There were many tips and pieces of advice in this week’s readings as to how a cover letter should be written, and they all seemed to be ruled by one overarching theme: logic. The vast majority, if not all, of the bits of strategy seemed simple on paper, but tend to be overlooked because of their simplicity.
Personalizing a cover letter seems easy, as it should be. Knowing just what to say, however, can be the challenging. The solution to that problem is an easy one, though, and that is to do your research. As mentioned in one of the readings, every company will invariably have their own website, social media accounts, and press releases. And if a company is devoid of these things, then you might want to reconsider working for them. Just putting a little time and effort into something can go a long way, and sometimes the answer is right in front of you.
Another aspect of a cover letter that is very logical yet has the potential to get overlooked is starting from scratch. I will admit that I am guilty of this crime. Again, this issue is discussed in one of the readings, and the point is a good one. It is troublesome to start a cover letter completely over when you feel as though you can just make a few subtle edits, but the result is bland and unappealing. Companies are run by humans, and humans love to feel like they are special. As such, personalizing a cover letter can mean the difference between landing a job and continuing your job search.
These are my two favorite examples of logic ruling over how one should attack a cover letter. Simple logic can be the deciding factor in your job search, so it is important to understand how much it can affect the process.
Personalizing a cover letter seems easy, as it should be. Knowing just what to say, however, can be the challenging. The solution to that problem is an easy one, though, and that is to do your research. As mentioned in one of the readings, every company will invariably have their own website, social media accounts, and press releases. And if a company is devoid of these things, then you might want to reconsider working for them. Just putting a little time and effort into something can go a long way, and sometimes the answer is right in front of you.
Another aspect of a cover letter that is very logical yet has the potential to get overlooked is starting from scratch. I will admit that I am guilty of this crime. Again, this issue is discussed in one of the readings, and the point is a good one. It is troublesome to start a cover letter completely over when you feel as though you can just make a few subtle edits, but the result is bland and unappealing. Companies are run by humans, and humans love to feel like they are special. As such, personalizing a cover letter can mean the difference between landing a job and continuing your job search.
These are my two favorite examples of logic ruling over how one should attack a cover letter. Simple logic can be the deciding factor in your job search, so it is important to understand how much it can affect the process.