cover letter advice

Katherine Goldstein, the innovations editor at Slate,  wrote this article for the site about Cover Letter advice. The subtitle for the article claims that it has 12 tips your career counselor hasn't told you, and I know that these are intended to catch our attention... but really?

• Focus on the cover letter.
• Keep it short.
• Avoid awkward phrasing and attempts to be overly formal.
• You are your best advocate.
• Show me that you read my site.
• Explain how selecting you will benefit me.
• I’m not interested in anything you did before college.
• I’m not interested in your life journeys.
• When I read “senior thesis” my eyes glaze over.
• I don’t really care what classes you’ve taken, either.
• Your college and GPA aren’t as important as you think.
• Follow the application instructions to a T.

The article itself is useful, since as she says she has read many cover letters in her time and hired many entry-level positions. But I can say without a doubt I have heard all of these before (and written about many of them!) Several of these work together to reinforce the main point I make, which is you MUST conduct the research to learn all you can about the position, company and industry you are applying for.

If you haven't done this type of research before I encourage you to read my various posts of research tips. If after that you need more one on one assistance I will once again recommend your local public library. While I certainly don't know my readers individually and where you all live, I know the profession. You should be able to find professionals who can help teach/guide you in research.

Good luck to all!