Authors: Ellen Gordon Reeves
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Self Help
Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (18 page)
Recently, I have been exploring potential employers that deal with my experience, education, talents and skills. Today, I am in search of employment and have taken this opportunity to introduce myself.
The ad immediately appealed to me and I recommend myself for this position because I have the skills you specified.
I posted my résumé on the Careers Website a few months ago hoping perchance that a position I may qualify for will open up soon and I would like to express that I am very much interested should you have the time to go over my updated résumé.
Have you ever heard people talk as if every statement is a question? You know what I mean? They inflect up with every sentence? Even if it’s a statement? Aargh. You’ve got to exorcise your inner Valley Girl. Inflecting up out loud is bad enough … Don’t do it on paper.
Get rid of all tentative diction right off the bat. Women are guiltier of this than men, but it’s not just women. “I hope that my experience in developing digital media products may make it possible for me to be considered for this position.” WHAT? “I hope that”? “May make it possible”? “To be considered”? How much lack of confidence can a person reveal in one sentence? NO, NO, NO! Let’s try again: “I have extensive experience in developing digital media products, including X, Y, and Z.”
Immerse yourself in newspapers, general-interest and industry magazines, and trade periodicals so that you’ll have access to industry keywords (and things to talk about in an interview). Apart from that, stick to simple but precise language. Use a dictionary and thesaurus to vary and refine your language if need be, but don’t use words or phrases you don’t completely understand—you risk misusing them.
The greatest rule of thumb in cover-letter writing is one that works for any kind of writing: Show, don’t tell. As Mark Twain wrote, “Don’t say ‘The old lady screamed.’ Bring her out and let her scream.” Amplify your assertions through anecdotes, but be brief and to the point. Ambition and drive should be shown through action, not adjectives:
“As a waitress, I had extensive contact with the public. The job required patience under pressure, physical strength, and the ability to multitask and prioritize.”
No need to add “… all skills I think would be useful as your assistant.” The employer will be the judge of that. Lead him to the conclusion through unassailable facts, evidence, and anecdotes. You might describe the time six tour buses pulled up and you had forty-five minutes to serve three hundred people who didn’t speak English.
Many cover letters include the phrase “I am interested in …” But in fact, what you are interested in doing is not an employer’s first concern. Remember, the cover letter is about what you can do for the employer. An employer definitely doesn’t care if the job meets the criteria you are looking for in a place of employment, as many naive job-hunters explain. Instead, you need to make the link between what you’ve been doing, what you are capable of doing, and the job.
DON’T TELL THEM WHAT THE JOB WILL DO FOR YOU …
… tell them what
you
will do for the company. It can’t be overstressed: An employer is interested in what you can bring to the table, not in what you would get out of the job. So don’t fall into the word-traps used by these self-interested job-hunters:
The job is well suited to my interests and qualifications.
The job advertised is one which seems very beneficial to my learning and development.
This position is a natural extension of my experience and offers me the opportunity to relocate to New York City, a transition I see as a necessary step toward achieving my career goals.
On the other hand, even when you’re focused on what makes you useful and hirable, you need to let your experience speak for itself. The following bad cover-letter language makes the mistake of
telling
rather than
showing:
I am a motivated college graduate who would love to gain experience in the film industry. Although I am young and inexperienced, I know I would be an asset to any company. I am bright, hardworking and have lots of enthusiasm.
I am sure my services would be useful to you.
I believe if given the chance, I could make a significant contribution to your accounting department.
I have confidence in my ability to succeed in your organization.
I am confident that I could both contribute to and benefit from a position at your company.
