Categories
Job applications What not to do

Can you reuse a cover letter?

It’s…not a good idea.

If you are thinking of reusing a cover letter to apply to more than one job, don’t.

I’m not talking about carefully picking and choosing parts that can be reused. (That’s a post from last year that explains how you can reuse at least some of your cover letter, so your hard work doesn’t go to waste.)

What I mean is copying and pasting an entire letter, changing only the company name (and that only if you remember to–yikes).

I hire (some) people now for one of my gigs. I have received applications with no cover letters (deleted), so-so cover letters (deleted), and honest to god bad cover letters (BALEETED). Once I received a great cover letter. “It all started with a murder on the roof,” it began. Ooh, I’m intrigued.

I was less intrigued when I got the same cover letter about a week later for a different position.

Are you creative and good with words only once in your life? Was that cover letter your only creative output, ever? Of course not! So why would you send the message that it was?

It takes a little bit of extra time to write or customize a new cover letter for each job, but it’s totally worth it.

Categories
Rage What not to do

Why It’s So Hard To Write A Good Cover Letter, Reason #43: Bad Advice!

Are you trying to write a cover letter, but you’re stumped?

Have you looked for advice online?

Yep. You’re in trouble.

I realize what a position it puts me in, as a person giving advice online, to say you should stop seeking advice online. But hear me out.

I recently saw a link from a resume-writing company giving advice on cover letters. I’m not going to link to this post because I don’t want to give them any more traffic. But here’s what it said:

If you’re a great fit for a particular company or position, don’t be shy about saying so in your cover letter. For instance, if you know that a company just adopted a new IT software system, you could write, “Although I am not an IT professional, my affinity for rapidly learning new software programs has served me well in previous positions. In addition to utilizing technology to complete my work quickly, I am often called upon to assist my peers in learning new systems as they are adopted.”

Another way to show your personal fit is to refer to the benefits of working for a particular company. Are you looking for a large organization that offers tuition reimbursement so you can get your M.B.A.? Say something like, “I particularly appreciate [Company’s] dedication to the professional development of its employees, as demonstrated through its tuition reimbursement program, because I would eventually like to further my education.”

If I were a jobseeker, I would never give this company a penny of my money if this is how they write their cover letters.

I’ll pick apart both sentences.

#1: Telling them you’re a great fit.

“Although I am not an IT professional, my affinity for rapidly learning new software programs has served me well in previous positions. In addition to utilizing technology to complete my work quickly, I am often called upon to assist my peers in learning new systems as they are adopted.”

This is the most grasping-at-straws sentence I have perhaps ever read.

If you’re a great fit for the job, you should be talking about how your primary skills match up with the job requirements. If you were looking for a doctor, would you go to the one who advertised having the most successful surgeries? Or would you choose the doctor who bragged about how good she was with accounting software?

This isn’t to say soft skills aren’t important, but puh-leeze. Focus on the important stuff first. Unless you’re applying for a job where the main requirement is learning new “software programs”, focus on the core strengths you bring to the table.

Extra points taken off for wordiness and thesaurus-ese, as usual. Instead of “my affinity for rapidly learning new software programs,” how about “I pick up new software quickly”? And instead of “In addition to utilizing technology to complete my work quickly,” how about….leaving that out entirely?

“Utilizing” (or “using,” as we cool kids like to say–no really, stop saying “utilizing”) technology is basically a requirement for every job these days, so saying this is the same as saying “I’m barely competent.”

You should absolutely tell employers why you’re a great fit. This is not how to do that.

#2: Talking about their benefits in your cover letter.

“I particularly appreciate [Company’s] dedication to the professional development of its employees, as demonstrated through its tuition reimbursement program, because I would eventually like to further my education.”

DO NOT DO THIS. If any resume/cover letter/recruiting firm tells you to do this, run screaming the other way. Yay, they have great benefits. You don’t want a hiring manager thinking you’re applying only for the paycheck, or the tuition reimbursement, or the health insurance. Find something else to focus on that shows you’re an interested and engaged candidate. If you can’t think of anything interesting about the work they’re doing, are you sure you want the job? (Yes? You’re broke? Fine, but still don’t talk about how much you want their bennies.)

