tone used in writing a cover letter. It made good use of some poor examples of how people approached writing a cover letter. I thought that this was a good way to show the reader how important it is to “[speak] to a real person hiring for this position” as opposed to just writing a letter. The examples given also, almost humorously, show the reader what not to do when writing a cover letter.
The article “Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes” discussed a few things that I found useful when learning about how to write a cover letter. One of the things discussed was something that I had always believed myself. Why should I take the time to write a cover letter that probably isn’t going to be read? However the article countered this arguement by stating that “The only option is to send one every time to ensure that your resume is always properly represented.”
The “Instructor Blog #3 Cover Letters” as well as the “Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes” article both discussed a major point when it comes to writing a good cover letter. They both emphasized the fact that researching the company and including facts and “company-specific details” were key to expressing interest in the company as well as differentiating yourself from those who merely send carbon copy cover letters to every company they submit a resume to. As “JCLKGR” puts it, “Who wants to spend valuable time reading a cover letter that sounds like it was written for the company next door too?”
I feel that using these tips and suggestions I will be able to successfully write my first cover letter. Now that I feel that I am knowledgeable enough to write a cover letter I won’t be skipping those ads in the future.
I must be a sucker... or maybe not
It's amazing how all this seems like common sense now that we've covered it, even though before I started this class I was completely clueless about it. I had no idea how good a tool a cover letter could be, and even if I entertained the thought of writing a cover letter I wouldn't have dreamed of tailoring my letter to the job I was applying for. I was clueless.
But now I feel like I'll be leaning on my cover letter a lot in my job searching. I've had some great professional experiences with the company I work for, but it's so hard to convey that in the cut-and-dry quick-hitting format used in resumes. You reviewed my resume, and as you can attest, I did a horrible job conveying some of those things (thanks for the input by the way; it was a little hard t take but it's a big help). But revising my resume can only take me so far. What will really allow me to send out the message I want to send is a cover letter.
I know some are of the opinion that an information-packed resume is all you need, but I think there's nothing like a well-written supported statement to send a message. And that's something you can't do with a resume.
Junk Cover Letters Ruin Good Resumes
I used to think that the cover letter was useless as well. However, when I began my job search this past August, I began to see it as a way to give you more of a space for the recruiter to remember you and want to learn more about you. The readings this week only served to strengthen that way of thinking for me.
Writing a cover letter in a conversational tone was what scared me after writing a resume in such a formal and professional tone. I found it helpful to look at samples, but this is just personally the best way I learn. One thing that I did learn from this, as you said, is that don’t always trust what you see on the internet. Just because the title of an article is ‘Good Cover Letter Samples”, doesn’t mean it will be a good source because anyone can post on the internet.
Reliability of the Interweb
Lindsay makes very good points about the internet, its infinite collection of cover letter samples, and the fact that anybody with access to a computer can post them. Before taking this class, Google was my primary source for finding examples of job application materials. I'd try to figure out the structures and then adapt my own experiences to the layouts. Retrospectively, this does not seem like a good practice. How can you take a cover letter from somebody else and apply it to your situation? You don't have any idea what job they were applying for, and it could be completely different from yours. Tailoring a cover letter to a specific companies needs could give you a distinct advantage over your competition, assuming that the hiring company actually reads cover letters.
Yep Suckers
Yeah I actually have never heard of someone asking for a cover letter, but I do think that they are getting more popular. Also if a person ends up writing a cover letter and it is a failure then it will ruin the chances of getting the job. With most people applying online recently, it would probably be a great idea to add a cover letter to interest the reviewer and maybe get the interview. It is great that we are covering the format and creating one in class for a template to use. I know that it will come in handy for me now that a lot of companies only take resumes online.
tailoring
There has been a lot of responses that mention tailoring you cover letters to the position you are applying for; however, what if you applying for the same position in different places? Say you are applying for a position as a nurse. Besides the hospital address and name, how could you cater this letter to the specific hospital? I guess you could mention something like, "Your hospital is geared towards a younger generation and working with the youth has always been an interest of mine?" But what if you don't know your interests cause you have never had experience as a nurse? Sorry this is not completely relevant to your response.
Tailoring
I believe most of the readings suggested not only tailoring your cover letter to the position but also to the company you are applying to. Therefore while you might be applying to be a nurse you would be doing different tasks in a psychiatric wing in a VA hospital than you would if you worked in geriatrics. My girlfriend is currently studying to be a nurse so I can say that they definitely get plenty of experience in different areas, however I understand the point that you are trying to make.
Ideally you would have had internships or jobs in your field of choice to know what you like/don't like, but if you are like me and been too lazy/unmotivated to get do such then you'd probably have to either do lots of research or use your classroom experience. And if you end up somewhere you don't like, don't worry the Dept. of Labor states in a 2006 report that the average American has 10 jobs between 18 and 38.
Andy