The 'Dream Job' Cover Letter

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

Currently mine is stressing me out to no end...despite the application period not opening for over a month. I have written quite a few before but never for a job and in a company I could see myself with for 30+ years. It is in the sports industry so will likely be very competitive but they are taking on 8-12 individuals total and I have already contacted an executive in the company that would likely be my supervisor well before I even knew about potential openings. A month or so ago, I spoke with him for an hour or so on the phone and we have been in light contact ever since.

 

Do I reference this person in the letter or strictly those in similar roles that I have actually worked under? Should I mail him a hard copy of my application package once the I have applied online? I know cover letters have no need to be very long but is there any concrete advice any of you groomed professionals can provide? I need to do my best to distinguish myself from the other applicants...which I believe my internship experience, MS degree, and thesis and research work should help to do but I do not just want to restate what is on my resume.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Landing this gig would be a dream come true but I want to shy away from the cliche lines that hiring manager will read all too much of. 

[MadHatter]

Currently mine is stressing me out to no end...despite the application period not opening for over a month. I have written quite a few before but never for a job and in a company I could see myself with for 30+ years. It is in the sports industry so will likely be very competitive but they are taking on 8-12 individuals total and I have already contacted an executive in the company that would likely be my supervisor well before I even knew about potential openings. A month or so ago, I spoke with him for an hour or so on the phone and we have been in light contact ever since.

 

Do I reference this person in the letter or strictly those in similar roles that I have actually worked under? Should I mail him a hard copy of my application package once the I have applied online? I know cover letters have no need to be very long but is there any concrete advice any of you groomed professionals can provide? I need to do my best to distinguish myself from the other applicants...which I believe my internship experience, MS degree, and thesis and research work should help to do but I do not just want to restate what is on my resume.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Landing this gig would be a dream come true but I want to shy away from the cliche lines that hiring manager will read all too much of. 

 

You are absolutely correct to not just restate what is on your resume.  Focus on the things that your resume cannot tell the evaluator...

 

Past experiences in the field

Work Ethic

Soft Skills

Etc

[Niner National]

I hate cover letters. I just stopped writing them because so many people in hiring positions told me they didn't even read them.

 

If you're applying to a job through an online portal, throw some keywords from the job listing at the bottom of your resume in white font. This will help you pass the automated screening process.

 

If your resume doesn't get past the automated screening process, all the effort you put into that cover letter is for nothing anyway.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

I hate cover letters. I just stopped writing them because so many people in hiring positions told me they didn't even read them.

If you're applying to a job through an online portal, throw some keywords from the job listing at the bottom of your resume in white font. This will help you pass the automated screening process.

If your resume doesn't get past the automated screening process, all the effort you put into that cover letter is for nothing anyway.

The interesting thing about this listing is it basically doesn't list any responsibilities or qualifications at all. It's a full-time paid internship that requires a resume and cover letter, multiple letters of recommendation, an essay, and transcripts so if that much effort is going into the applying process I hope they will at least read everyone's.

[Niner National]

If it is for an internship they may. They presumably won't get as many applications for that.

 

When my company puts up job listings, we get several hundred applications. Nobody has the time to read everything people send over unless it is their full time job.

[Darth Biscuit]

Well you've already got a bit of a leg up if you know someone in the company, so that's good.

 

What Niner said may be true... I never read poo like that... but it won't hurt to write it anyway.

[SOJA]

I'm seriously sweating a position I just applied for over here, should find out today if I got it. worked forever on my cover letter because that was essentially the whole application 

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

I'm seriously sweating a position I just applied for over here, should find out today if I got it. worked forever on my cover letter because that was essentially the whole application

Yeah the one benefit of this application is the cover letter is just part of it. I think the required essay and three letters of recommendation will hold much more weight if I had to guess. Good luck!

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

Well you've already got a bit of a leg up if you know someone in the company, so that's good.

What Niner said may be true... I never read poo like that... but it won't hurt to write it anyway.

Yeah I mean I wasn't aware of these positions opening up and while just doing my due diligence and reaching out to potential employers in the sports industry I got his email and within a couple days we had a lengthy phone call and just got to know one another. I've never met him in person but do have his contact info and at least he is no familiar with my name. He would likely be my boss as well.

[MadHatter]

I'm seriously sweating a position I just applied for over here, should find out today if I got it. worked forever on my cover letter because that was essentially the whole application 

Good luck....hope you get good news today.

[MadHatter]

Yeah the one benefit of this application is the cover letter is just part of it. I think the required essay and three letters of recommendation will hold much more weight if I had to guess. Good luck!

 

The fact that they require a cover letter is an indication that it will be part of their evaluation process.

 

Like I said, I always read cover letters to get a sense of the person.  If it looks like they cut and past it from a resume website, I chunk it and it is actually a negative.  If it is personal and a little unique, I usually interview the person.  Don't be corny with it, but let it express a little of who you are.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

Make sure you say "people person" at least 22 times in the letter!

Also make a detailed list of of computer skills like: internet Explorer, internet, email... Big time buzzwords that make them know you are a tech savy individual-coverletter advice from 1996.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

The fact that they require a cover letter is an indication that it will be part of their evaluation process.

Like I said, I always read cover letters to get a sense of the person. If it looks like they cut and past it from a resume website, I chunk it and it is actually a negative. If it is personal and a little unique, I usually interview the person. Don't be corny with it, but let it express a little of who you are.

Any chance I could PM the letter you when I get it finished up just for a general review so I could get your impressions/thoughts?

[Niner National]

Make sure you say "people person" at least 22 times in the letter!

Also make a detailed list of of computer skills like: internet Explorer, internet, email... Big time buzzwords that make them know you are a tech savy individual-coverletter advice from 1996.

Definitely all of this.

 

If you really want to stand out, make sure you use bolded comic ms sans font. Times New Roman and Arial are boring. Nothing says "I'm fun and have a sense of humor" like comic ms sans.

 

I interviewed a guy a few days ago with a red border around his resume. His name also looks like it was made with WordArt.