2 reasons your cover letter sucks by Alison Green on October 29, 2010 Two reasons your cover letter sucks: 1. It doesn’t exist. You just send your resume. Adding a three-sentence note in the email doesn’t count. 2. It exists, but it might as well not, because it just repeats the same info that’s on your resume. Think about this for a minute: Why would an employer want […] Read the full article →
does a cover letter have to sound like an infomercial? by Alison Green on October 25, 2010 A reader writes: I really appreciate your blog and your candor, and I have used your advice many times during my job search. In fact, the interview chapter from your e-book made a huge difference on my last interview and I really felt like I was on equal footing with my interviewer. It resulted in […] Read the full article →
would Hunter S. Thompson’s cover letter get him an interview? by Alison Green on October 18, 2010 Have you seen the old cover letter from Hunter S. Thompson that’s been going around, written before he was famous? Some choice quotes: “I stepped into a dung-hole the last time I took a job with a paper I didn’t know anything about (see enclosed clippings) and I’m not quite ready to go charging up […] Read the full article →
requiring a handwritten cover letter by Alison Green on March 8, 2010 A reader just sent the following letter to me and the Evil HR Lady, and it takes overly demanding employers to a new high (low?): I just responded to a job ad that included “good handwriting” as a required job skill. To prove that you possess this skill, it also requires a “handwritten cover letter.” […] Read the full article →
sure, ignore those job application instructions, we love that here by Alison Green on September 4, 2009 When job postings give you specific instructions, they really mean it. So, for instance, if my job posting requests a “one-page cover letter,” what I want from you is a one-page cover letter. So it’s a bad idea to send me this: “I apologize in advance. I simply could not reduce the length of my […] Read the full article →
get the job title right by Alison Green on May 21, 2009 I can’t tell you how many cover letters I receive from people who get the title of the job they’re applying for wrong. I know what job they mean, because they’ve put it in the subject line of the email. But when I open the cover letter, there it is — a totally different job, […] Read the full article →
don’t mention your “affluent family” in your cover letter by Alison Green on May 1, 2009 Seriously, it’s really not relevant that you come from an “affluent political family.” Why is it in your cover letter? Read the full article →
more on cover letters by Alison Green on March 9, 2008 A reader writes: I’m a college graduate, and like so many others, I’ve been looking for some jobs. I’m left a bit confused on the cover letter, though….. which, I understand can almost be more important than your resume! I understand that I have to relate my experience to why I am perfect for the […] Read the full article →
when your resume is a hodgepodge by Alison Green on December 20, 2007 A reader writes: I’ve never been the type of kid who knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, and I still don’t know. The truth is that I’ve enjoyed and excelled at a bunch of jobs: English teacher in Japan, receptionist, IT/data entry temp, short-order cook. I’m only 25, I’ve had 20 […] Read the full article →
i love me some humility by Alison Green on October 22, 2007 I have a pet peeve: job applicants who tell me in their cover letter that they are without any doubt “the best” candidate for the job. This amazingly bold statement is often made by candidates who, in fact, match very few of the requirements of the job. But even if that weren’t the case, come […] Read the full article →