I know they are good to have but does anyone really read these?

discuss

11/4/2010 3:09:22 PM

We don't

Except for the one guy who used calligraphy, that was cool

11/4/2010 3:11:18 PM

They are indeed read. They provide context for your resume/CV.

11/4/2010 3:14:54 PM

Make sure you spell check it.

11/4/2010 3:16:08 PM

when i'm hiring, yes, i read them

if nothing else, it gives you an idea of their writing ability...it generally gives you a better (or more complete) idea of what the person is like before meeting them

11/4/2010 3:17:18 PM

I know at my former job they were used to decide who they were going to bother interviewing after initially throwing out all the resumes that didn't meet their criteria. So if your resume was similar to another resume in the interview pile but your cover letter sucked, you weren't getting an interview.

11/4/2010 3:19:51 PM

This is on a tangent, but where in Word 2010 do I go to find a fax cover letter?

11/4/2010 3:26:56 PM

My understanding is that my cover letters in the past have been instrumental in getting my resume looked at for serious consideration.

11/4/2010 3:36:52 PM

So I'm about to write up a cover letter but I have no one to address it to. I've done my digging and I've only gotten one name but I'm not sure if it's who the position would report to. Is it all right to do "To whom it may concern" or should I send it to the person whose name I have?

11/4/2010 3:58:49 PM

Yes - write a cover letter, it helps us sort through the hundred other shitty resumes we get. Explain why your resume is relevant to the job. As for who to address it to, I think 'To Whom it may concern' is just fine. in my experience, more than one person reads it anyway.

11/4/2010 4:14:44 PM

"Dear Sir/Ma'am" works too but seems a little less formal.

11/4/2010 5:30:31 PM

I decided to call this lady ask her who I should address this to. I can't wait until I find a job and don't have to worry about cover letters for awhile.

11/4/2010 6:29:28 PM

I read them. They make your resume stand out. Almost no one writes them.

Keep it short -- 2/3 a page. Main goal should be to express your enthusiasm about some aspect of the job for which you are applying. Don't try to go over your whole resume or life story.

11/4/2010 7:26:54 PM

I wrote a four pager for my current job. That's because I actually had relevant things to say. I think most people treat it as something they'd rather not do. I recommend we don't hire those people.


[Edited on November 4, 2010 at 8:44 PM. Reason : f]

11/4/2010 8:43:20 PM

I am tired of writing cover letters, but every job I have applied for requires them much less allowing me an option.

Therefore, since February I have written approximately 60 cover letters. It gets old.

Quote :

"I can't wait until I find a job and don't have to worry about cover letters for awhile."

11/4/2010 11:02:46 PM

Meh. Write a cover letter template that allows you to change the company and subject matter a bit. You're going to talk about what motivates you, any relevant experience, and if you're applying for similar jobs within your degree, I don't see a reason to go into anything detail.

I feel that 2/3-1 page is ample. If you don't know who you are addressing, just use "To whom i may concern." Mine is like 3 paragraphs. 1 to introduce myself and tell them my intention, the 2nd to discuss some of my relevant experience and to talk about myself (what motivates me, what I feel I bring to the company, my personality, ect). The final paragraph is a wrap up. Summarize yourself a bit, thank them for your time. I also leave my contact information once more in the final paragraph.

When describing yourself and discussing your abilities, try to avoid "I think," and use "I know." Be decisive. They don't want to know what you think you're good at, they want to know what you know you're good at. If anything, it shows confidence in yourself.

Basically, I try to appear perfect without lying. I don't want to give them a reason to not contact me in a cover letter. It defeats the purpose.

11/4/2010 11:53:53 PM

When I write cover letters, I usually put "Dear Hiring Manager" to whom I'm addressing it to

Quote :

"I can't wait until I find a job and don't have to worry about cover letters for awhile."

Me too

11/10/2010 2:39:10 PM

Quote :

"Meh. Write a cover letter template that allows you to change the company and subject matter a bit. You're going to talk about what motivates you, any relevant experience, and if you're applying for similar jobs within your degree, I don't see a reason to go into anything detail."

This is a fantastic tactic for getting ignored.

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1748-forget-the-resume-kill-on-the-cover-letter

11/10/2010 2:45:00 PM

Some companies do, some companies don't. If you are just one of 4289023490 people applying for the same job on a big corporate website don't expect anyone to read it. If the specific ad asks for it, then give them one. If they don't ask for it don't bother. Some over-worked HR person will just disregard it.

One place I was working for required a cover letter. I gave them about 8 sentences for that. For that position I ended up getting an interview and ultimately getting the job. I used to write more but there's pretty much no point in doing that unless you know the hiring manager will definitely read the whole thing and take it into consideration.

Spending an hour writing a coverletter for every job you apply to is going to be a big waste of time unless you are sure they are going to actually read it and take it into consideration.

[Edited on November 10, 2010 at 2:56 PM. Reason : .]

11/10/2010 2:54:16 PM

^^

I have a basic template I use every time, however I definitely make changes each submission to reference specific details listed in the job description.

11/10/2010 3:12:28 PM

I am sooooooooooooooooooooo tired of writing cover letters.

11/10/2010 3:33:57 PM

Obviously, a big HR department is not going to care. The article I posted applies to smaller operations with real humans.

11/10/2010 3:57:00 PM

Quote :

"I feel that 2/3-1 page is ample. If you don't know who you are addressing, just use "To whom i may concern.""

Please proof read them......you don't want a typo in the first couple words.....

11/11/2010 9:00:51 PM

Quote :

"This is a fantastic tactic for getting ignored."

Man... For some reason some 15 interviews (and counting) in a month and a half is surely a indicator of being ignored. Thank you for the enlightenment.

Seriously, shove it up your ass. Fact is, from cover letter to cover letter, you're not going to change what motivates you. I've been applying to very similar positions. If you're some CHASS major applying to various positions that have very different responsibilities and job descriptions, then yeah, you'll need to tailor your resume to each different job.

But in all honesty, a cover letter is you trying to sell yourself. I see it as taking out an add in a newspaper. You're describing your relevant capabilities, what you want and what motivates you. What you want and what motivates you shouldn't change from cover letter to cover letter (if it does, you may want to start questioning what you want in your career). Your relevant capabilities/experience will change. If you're applying for a management job and you talk about research you've done, who fucking cares? It's not relevant. But if you're applying to a research position and you talk about what research you've done and what you bring to the company, then it's obviously relevant.

But creating a template is a good way to allow you to save some time, and for me, it has allowed me to refine my template over time, as each time I write the template, I refine it and make it better. I would rather have an excellent template with relevant experience and information about myself, than a "tailor-made" cover letter that lacks refinement (sorry, but you're not going to get 2 months of refinement in a few hours, unless you are an excellent writer, which I am not). After all, the only person who will know it's a template is you. Take some time, read it over, make sure it actually addresses the job description, the company as well as having it sell yourself.

11/11/2010 9:24:49 PM

Cool story bro. Congrats on your job offer.

11/12/2010 7:10:19 AM

^^ I agree with this. Cover letters are easy to make once you have one, just know there are a few areas you should customize from place to place:

1. who you're talking to
2. How you heard about/ why you want to work for the company
3. What you think you can bring to the table, and, occasionally,
4. Your contact information

Details about your work experience aren't necessary unless you have something that REALLY applies to what you're applying for, so mostly generalize about leadership, hard work, big projects... whatever is going to make you sound like the best candidate.

11/12/2010 8:54:34 AM