It's Brutal Out There! - The World of Job Seekers
April 10th 2010 03:31
As part of my Ugly Betty Hypothesis job quest, I’ve actually attended a few career workshops and spoken with several recruitment experts, as part of my research. The general consensus appears to be that the job market is a brutal place, where the law of the jungle applies. I can’t say that I agree with this analogy more – I’ve always considered job seeking to be an extension of the brutality of dating (in case you were wondering, I don’t have much luck in that department either). In my experience this is usually what happens.
First you spot your potential employer/life partner in the classifieds/club, you try to get their attention with a snazzy cover letter/low cut top, but 90% of the time they’re unresponsive or just not interested, which hurts because you’ve already started picturing in your head what good times you would have together in your corner office with the spectacular views, or started naming our unborn children. In the unlikely event that you manage to get their attention, and they invite you to attend an interview/ first date, you have to dress up prettier than you normally would, by squeezing into an outfit you wouldn’t exactly call comfortable, slap on a face that is not your own and recite prepared answers and conversation starters to avoid awkward silences.
Potential Employer/Partner: so tell me a little about yourself.
Me: I’m a university graduate currently working as a writer for industry based journals and magazines, specialising in big drills ... And I want to have your babies!!
Potential Employer/ Partner: (awkward stunned silence) I’ll be in contact, thank you.
Me: So... did I get the job? / When's the wedding?
Obviously I need to work on my neediness and interpersonal skills, but even before that, it was apparent from all the recruitment people I had spoken with, that it is essential to have a strong cover letter, especially for people aspiring to crack the publishing industry. I mean after all, words are our craft.
There are apparently many ways you can go about writing a good cover letter. Traditionalists stress the importance of showing respect and your knowledge of the company by addressing the letter to a certain individual. Apparently, addressing the letter shows that you are willing to put in the extra effort and initiative to find who will be the recipient of your letter.
On the other hand, a Career Consultant from Katie Roberts told me that “sually the letter goes through an agency or most often does not have anyone's name to address it to. Gone are the "Dear Sir/Madam" days! Also, addressing the letter means sometimes pushing it over a page and we have found in our research the second page of a letter is often forgotten (not printed out or read) so it makes sense to maximise the first page with more selling points about you”.
A career counsellor from Monash University, who clearly prescribed to the traditional method of letter writing, told me of the importance of having clearly structured paragraphs, and even shared with me his secret winning formula.
Opening Paragraph: apparently the opener is crucial in establishing your cause and grabbing the reader’s attention, so you must be snazzy, but respectful – this guy couldn’t stress the importance of formality and respect enough in his spiel. If left to my own devices I’d probably open with a sarcastic but also witty comment, to let the employer get a feel of my delightful idiosyncrasies. Alas, that is considered too cutting edge and unacceptable cover letter material. Letter writing conservatives instead suggest you start with a compliment and introduce yourself.
Second Paragraph: Make the employer want to meet you. Short of threatening the lives of your potential employer’s household pets, this can be achieved by highlighting your interest, knowledge, research and suitability for the position. In short, ask not what the employer can do for you, but what you can do for the employer.
Third and Fourth Paragraphs: These paragraphs are supposed to allow you to elaborate further on why you are so suited for the job, highlighting any relevant skills or experience. However, it is here that once again there is divergence between the traditionalists and the “funky funky” new wave letter writers who throw convention to the wayside. Traditionalists would like you to continue with the tried and true format of paragraphs in letters. But the non-traditionalists suggest using dot points to highlight your relevant skills; the argument being that dot points are easier to read and leads your readers directly to the point, without the need for superfluous wording (side note – if you’re trying to be succinct I don’t recommend you using the term “superfluous wording”).
Closing Paragraph: AKA – the suck up. Thank your reader for his or her time and show your appreciation with a complimentary comment about their company. Also, here is apparently a good place to request to meet them in person for an interview. But from what I could gather from the sample cover letters I’ve looked at, you do not outright ask for an interview. You must do it sneakily, with phrases such as: “and I look forward to meeting with you soon to further discuss my prospects” or “I will elaborate further on my skills when we meet for an interview”.
The Sign Off: Don’t forget to do this! It seems simple, but apparently people forget this important step all the time. “Yours Sincerely” or “Yours Faithfully” followed by your signature and full name, is a must to round out your letter.
