Cover Letter?

[Stella]

It will be a good day when TOSAT stays at the top of the page/ahead of "cover letter" because of the number of posts.   

[rgramjet]

Must be get'n cold out.......

[IZ]

Bump   :p

[rgramjet]

Ning!!!  Coffee for everybodyyyyyy!!!!!

[MendoDave]

Ask miss manners.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/lifestyles/2010/nov/28/s-mann1128-ar-675459/

[r_ciao]

How about customizing your cover letter and including the resume into one single pdf file?

[il d00d]

If you are sending it to the person who will interview you, I would include it in body of the email.  If you are sending on to the HR person who will probably forward it to who knows how many people, I would add it to my resume.  If your carefully crafted cover letter email gets forwarded around from the HR person, it might get buried, cropped, or deleted.

How about customizing your cover letter and including the resume into one single pdf file?

So, +1 to that.  Personally, I think all resumes and cover letters should be customized for the job for which you are applying.  Good luck on the job search 

[erkishhorde]

Next question: rejection. Do you reply to a rejection reply? Considering that most places don't even reply if they don't want you, a rejection email merits a "thank you for your time," no?

[derby]

Next question: rejection. Do you reply to a rejection reply? Considering that most places don't even reply if they don't want you, a rejection email merits a "thank you for your time," no?

question: why wouldn't you?

i mean, they've already told you no so it can't hurt, right?

just a simple "thank you for your time/consideration and i hope you keep me in mind if anything opens up" will do.

[erkishhorde]

Good point. A double no isn't any worse than a single no.

[IZ]

question: why wouldn't you?

i mean, they've already told you no so it can't hurt, right?

just a simple "thank you for your time/consideration and i hope you keep me in mind if anything opens up" will do.

Agreed!!

I lost out on a job..only because I hadn't moved to the area yet..but still wrote them a thank you letter (actually an email).  The other candidate ended up taking another job.  The woman in HR called me back about a month later since she remembered that letter.  By that time, I had already moved was able to step into the position.  

Just because the some companies aren't curtious, doesn't mean you shouldn't be either.    

[Stella]

Next question: rejection. Do you reply to a rejection reply? Considering that most places don't even reply if they don't want you, a rejection email merits a "thank you for your time," no?

Agreed x2.  Acknowledging receipt and conveying your continued interest should anything change. 

I'll admit to the temptation, that I have not succumbed to, of conveying a less PC response to a rejection.  Something like:

[RAT900]

The email is your one shot at getting the hook in their mouth....

in journalism it is called the Lede (or lead) it follows the headline (The subject line of your email) as the opening sentence or two of an article

Remember the old saying...there is no second chance to make a first impression....

like it or not in the modern era the traditional cover letter is now often preempted and always potentially compromised by the email's spot-ad capabilities

Be brief, call out the contents of the email's attachment (i.e. Cover letter, References and Resume)

Throw something unique or essential in that will actually inspire them to set aside your submittal and actually open your pdf. 

Such as " I believe my graduate degree from Princeton in Donkey Training and my career experience in animal husbandry make me a solid candidate with the ideal skills-match for the position."


here's a link to how journalism uses the Headline-Lede-Nut Graph format to suck readers in.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_style

[ungeheuer]

...Such as " I believe my graduate degree from Princeton in Donkey Training and my career experience in animal husbandry make me a solid candidate with the ideal skills-match for the position."

Ass Smart