where’s the line between necessary self-promotion and overconfidence in cover letters? by Alison Green on February 9, 2017 A reader writes: My question is a little woolly, but one I was hoping you could shed some light on: In cover letters, where is the line between necessary self-promotion and overconfidence? I’m looking for jobs right now as a soon-to-be-graduate, and I’m finding it really hard to hit the right note to convince a […] Read the full article →
whoever told you to be creative in your cover letter has led you horribly astray by Alison Green on August 16, 2016 A reader sent me this real-life cover letter that she received from a job applicant: Hi. This very professionally-beginning cover letter should immediately alert you to my easy-going and comprehensive approach to task completion while making it strikingly obvious that I am both interested in and capable of performing HR duties with sophisticated exactitude. The […] Read the full article →
should you attach your cover letter or put it in the body of the email? by Alison Green on May 20, 2016 A reader writes: When applying to a job via email, do you attach your cover letter or do you paste it in the body of the email, or both? Either one is fine. No one really cares, seriously. I mean, people who hire may have individual preferences, but no one is going to penalize you over doing […] Read the full article →
here’s another example of a great cover letter by Alison Green on May 3, 2016 I often get asked for examples of good cover letters, and a reader recently sent me a great one that I want to share. One thing I like about this one is that it’s shorter than others I’ve previously shared and so is a good demonstration of how you can go shorter and still be […] Read the full article →
how do I write a compelling cover letter when I don’t have much work experience? by Alison Green on March 3, 2016 A reader writes: I’m applying for administrative/production assistant jobs, and I don’t know how to start the cover letter. I hate starting with, “I was excited to see a position open…” or, “I’m writing in response to [position title] opening.” The third example I’ve seen, while ideal, doesn’t apply to me: “As [director/editor/higher up title] for […] Read the full article →
my favorite cover letter tips, and why you should volunteer if you’re unemployed by Alison Green on January 18, 2016 Two miscellaneous things: 1. In this article in Self, I do a round-up of my favorite tips for writing good cover letters. 2. And a reader sent me this interesting news release from the Corporation for National & Community Service, which mentions research showing that unemployed people who volunteer over the next year have 27% […] Read the full article →
do “pain letters” really work? by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 A reader writes: I wanted to know what your take is on “pain letters.” I have been reading up on career advice, and I ran across an article by a Forbes contributor who says that we should junk cover letters and resumes for “pain letters.” I’d advise against them. When I’ve received them, they’re generally cringingly […] Read the full article →
end your doubts about cover letters, all ye who enter here by Alison Green on July 24, 2015 A reader writes: I’m sure you get tons of emails letting you know how helpful your site is, but I’d like to express my gratitude because your advice helped me land my dream job. As background, I was working for a large corporation with (what I felt was) a toxic work environment doing a job […] Read the full article →
8 phrases that are killing your cover letters by Alison Green on July 20, 2015 Few people like writing cover letters, and as a result they tend to fall back on clichés and fluff that don’t strengthen their application and in many cases weaken it. See how many of these eight phrases you recognize from your own cover letters – and if you spot any, take them out immediately! 1. “Dear […] Read the full article →
did I commit a cardinal job-searching sin? by Alison Green on May 25, 2015 A reader writes: I think I have inadvertently committed a cardinal job-searching sin. Here’s the necessary backstory: I’m a recent college grad (June ’14) looking for a job in a STEM field. I signed up for a job-search group run by a local career counselor, and it was very helpful regarding resumes, cover letters, networking, […] Read the full article →