This is why people get stuck. They read shitty advice online and follow it. So now I’m asking you to read my non-shitty advice and follow it. I know, I know. But hey. How well has the old way been working out for you?

Isn’t it time to try something new?

Categories
What not to do

It’s (Not) All About You

Saw a cover letter recently that made me cringe, so, of course, deconstructing it on this blog is the way to go.

So the writer cannot be located/identified, I’m only going to pull out snippets from said letter, and of course all identifying details have been changed or removed.

The letter began with a short intro. The writer described his life history and what he’s been working on lately, and finished with the sentence: “Lately I’ve been thinking about beginning a new chapter.”

Second paragraph:

Honestly, I’m hoping to land a job where I can work eight hours a day, go home, live a simple life, and afford some medical insurance. I don’t want to have to own a car, for I’d love to be able to walk to work, walk to get most anything I would need at supermarkets, walk to the gym, and walk to some coffee shops.

If you’re an employer reading this, guaranteed you’re thinking, “Big F(reaking) Deal.” The employer doesn’t really care whether you want to own a car or not. He doesn’t care what you want from the job. He doesn’t care whether you will walk to the supermarket. He cares what you will do for the company.

The third paragraph was much of the same: I need to do this, I want this. Out of a five-paragraph cover letter, only three sentences are halfheartedly dedicated to the author’s qualifications:

I could adapt well to a variety of work environments. I have always been ready to learn something new. I’ve always provided loyalty and excellent attendance for my employers.

That’s it. Nothing else.

The irony is that the author’s resume is quite varied and shows, indeed, an aptitude for picking things up quickly. According to the resume, this person has worked in 11 industries(!!), has management experience, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.

So how could we improve this letter? Big first step: it’s not all about you. This writer clearly has the professional credentials to succeed. He should put those front and center and explain how they’ll help the business with its professional goals.

Big second, related step: this cover letter is being blasted out to any and every employer, and the writer is essentially saying, “I’ll take anything.” Even if that’s true, you’ll get far more bites if you customize the letter to the specific situation. (In other words, if you don’t have a specific company in mind in your letter, how will you know which of your credentials to mention?)

Here’s an example, not from this particular letter/situation.

Say you’re applying for a social media community manager job. That sort of job requires you to learn new things fast and juggle a lot of unrelated projects. If you have experience in 11 industries(!) and juggled two part-time jobs at the same time, for example, you might say:

“I’ve held jobs in 11 industries over the course of my career, and each time I’ve switched gears, I’ve had to pick up the basics quickly. Thanks to that experience, I’ve become good at on-the-job learning and figuring out how to teach myself what I don’t know I don’t know.”

Except you’d say it better, because it’s yours. Make sense?

Thoughts? Questions? Comments? You know where to put ’em. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for the latest updates.

Categories
What not to do

Adding Personality To Your Cover Letters, Part 2: Personality, Not Arrogance

Dorsey Shaw, an editor at Buzzfeed, posted this image the other day, with the caption: “Never ever ever ever try to get a job with an email like this. Not ever.”


We have to agree.

For the purposes of this blog post, we’re going to assume that this e-mail was sent to Shaw and that the applicant was trying to get an in at Buzzfeed, though we don’t know for sure that that’s the case. But assuming as much…

First, the applicant didn’t manage to understand the “reverse mullet” concept (that a company that projects a “party” front might be all business in the back). But really? No company wants to get arrogance as a substitute for funny.

Even obviously tongue-in-cheek as it is, this e-mail exudes arrogance.

Congrats to the writer for trying something different. Honest. But dude (or dudette), tone it down just a teensy bit next time.

Here’s an excerpt from a representative Buzzfeed job ad (this one in the company’s music vertical):

BuzzFeed’s music vertical needs a hard-working associate editor for a full-time paid position in the New York office. The person will work closely with the music editor on research, content creation, and idea generation. We’re a new kind of media company for the social world. Our technology powers the social distribution of content, detects what is trending on the web, and connects people in realtime with the hottest content of the moment. Our site is a rapidly growing hub for media that reaches over 25 million monthly unique visitors.

