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I reviewed your cover letter as I would any other from
a writer applicant. As far as the comments that have
already been posted:
Bruce's: All I can say is "what he said."
Donna's:
Avoid saying things like "I believe," or "I feel." Don't
be shy about proclaiming that your skills and experience
*are* a match for the employer's requirements; the hiring
manager will decide whether he or she agrees with you.
In this case you are not a "used car salesman," YOU ARE
THE CAR. But do lose the part about "I am seeking." You
wouldn't be sending the resume if you weren't seeking
*that* job.
You don't need to shorten your letter quite as much as
Donna suggests, so long as you don't just repeat your resume and the letter still fits neatly onto one page.
Don't send 2-page cover letters, especially if you have
a multi-page resume. Minimalize your prose as much
as possible. Remember, you're talking to a manager. :)
Other comments (mine):
If you can cite specific examples of really outstanding
accomplishments, such as producing the first on-time
document project in a company's 10-year history or a
new user guide that reduced your company's tech center
calls by 20% compared to previous products, then put that
up front. If you can tie those accomplishments to hints
you may have gotten about the company's needs from the job
posting or the "about us" page on their website, even
better. You are not trying to tell them what you can do,
but rather what you can do for THEM.
Definitely lose the "I've not" section. Never say what
you haven't done or can't do; it just adds emphasis to
a possible mismatch. Say something like, "I have
documented..., which is closely related to..." If it
isn't, the reader will come to that conclusion without
your help.
Gene Kim-Eng
------- Original Message -------
On Thu, 6 May 2004 13:21:29 -0500 Jones, Donna wrote:
Chuck,
My (humble) opinion is that your cover letter is way too long. By the time I
get to the words "in short," I think YEAH RIGHT! Save some things to talk
about at an interview. Also, it's good to be enthusiastic, but you don't
want to come across as a better candidate for the posting: WANTED: USED CAR
SALESMAN. Save the enthusiasm for the interview as well.
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