COVER LETTER TIPS
Jan. 9th, 2016 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dobie ALWAYS write a cover letter. no one wants to bc theyre hell, so nobody does, so you will NOT stand out without one. a big reason they want a cover letter is bc written communication is 1. an important part of most jobs and 2. a good way to get a better judge of who you are, what you're about and whether or not you're a fucking idiot...or asshole. i mean it sounds like im joking but im p sure cover letters are just a way to make sure they dont accidentally hire AWFUL stupid people bc their resumes are fine but you can tell a lot more about a person thru their writing. like, people honestly write cover letters in berating the company and the person reading it on a REGULAR basis. people really show their true colors in cover letters. so basically the most important thing is to WRITE IT, have no TYPOS and DONT SOUND LIKE AN IDIOT AND/OR BITTER ASSHOLE IN IT. not hard when you are none of those things. keep a sort of conversational tone. i nkow its awk as fuck but you're only here to do a few things:
1. explain how you found out about the job and why youre interested. do not wax poetic about how great the fucking company is. name names if you have a friend who works there, someone you talked to, a referral of any kind. keep it short and just show them you know what they do and what they're about, and youve done your research. you dont have to butter them up.
2. "five reasons why i stand out in a crowd of applicants who are just as talented as I am" this is where you list the kind of things you cant get across in your resume. your humility, hard work, dedication, humor, creativity, whatever it is. this should be bullet pointed. make sure its 5.
3. why would i be a good candidate for a job in this company? tell them what you'd do to help them make money. why are you an asset? whats in it for them if they hire you?
4. ok this is my teachers note that ive alwys struggled to get my mind around but she says "state your idea of the perfect situation if you joined the company" basically like ... paint a little picture of yourself there being awesome and doing good work for them? but more subtly? this is what i wrote at the end of my npr cover letter: "If given the opportunity to particiate in this fantastic internship program, I think I would be an asset to the NPR visuals team and be able to put my energy and eagerness to great use. I am willing to serve wherever possible and apply my talents to a vast range of responsibilities. Thank you for considering me and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Mary McLain"
so basically i tied it up by bringing back my talents (i talked a lot about being a very energetic person in my list of strengths) talking about how i'd be an asset, and the most important part BEING HUMBLE, the word "SERVE" goes a long way. putting "i am willing to serve wherever possible" is a big draw. it just shows you dont think youre against things. i remember my teacher saying that one of her students got a job at a company bc he said "im willing to mop floors" in his cover letter. they ddint make him mop floors but a lot of managers think that millenials are "entitled" so giving them this idea that you're willing to get kicked around and no work is "beneath" you is a plus. its fucked, its ugly, and mean, but hey man you're here to pander and kiss ass and get a job.
FORMAL NOTES
put your resume header at the top again, wtih your website, email, everything.
you dont need to put a whole fucking address on it god why do ppl do that
dont send it to "whom it may concern" or "dear HR department" or anything. find out the name of the person, or the company or specific team youre applying to. (i put my NPR cover leter to "Dear NPR Visuals Team" bc i knew i wasnt applying to NPR directly? stuff like that yknow)
be sure to tell them you'll follow up unless the listing specifically says they'll contact you.
sign with sincerely and your name like a normal letter
1. explain how you found out about the job and why youre interested. do not wax poetic about how great the fucking company is. name names if you have a friend who works there, someone you talked to, a referral of any kind. keep it short and just show them you know what they do and what they're about, and youve done your research. you dont have to butter them up.
2. "five reasons why i stand out in a crowd of applicants who are just as talented as I am" this is where you list the kind of things you cant get across in your resume. your humility, hard work, dedication, humor, creativity, whatever it is. this should be bullet pointed. make sure its 5.
3. why would i be a good candidate for a job in this company? tell them what you'd do to help them make money. why are you an asset? whats in it for them if they hire you?
4. ok this is my teachers note that ive alwys struggled to get my mind around but she says "state your idea of the perfect situation if you joined the company" basically like ... paint a little picture of yourself there being awesome and doing good work for them? but more subtly? this is what i wrote at the end of my npr cover letter: "If given the opportunity to particiate in this fantastic internship program, I think I would be an asset to the NPR visuals team and be able to put my energy and eagerness to great use. I am willing to serve wherever possible and apply my talents to a vast range of responsibilities. Thank you for considering me and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Mary McLain"
so basically i tied it up by bringing back my talents (i talked a lot about being a very energetic person in my list of strengths) talking about how i'd be an asset, and the most important part BEING HUMBLE, the word "SERVE" goes a long way. putting "i am willing to serve wherever possible" is a big draw. it just shows you dont think youre against things. i remember my teacher saying that one of her students got a job at a company bc he said "im willing to mop floors" in his cover letter. they ddint make him mop floors but a lot of managers think that millenials are "entitled" so giving them this idea that you're willing to get kicked around and no work is "beneath" you is a plus. its fucked, its ugly, and mean, but hey man you're here to pander and kiss ass and get a job.
FORMAL NOTES
put your resume header at the top again, wtih your website, email, everything.
you dont need to put a whole fucking address on it god why do ppl do that
dont send it to "whom it may concern" or "dear HR department" or anything. find out the name of the person, or the company or specific team youre applying to. (i put my NPR cover leter to "Dear NPR Visuals Team" bc i knew i wasnt applying to NPR directly? stuff like that yknow)
be sure to tell them you'll follow up unless the listing specifically says they'll contact you.
sign with sincerely and your name like a normal letter
