Cover Letter. - Page 3

In my recent job search, it seemed like a cover letter was the recruiter's/HR's easiest way of ensuring an applicant didn't just hit "send resume" on monster.com. People are lazy. A well written cover letter that pertains to the position you are hoping to gain shows motivation and desire beyond clicking some buttons on a website.

Do you think it matters if the employee wants to do what you want him/her to do?

I am not sure what you are asking here, and I guess my statement may have been nebulous.

My point is that when a prospective employee that wants to get an interview/job responds to my listing I want to know what they can do for me and my business. Thats why I am hiring people. To help me and my business.

Being that the case of course I want the employee to be happy and comfortable but when I interview its not about "welcome to the interview, how can I make your life better" its "welcome to the interview, why should I hire you and not 400 other applicants."

^Right. I guess what I'm getting at is what's usually called "fit." Of course you're right that the employer's job is not to cater to the interviewee's needs, but the employer should care about fit. Knowing what the prospective employee wants is helpful for determining fit, imo.

regardless of industry, the cover letter gives you the opportunity to add context to your resume. The resume is very rigid: 1. where did you study? 2. where haave you worked? 3. what are your accomplishments/extra activities/etc.?

The cover letter is the one chance you get to let the hiring manager know WHY (beyond needing a job) you are hoping to interview and then work with their firm. This is your chance (in a limited space) to get creative and explain why they should grant you their time.

Yes, cover letters are a little annoying, especially when you know some HR drone is not going to read it when they have 250 other applications. But in situations where you have gotten to the final pile of a dozen or so contestents for the handful of interview spots, it's very helpful to have a good letter that takes you over the top. So they are both a nuisiance and quite helpful to the job search process.

I don't think it's neccessary to write each letter from scratch. One can have a general template that is heavily revised for each job that is being applied for. So you shouldn't have a template then copy and paste the new position, company name, etc. You can have a template but take out a solid 50% of it's content to tailor it to each position you are applying for.

It's a lot easier to write cover letters when you have been referred to someone and know their direct email and information. Then you can name drop and be a bit more descriptive (no space limititations) with your letter.

was about to start a new thread, but found this one to be pretty helpful so 'thank you'. also, if the same individuals (if active still) would like to read my CV at a later date, that would be great: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=72138 what i was going to post originally: (thank god SF has a spoiler function) Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Keep it powerfully simple and drive some points. I think young people who write resumes and CVs don't realize that they often somewhat idolize the people in the positions they want to be in, and overestimate the intellect of the people they address. I worked in a job once where I had to interview entry level applicants - the amount of bullshit I read was staggering. The average person who will end up reading your mail will probably be someone who a) had trouble ordering their Starbucks that morning, or b) is proud of themselves for how well they ordered their Starbucks that morning.