Re: Case study: how to get a job

["Lisa Bronson" <Lisa -dot- Bronson -at- ipaper -dot- com>]

It's quite likely as Kate says: people don't know how, because they never
had to do it before.

I, too, learned how to write cover letters, in high school, in technical
college, and again at a 4-year university. But I got my first job in 1996
when I asked about tech writing internships at an engineering internship
meeting. Someone came up to me after the meeting, told me they needed a
tech writer where he was doing an engineering internship, and gave me the
name and number of the manager. I called him, and he pretty much hired me
over the phone.

My second tech writing job (contract) came in 1998 when a recruiter found
my resume online and called me.

My third (and current) tech writing job came later that same year. A
co-worker had interviewed here, but the job wasn't her style. She thought I
might like it, so she gave me a manager's phone number. Two weeks later, I
was working here. I don't recall ever writing a cover letter for any of
these jobs.

Were I to look for a job now, I'd be sorely out of practice, so I
appreciate your comments. ~tucks them away for future reference~

Lisa B.






|---------+---------------------------------------->
|         |           "Dick Margulis"              |
|         |           <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>      |
|         |           Sent by:                     |
|         |           bounce-techwr-l-121129 -at- lists -dot- |
|         |           raycomm.com                  |
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|         |                                        |
|         |           06/24/2004 08:14 AM          |
|         |           Please respond to "Dick      |
|         |           Margulis"                    |
|         |                                        |
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  |                                                                                                              |
  |       To:       "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>                                                      |
  |       cc:       (bcc: Lisa Bronson/Beverage Packaging/IPAPER)                                                |
  |       Subject:  Re: Case study: how to get a job                                                             |
  >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|







oudeis wrote:

>
> I learned how to write a cover letter in the 12th grade. It wasn't
> called a T-letter. It was called a _cover letter_. :)
>

Kate,

I was referring to a particular type of effective cover letter that has
been much discussed on this list. But yes, what I received was simply a
good old-school cover letter as I was taught to write in, um, eighth
grade, I think ;-)

Your general point--that hardly anyone bothers anymore--is exactly what
I was getting at, and I'm as mystified as you are that people who claim
to be professional communicators seem to be lacking this very basic kind
of communication skill.

Dick






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