Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree! Also take out "I may be a fit" that just says "I maybe unqualified but umm I may also be qualified I'm just not sure, but you judge for yourself"
Your cover letter should scream "I AM THE BEST FOR THIS JOB!, this is how I can be an asset to you and help the company prosper"
Jessie, you didn't say anything substantial in that cover letter. You simply reiterated your resume. You would be better to simply not have one than to submit this. A cover letter explains why you want to work for that particular company. What about the company are you passionate about? What about your work makes you excited to get up in the morning? What projects are they currently working on that you could help with, and how could you help?
And PLEASE take out "don't call my cell phone as a hardly ever use it". That phrase alone would get your entire application thrown in the trash. Why would you give them a phone number that you don't use? Finish the letter by saying that you will follow up with them, and actually follow up. Don't wait for them to call you.
A cover letter should NOT be simply a resume in paragraph form!
I agree. And end the letter "Sincerely yours" not, "Thankfully" which reeks of desperation!!!!
Maybe if you are receiving resume by mail? We receive resumes most online where no cover letter even exists. :-(
Personally I have read thousands of resumes and zero cover letter - I couldn't care less. I certainly know my peers or bosses don't read cover letter. Heck, they don't even read resumes until the time for interview.
We need to remember the key factors that decide whether or not to proceed with an interview:
Maybe if you are receiving resume by mail? We receive resumes most online where no cover letter even exists. :-(
Personally I have read thousands of resumes and zero cover letter - I couldn't care less. I certainly know my peers or bosses don't read cover letter. Heck, they don't even read resumes until the time for interview.
We need to remember the key factors that decide whether or not to proceed with an interview:
Maybe if you are receiving resume by mail? We receive resumes most online where no cover letter even exists. :-(
Personally I have read thousands of resumes and zero cover letter - I couldn't care less. I certainly know my peers or bosses don't read cover letter. Heck, they don't even read resumes until the time for interview.
We need to remember the key factors that decide whether or not to proceed with an interview:
After these 3, then we may get into how well the resume is written, and whether or not the person is a job jumper.
You can't generalize every hiring manager as being the same as you. There's no standard protocol that everybody follows to hiring the right person. Some places read cover letters and some dont even care for resumes at all. Making assumptions because you heard XY company doesn't read cover letters and not making one for YZ company who unknowingly does read cover letters could hurt you.
If you are applying you should utilize any opportunity to prove you are the best person for the job, whether it's a cover letter, letter of recommendation, work samples etc.
You can't generalize every hiring manager as being the same as you. There's no standard protocol that everybody follows to hiring the right person. Some places read cover letters and some dont even care for resumes at all. Making assumptions because you heard XY company doesn't read cover letters and not making one for YZ company who unknowingly does read cover letters could hurt you.
If you are applying you should utilize any opportunity to prove you are the best person for the job, whether it's a cover letter, letter of recommendation, work samples etc.
Please read again. :-) I didn't make assumption. As a hiring manager, I have been in this field long enough to know. I have dealt with enough recruiters, hiring managers, HRs to know cover letter is dying out.
You obviously right that we should take any opportunity we can. The thing is most people, over 80% of them, have crappy resumes. How they can even find a job is a little beyond me.
Like I said, we should focus on the resume. Nobody will hire you just reading your cover letter. Resume is where difference can be made.
Please read again. :-) I didn't make assumption. As a hiring manager, I have been in this field long enough to know. I have dealt with enough recruiters, hiring managers, HRs to know cover letter is dying out.
You obviously right that we should take any opportunity we can. The thing is most people, over 80% of them, have crappy resumes. How they can even find a job is a little beyond me.
Like I said, we should focus on the resume. Nobody will hire you just reading your cover letter. Resume is where difference can be made.
I never said a cover letter trumps a good resume. A cover letter compliments your resume and gives HR glimpse into your personality. A good cover letter can make the difference between you landing an interview over another candidate with equal experience and education
I never said a cover letter trumps a good resume. A cover letter compliments your resume and gives HR glimpse into your personality. A good cover letter can make the difference between you landing an interview over another candidate with equal experience and education
I can't disagree with you on this one. Everything helps. Since most people don't even have their resume done right, I would highly suggest to focus on that.
I did write the article on what is considered a good resume. :-)
Aside from the apologetic and desperate tone of your cover letter, and the fact that it merely repeats your work experience that is already found on your resume, the sentence and paragraph structure is repetitive and awkward.
Here's a trick my high school English teacher taught me. Write down your ideas. Then, on a fresh sheet of paper, write down the first word of every sentence. Then go back and rewrite your sentences so that they don't all start with the same words. Your cover letter looks something like this: I, As, I, I, I, I, I, I, Back, I, For, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, You, This, If, Don't, My. See the problem? No document should have that many sentences starting with "I", let alone a document which is meant to tell an employer why THEY should hire you. THEY should come first! At the very least you need to rewrite your sentences so they don't all repeat the same rhythm.
You also have a few sentences which sound pretty demanding "Don't call my cell phone as I rarely use it"....don't tell the employer what to do! And they don't care why. Just say "If you agree that I am the perfect fit for this position, please contact me at your convenience at (123) 456-7890." You don't need to explain which phone number you are providing or why.
I use a format for my cover letters so that I can tailor each one to a particular job, but without having to start from scratch each time. First paragraph: Brief introduction about myself and my qualifications (NOT itemizing everything on my resume! I use big brush strokes to summarize.) Paragraph 2: More detailed experience and knowledge that specifically relates to the job to which I am seeking. Also stating the kind of position I am looking for including tasks, work environment, and company culture. Paragraph 3: closing paragraph reiterating my interest, my availability, and enthusiasm.
I use word clouds to help me suss out the important things to hit on in my cover letter. I paste the job ad into a word cloud generator like wordle.com. The most often used words appear the largest. It helps me 'see' more clearly what the priorities are for the employer in a way that simply reading and rereading doesn't, and then try to include those words in my cover letter. Since I often apply for jobs in the 'hidden market'--jobs that aren't advertised--I sometimes use the company's mission statement or 'about us' from their website to generate a word cloud.
For many years, I used a standard format cover letter. Not because I thought they were unimportant or never read, but because I couldn't figure out how to write them. Everything I wrote felt awkward. So I found an example, copied it and tweaked it a bit, and then clung to it like a life preserver. Word clouds freed me from this and over time I have become much better and writing on my own. The difference in response rate after I started writing each cover letter differently was amazing! There's just something that comes through in the tone of a cover letter when you write each one differently. The reader can 'hear' you, and they respond to that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
