writing cover letters for job applications classic or dud?

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one of those challenges than i dread for weeks and then almost enjoy once i've gotten started. my trouble is going on a bit too long. i find it hard to keep within two or three paragraphs as all the gurus recommend.

an urgent related question: when writing of my computer-software expertise (ha!), should i write "i am adept at..." or "i am adept in"?

― amateur!!st, Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I would use "at".

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I quite enjoy this too, though sometimes they drive me nuts.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I am doing it now. Good luck.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anybody really read cover letters?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

"at" but please please please for the love of god follow it with "using X software" rather than simply "X software".

― mouse (mouse), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I just use the same generic letter and plug in a couple of different phrases. Maybe this is why it took me three months to find a job.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

If I could write things like, 'I'm, you know, good at stuff," I'd be all set.

I really, REALLY hate cover letters.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I just use the same generic letter and plug in a couple of different phrases. Maybe this is why it took me three months to find a job.
-- n/a (nu...), September 16th, 2004.

i can't do this because i am applying for a really wide range of jobs. although obviously i reuse phrases and even whole paragraphs much of the time.

― amateur!!st, Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

there were actually some good tips in that one other thread.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, I have a stock letter and resume that I change to fit the job I am applying for.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

That's what I do, too, N/A. I just got a new job, though, SO IT MUST BE OKAY.

― Towelette Pettatucci (Homosexual II), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm really excited about the new job, can you tell?

― Towelette Pettatucci (Homosexual II), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Congrats, dude. I need a new job.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

congratulations, towelette!

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I need a new job too.

I do a lot of jobs, I know. But I just found something to apply to that I am REALLY excited about!

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Yersterday one of my uh clients called me and offered to pay me £300 to write someone else a covering letter of 1000 words. Kerching!

I am supposed to hand in an application tomorrow for a cool thing, and always do a unique letter for each application I submit. Plus a 500-word spec for the relevant editorial department.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Unique to the point of having different opening and closing paras/sentences, Suzy?

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I would never do a mailshot of CVs.

Covering letters should be custom-made, not customised.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh who cares, no one reads them anyway. Why waste your time?

― Towelette Pettatucci (Homosexual II), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

i do write all of them from scratch, unless it's some kind of dumb temp job (in which case you usually don't even need a letter).

this one is just under a page. ouch. but i have a lot of relevant experience and wanted to summarize it. i think maybe my letters could stand to be less enthusiastic and more strictly factual. but whenever i start writing something really dry there's a voice that says, "this lacks passion, man!"

ok, so i'm emailing it off. wish me luck!!

― amateur!!st, Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Once I helped replace myself when I was leaving a job and went through resumes and it was DEPRESSING how BAD some of them were. Like I got hand-written letters on stained, 20-year old looking notebook paper.

― Towelette Pettatucci (Homosexual II), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Ditto. I did a temp job screening resumes and it made me feel so, so much better about my resume and cover letter.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

my paris roommate had an online resume with javascript and movie files and shit (he was a cinematographer)

― amateur!!st, Thursday, 16 September 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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