So there you have it, after weeks of what appears to be inactivity, turns out that I’ve actually been doing some real work for the real world. Hopefully all this is actually helpful and I get an interview for it.
Well that’s it for me for now. Until next time then.
First you spot your potential employer/life partner in the classifieds/club, you try to get their attention with a snazzy cover letter/low cut top, but 90% of the time they’re unresponsive or just not interested, which hurts because you’ve already started picturing in your head what good times you would have together in your corner office with the spectacular views, or started naming our unborn children. In the unlikely event that you manage to get their attention, and they invite you to attend an interview/ first date, you have to dress up prettier than you normally would, by squeezing into an outfit you wouldn’t exactly call comfortable, slap on a face that is not your own and recite prepared answers and conversation starters to avoid awkward silences.
Potential Employer/Partner: so tell me a little about yourself.
Me: I’m a university graduate currently working as a writer for industry based journals and magazines, specialising in big drills ... And I want to have your babies!!
Potential Employer/ Partner: (awkward stunned silence) I’ll be in contact, thank you.
Me: So... did I get the job? / When's the wedding?
Obviously I need to work on my neediness and interpersonal skills, but even before that, it was apparent from all the recruitment people I had spoken with, that it is essential to have a strong cover letter, especially for people aspiring to crack the publishing industry. I mean after all, words are our craft.
There are apparently many ways you can go about writing a good cover letter. Traditionalists stress the importance of showing respect and your knowledge of the company by addressing the letter to a certain individual. Apparently, addressing the letter shows that you are willing to put in the extra effort and initiative to find who will be the recipient of your letter.
On the other hand, a Career Consultant from Katie Roberts told me that “sually the letter goes through an agency or most often does not have anyone's name to address it to. Gone are the "Dear Sir/Madam" days! Also, addressing the letter means sometimes pushing it over a page and we have found in our research the second page of a letter is often forgotten (not printed out or read) so it makes sense to maximise the first page with more selling points about you”.
A career counsellor from Monash University, who clearly prescribed to the traditional method of letter writing, told me of the importance of having clearly structured paragraphs, and even shared with me his secret winning formula.
Opening Paragraph: apparently the opener is crucial in establishing your cause and grabbing the reader’s attention, so you must be snazzy, but respectful – this guy couldn’t stress the importance of formality and respect enough in his spiel. If left to my own devices I’d probably open with a sarcastic but also witty comment, to let the employer get a feel of my delightful idiosyncrasies. Alas, that is considered too cutting edge and unacceptable cover letter material. Letter writing conservatives instead suggest you start with a compliment and introduce yourself.
Second Paragraph: Make the employer want to meet you. Short of threatening the lives of your potential employer’s household pets, this can be achieved by highlighting your interest, knowledge, research and suitability for the position. In short, ask not what the employer can do for you, but what you can do for the employer.
Third and Fourth Paragraphs: These paragraphs are supposed to allow you to elaborate further on why you are so suited for the job, highlighting any relevant skills or experience. However, it is here that once again there is divergence between the traditionalists and the “funky funky” new wave letter writers who throw convention to the wayside. Traditionalists would like you to continue with the tried and true format of paragraphs in letters. But the non-traditionalists suggest using dot points to highlight your relevant skills; the argument being that dot points are easier to read and leads your readers directly to the point, without the need for superfluous wording (side note – if you’re trying to be succinct I don’t recommend you using the term “superfluous wording”).
Closing Paragraph: AKA – the suck up. Thank your reader for his or her time and show your appreciation with a complimentary comment about their company. Also, here is apparently a good place to request to meet them in person for an interview. But from what I could gather from the sample cover letters I’ve looked at, you do not outright ask for an interview. You must do it sneakily, with phrases such as: “and I look forward to meeting with you soon to further discuss my prospects” or “I will elaborate further on my skills when we meet for an interview”.
The Sign Off: Don’t forget to do this! It seems simple, but apparently people forget this important step all the time. “Yours Sincerely” or “Yours Faithfully” followed by your signature and full name, is a must to round out your letter.
So there you have it, after weeks of what appears to be inactivity, turns out that I’ve actually been doing some real work for the real world. Hopefully all this is actually helpful and I get an interview for it.
Well that’s it for me for now. Until next time then.
| 86 |
| Vote |
Add Comments
Read More
