TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Resumes for Technical Communicators From:Herman Holtz <holtz -at- CLARK -dot- NET> Date:Fri, 10 Mar 1995 14:42:10 -0500
> My experience with reading and evaluating cover letters for hiring
> is for university teaching positions.I am often surprised how often people
> applying for positions in English write cover letters that are ineffective
> because the letter merely says what position the writer is interested in and
> directs the reader to the resume. Is this true in your professions? Do you
> managers out there prefer to see a detailed cover letter or a brief one?
In my opinion, a cover letter is a waste of time. If you have something
more to say, why did you not say it in your resume and refrain from
wasting a busy executive's time reading yet another piece of paper? (As
that busy exective with a desktopful of resumes, that was my reaction.)
On the other hand, why not a half-page letter INSTEAD of a resume? (Read
Carl Boll's Executive Jobs Unlimited for examples.) I tried that myself,
and it worked very well for me. Caution: It works when and only when you
have a real sizzler to put in the letter, but in tha case, it is
dynamite.
