Cover Letters
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Imagine you are recruiting, and you receive 100 applications. What would YOU expect to see in the covering letter that would persuade you to read the CV? My guess is that the cover letter better be persuasive, otherwise the CV, application form etc will not get read! The covering letter IS the application. If you succeed at this stage, there is a very good chance you will succeed in the whole application. If the cover letter demonstrates that you are not very interested in my problem and my job, why should I be interested in you. I speak from experience! Now headhunting is a whole different game - the rules above do not apply!
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
I short blurb highlighting your qualifications that are such a fantastic match for the job is good idea.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein -
What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Nagy Vilmos wrote:
What do you put into a cover letter?
If you're recruiting, what do you look for?I always tell them I'm a great root and if they have any questions they should get a good looking woman in her 30's or above to confirm.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Nagy Vilmos wrote:
What do you put into a cover letter?
If you're recruiting, what do you look for?I always tell them I'm a great root and if they have any questions they should get a good looking woman in her 30's or above to confirm.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Could that be connected with the fact you don't have a job right now? :laugh:
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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The jist is generally the same, but I do tailor them to match to job I'm applying for with a paragraph that briefly explains why I think I'm a suitable candidate
jim lahey wrote:
The jist...
Is this some what related to The gist?
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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DaveAuld wrote:
... stateing why you are the perfect match
And remembering not to misspell "stating"! ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
It seems to me like the purpose of a cover letter is to prove that you have bothered to look up the company and the job you're applying for. So you want to mention something specific about the company or something that's mentioned in the job advert, and how your experience is a good fit for the specific thing they're asking you to do. Who you are and what you know should be in the CV anyway, which can be a template or even the same document for several applications. The cover letter is where you show that you care about the one you're applying for right now. I'd definitely recommend using correct spelling, grammar and business writing style in it, too. It is the first thing that the company sees and you want to show that you have communication skills. I'm not a HR person though so I don't know to what extent that is what they look for.
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Could that be connected with the fact you don't have a job right now? :laugh:
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Nagy Vilmos wrote:
Could that be connected with the fact you don't have a job right now? :laugh:
Except for rootng all those 30 year olds.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Funnily enough I just had to do one this week. I made it a very short introduction and indicated my interest in the position. A little explanation about how super cool the job sounds and why you feel you would be perfect for the role. No-one ever suffered from sucking up and kissing arse!
--------------------------------- I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^]
Dalek Dave wrote:
super cool the job sounds
This doesn't quite jive with your chosen profession... :laugh: (DD's an accountant, for anyone that may be new or can't be bothered to remember such things...)
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative. -Winston Churchill America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. -Oscar Wilde Wow, even the French showed a little more spine than that before they got their sh*t pushed in.[^] -Colin Mullikin
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jim lahey wrote:
The jist...
Is this some what related to The gist?
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Funnily enough I just had to do one this week. I made it a very short introduction and indicated my interest in the position. A little explanation about how super cool the job sounds and why you feel you would be perfect for the role. No-one ever suffered from sucking up and kissing arse!
--------------------------------- I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^]
Dalek Dave wrote:
No-one ever suffered from sucking up and kissing arse!
I don't much like being on the receiving end. It can be funny to watch especially when they are mistakenly convinced that I can help them in some way.
Gary Kirkham
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Dalek Dave wrote:
super cool the job sounds
This doesn't quite jive with your chosen profession... :laugh: (DD's an accountant, for anyone that may be new or can't be bothered to remember such things...)
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative. -Winston Churchill America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. -Oscar Wilde Wow, even the French showed a little more spine than that before they got their sh*t pushed in.[^] -Colin Mullikin
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Another point is to relate what you know with how it helps with the company. Otherwise a recruiter who might not know what you are talking about won't get it. ie. If you've worked on ASP, don't just say you've worked on ASP, say you've made an ___ style ASP.net website for enterprise/consumer, whatever, as long as you can make it relate. That is intrigues them to keep going.
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Now I don't really bother. Unless it is a direct contact that might actually read it. Most people skip it and either keyword scan with a tool or just read the résumé. Now, to be funny, I have an entire page on my C.V. devoted to keywords with a paragraph apologizing the hiring manager for it : )
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost
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Funnily enough I just had to do one this week. I made it a very short introduction and indicated my interest in the position. A little explanation about how super cool the job sounds and why you feel you would be perfect for the role. No-one ever suffered from sucking up and kissing arse!
--------------------------------- I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^]
Dalek Dave wrote:
No-one ever suffered from sucking up and kissing arse!
Tell that to the list of people who have been executed.
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak -
What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
Nagy Vilmos wrote:
If you're recruiting, what do you look for?
That they can spell, and that it isn't full of irrelevant information. The important stuff is in the CV
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
I find cover letters only useful when sending in a resume without knowing who to send it to. Most places I've worked throw them out immediately, as do I. Far better to spend time refining your resume.
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What do you put into a cover letter? If you're recruiting, what do you look for? I have a standard template that I tweek, but it's barely a paragraph just saying who I am, what I know and what I am looking for [a job]. Any help would be great. anyone?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
For starters, I'd totally include your profile picture on the cover. :D
