You're Not Alone: Some Law Students Also Write Horrible Cover Letters

Thanks to my brother for sending me this article on How Not To Write A Cover Letter from the legal blog "Above the Law."  Cover letters are tough to write - as evidenced by this law student's attempt.  I'm not totally sure what this guy was thinking, but this nearly incomprehensible letter and overuse of $10 words suggests that law schools may indeed need to rethink what it is they're teaching.

An excerpt from the shamed cover letter is below:

The Outlook Chronicles: What's a Salary History and How Do I Write One?

So here's the set-up: without fail, I meet with students who, upon leaving my office, have a million more questions. Some of these questions they figure out on their own, some they e-mail to me for my two cents. Not surprisingly, I tend to see a lot of the same questions. So for those of you are asking yourselves those ground-breaking questions, like "should I text the hiring manager?," here are my answers to some frequently asked questions.

A Student Writes:

Dear Ms Paley,

I've finally been applying to some jobs that I've found and I was just wondering what employers mean when they ask applicants to provide a resume, cover letter and salary history and desired salary?

Thank you and have a great weekend!
- Lisa

And I answer:

Hi Lisa,

You should address these questions in the last paragraph of your cover letter. You do not need to attach a separate document (unless otherwise stated). Compensation and salary history can get a little nuanced if you’ve had a yearly salary with benefits, which we can talk about when we see each other next week. In these situations, you may want to mention not only your most recent or current salary, but also your total compensation package, which might include benefits, bonuses, and even stock options.

However, since you, as a senior, have yet to hold a full-time job, you might say, “In my most recent roles as a summer intern and on-campus student worker, my salary has ranged from $8.50-$12.50 per hour. My desired salary for this position is negotiable, but ranges from $$-$$$ depending on benefits and responsibilities.” In order to get a good feel for industry salaries, I recommend using websites like Glassdoor.com or Salary.com.

Best,
Shimrit

In Defense of Cover Letters

Please forgive my zillionth link to an article that I found on Jezebel (this one came from Deadspin actually). While I clearly like pop culture (don’t judge me) and good writing, I actually enjoy the career related articles published on this site – and apparently find them worthy of being talked about on this here blog. And, usually, I agree with the takeaways from these articles (a Tina Fey intern movie will be funny!)

However, this recent article about the value of a cover letter left me down right agitated. As a career services professional I spend a great deal of my time forcing convincing students to write cover letters. So imagine my outrage when I read this:

I've never understood why some employers demand a cover letter sent in with a resume. It's a dick move in so many ways. It's giving you extra homework that you shouldn't have to do. And it's basically saying to people, "Can you please waste both paper and time in the clumsiest way possible?" No HR department lackey is gonna spend time reading a cover letter. All they wanna know is if you went to a decent school and if you aren't a registered sex offender. If you make it past that round of cuts (and you probably won't, because American employers expect way too much of people), then they have to bring you in and meet you face-to-face to make sure you aren't an asshole.

So, for Drew Magary and anyone else who reads my blog (Hi Grandma!), here is my defense of cover letters. Bulleted out. Because it’s just easier that way. And yes, you can use bullets effectively in a cover letter.

• Cover letters do in fact have value. Perhaps most importantly, cover letters serve as a writing sample (you’d think a journalist would realize that). If you plan on applying for any job with some modicum of writing, you’d better be able to articulate in a clear, concise manner why you are qualified for the job you are applying for.
• A cover letter allows you to show fit. It allows you to make yourself stand out from the rest of the pack. It’s true, chances are HR will not look at your cover letter. But when HR hands the Hiring Manger 15 resumes, you’d better believe that she’ll look at attached cover letters before inviting candidates to participate in a phone screens or in-person interviews.
• Cover letters allow you to show you did your homework. Have you ever hired anyone? There is a feeling of pure joy that exists when you read a cover letter addressed to yourself by name.  So feed the hiring manager's narcissistic cravings show you did you homework and whenever possible do not begin a cover letter with “Dear sirs.” For goodness sakes, at least use the more gender friendly “Dear Hiring Manager.” 

I know that students and career-changers alike will continue to wonder if they must write a cover letter. Applicants will continue to wonder if anyone will read their cover letter. (Hint: the answer is probably not). But do you want to be the candidate who gets thrown out for lack of a cover letter? (Hint: the answer is no). Here’s the honest truth. If you’re actually a strong candidate, prove it. Write the gosh darn cover letter. And if you bring it into career services, I promise to read it.

Cover Letter Woes

So I've been totally ignoring this blog - and I'm not saying that this post is any indication of my return to weekly posts - but I had to post a link to this absolutely embarrassing cover letter sent to JP Morgan.  Given my line of work, I generally try to refrain from laughter at the expense of college-students/internship-seekers, but I'm hoping this letter will encourage future cover letter writers to avoid appearing like a pretentious, clueless, and lazy (note the typos and mention of Morgan Stanley) applicant.

The Outlook Chronicles: Including Salary Requirements In Your Cover Letter

So here's the set-up: without fail, I meet with students who, upon leaving my office, have a million more questions. Some of these questions they figure out on their own, some they e-mail to me for my two cents. Not surprisingly, I tend to see a lot of the same questions. So for those of you are asking yourselves those ground-breaking questions, like "should I text the hiring manager?," here are my answers to some frequently asked questions.

A student writes:

Hi Shimrit,

I'm working on finding jobs and networking, as per your recommendations, and I've come across a job that I would really love. It's as a program associate at a non-profit. They ask that applicants send in a resume and cover letter, which is no problem, but they also ask that applicants include past salary history and desired salary in the cover letter. Given that I've never had a salaried position, nor have I ever considered what my "desired salary" could be, I'm at a loss for what to do on this. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Ann

And I answer:

Hi Ann,

This is a common request by employers.  Often, it is made in order to ensure that the applicant understands the industry standards regarding salaries. You have a couple of options here. You could simply state a range based on research and industry standards.  Glassdoor.com is a great resource for ascertaining salary ranges. You could also refrain from giving any actual numbers, but still indicate that you are aware of these norms, and that you didn’t get into this kind of work to become rich.  This second option is probably what I would do, though you run the risk of angering the employer by not answering the questions. Still, here's what I might say:

“My salary requirements are negotiable and dependent on benefits. I am aware of the salary ranges in the non-profit industry and believe that the value of the work I am doing is as important a consideration as the amount of money I will be earning.”

Of course, this type of statement has to speak to your own beliefs, so don't say this unless you mean it.

If you have any other questions, or want to run what you think a reasonable salary range for this position might be by me, feel free to reach back out.

Best,

Shimrit

How do you handle job descriptions that ask you to include salary requirements in your cover letter?

#killthecoverletter

Reports of recent attempts to circumvent the traditional resume and cover letter route may be greeted with a sigh of relief by some students and job seekers, yet I wonder if this is truly to the advantage of either the applicant or the employer.  A cover letter serves many purposes.  It allows the job seekers to fill in the gaps, mention relevant experiences that don't belong on the resume (i.e. coursework or shadowing experiences) and serves as a valuable writing sample.  Additionally, it proves your interest and qualifications for a job's specific duties in a way a tweet cannot - and it allows the employer to decipher your actual level of interest.  Fact of the matter is, a well-written cover letter takes time and consideration in a way that a tweet just does not.  I can just imagine hiring managers shaking in their boots at the prospect of receiving thousands of 140-word job applications that lack much of any substantive information.

That being said, I think their is a future in non-traditional cover letters, specifically online videos or posts that contain the same general message as a cover letter (why it's in the best interest of the employer to hire you).  But more on that in another post . . .