This is an excellent opportunity to work on a fast-paced, quickly growing site in its beginning stages and add clips to a portfolio. All candidates should have an open mind about a wide range of music, a sense of humor about music and pop culture, and an interest in covering music in a way that is accessible, appealing, and not at all snobbish.

Pretty sober, right? This from a site whose current front page story (as of the time of writing this) is “When Seals Open Their Mouths They Look Like Someone Just Said Something They’re Horribly Offended By.” Pretty stark contrast.

When you write your cover letters, try to match the company culture, not what you think it might be by looking at their website.

As a side note, that job is, as of press time, still open, as are many other jobs on the editorial side….good luck!

Categories
What not to do

What Can and Can’t You Reuse In A Cover Letter?

kaminsky_toy_close

Since a good cover letter is customized to the job you’re applying for, it’s not a good idea to reuse the same letter more than once.
That said, certain parts are…not boilerplate, exactly, but maybe a little less important to customize.

For example, you may start your cover letter very straightforwardly:

“Please consider me for your open editor position at Widgets, Inc. I’m a skilled editor who has been working with technical written materials for five years, mostly related to widgets.”

You would then segue into a paragraph or two that is specific to the job listing…you know, “I’ve always admired the Widgets, Inc. brochures and thought that they struck a nice balance: they explain the complicated technical aspects of your product without ‘talking down’ to the reader at all.”

And you’d close with “My resume is attached. I look forward to meeting with you.”

Clearly, the first and last paragraphs are ripe for reuse. But you might want to think twice before you simply copy and paste.

What if you want to reuse your Widgets, Inc cover letter at Chocolate Teapots Inc, you’ll want to revise your first paragraph:

“Please consider me for your open editor position at Chocolate Teapots, Inc. I’m a skilled editor who has been working with technical written materials for five years, including a stint in the chocolate industry, where I discovered my passion for cocoa-based dishware.”

As I sit here typing this out, it sounds banal and obvious. But here’s what many people do:

“Please consider me for your open editor position at Chocolate Teapots. I’m a skilled editor who would be a great asset to your company.”
“Please consider me for your open editor position at Widgets, Inc. I’m a skilled editor who would be a great asset to your company.”
“Please consider me for your open editor position at The Turtle Foundation. I’m a skilled editor who would be a great asset to your company.”

The more you make your letter reusable, the more generic it has to become. And the more generic it is, the less useful information it gives a hiring manager. And the less useful information it gives a hiring manager, the less chance you have of getting a call.

Thanks to Jenna.kaminsky on Flickr for the Creative Commons picture.

Categories
What not to do

And, this exists.

The PCman’s FREE Cover Letter Creator
We have several different letters that contain generalized body text that you can personalize for your situation. Please edit the letter in the box below, to personalize your letter replace the capitalized place holders with your info.
TIP: Keep the letter short and to the point, the reader will get the bulk of your information from your resume, your cover letter is designed to draw them in. They will be eager to read your resume and find out more about your skills and achievements.

I’m not even linking to this because I don’t want this person to get the traffic. It’s that bad. Look at what one of the templates looks like:

INTERVIEWERS NAME
INTERVIEWERS POSITION
COMPANYNAME
STREET ADDRESS HERE
CITY, STATE ZIPCODE

Dear INTERVIEWERNAME:

I learned about the POSITION position
through the RESOURCE at PLACE. Currently I am a/an/the JOBDESCRIPTION at COMPANYNAME.
I am interested in your company and in the POSITION position.

I have substantial background in SUBJECT which will lend itself well to the POSITION position.
At my current job, I ACCOMPLISHMENT. Some of the skills that were needed to accomplish
that project included SKILL1, SKILL2, and SKILL3. I believe that all of these attributes
combined make me the best candidate for the job at your company.

My solid academic foundation in SUBJECT, along with my passion and enthusiasm for SUBJECT,
makes me able to contribute a great deal to COMPANYNAME. I look forward to meeting
with you for an interview. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

YOURNAME

This is awful on so many levels it’s almost not worth picking apart, but I will: It is boring, poorly written, and generic. (Swapping one word out for another does not equal customizing a cover letter.) It is all about you rather than all about them, and it doesn’t actually say anything that proves you know anything about the company or even the job.

Don’t use a template generator.