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It is good. You are applying for a position in the academic setting. Ignore the people who say it is too long, as there are different expectations in that world. A friend of mine jokes that if he had to get his PhD then, darn it, he is going to continue writing long documents for the rest of his life. He is with Harvard at the moment, and if I recall when he had me read his cover letter years ago, it was 2 pages long.
I agree that it depends on the position you are applying for. This thread is a perfect example of how there is no one perfect cover letter or resume. Some people will say it`s perfect, others will say it`s not very good. It`s all up to the individual doing the hiring or reading the resumes. That`s why the best candidate isn`t always hired. Depending on the hiring person`s style or taste, the best candidate may not even have gotten an interview. It`s a crap shoot. All you can do is just keep throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall until something sticks!
I lost interest at the too long second sentence. I've been pretty successful at getting jobs and I never put much thought into my cover letter. I assume if they want to go on a fact finding mission, they will read my resume. I tried to scan the rest of your document but there were just too many fancy words. Who is your reader? Initially, a human resources representative. I don't really know what they are looking for but if they are literally scanning hundreds of resumes, they are looking for a reason to read further.
I used to be a secretary for a petroleum engineer and was fortunate enough to screen his applicants. I remember thinking about how many other tasks I had to do, how could I screen these applicants as efficiently as possible? Back then, using bold text was the marker. Since then people have tried different color papers blah blah blah. But you need to write as if you are speaking to a person. Bullet points and jargon are a turn-off.
I'm currently unemployed with a medical field background. I have had two interviews this past summer and have two more that I have made contact with. To make a longer story shorter. I'm trying to interview across country which is another dynamic. I've learned from the first two that the things that I said during the interviews where out of step to what the company needed. So for the next two, I will not bring up pursuing more education during my off time because my industry does not want that right now.
My plan for the next two is to convey a sense of ambition because in all honesty, I think that is why I was not chosen for the second. My heart wasn't really into it after driving 8 hours and it must have shown. References are critical and a sound track record in your industry.
In my covers I just state which position I am applying for and why I want to work for the company. Make it good though. If I'm really feeling fancy I'll include information on why they should hire me. This requires doing some homework though.
Sorry so long but I thought a different perspective on the whole process would help you once you get a call back. In all truth, it's really just a crap shoot.
Thanks for the advice and anecdote. If my educational experience and setting is anything like what I am applying for, the HR administrator will read it first, but presumably the ESL department head will also look at it too. I'm giving the college a call tomorrow to find out who will read it/who I may address to better.
That has not been working for her. So she needs to evaluate those "fancy words". After re-reading your cover this morning, my next thought is that you must lack experience. IMHO, people with experience don't need to elaborate such a long cover due to qualification or connections. Half of what you wrote could be included under various job descriptions.
OP, you need to try a different approach. If anything, apply for a different (non-academic) position with a modified cover and see how that works for you. You can never get enough practice shopping your resume and doing interviews because the trends change.
My cover letter stems from two years of working as a TA, as well as volunteering at another closely-related educational opportunity. You're right in that I don't have experience, this is my first "real" job out of college with a master's. It's funny how you can go through life without having to write cover letters or do anything of importance, until you have to. I got lucky in a lot of cases, I've realized.
I agree that it depends on the position you are applying for. This thread is a perfect example of how there is no one perfect cover letter or resume. Some people will say it`s perfect, others will say it`s not very good. It`s all up to the individual doing the hiring or reading the resumes. That`s why the best candidate isn`t always hired. Depending on the hiring person`s style or taste, the best candidate may not even have gotten an interview. It`s a crap shoot. All you can do is just keep throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall until something sticks!
Good observation. I appreciate everyone's contribution toward my cover letter, and it has shown me that opinions differ. I always thought there was a formula, but after researching it depends on your target. I'm glad I got advice for looking at my own college's website. As stupid as it sounds, I wouldn't have thought of it. I guess that's what happens when you don't utilize resources at your disposal. Lesson learned though.
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It`s all up to the individual doing the hiring or reading the resumes. That`s why the best candidate isn`t always hired. Depending on the hiring person`s style or taste, the best candidate may not even have gotten an interview. It`s a crap shoot. All you can do is just keep throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall until something sticks!
