Comments on: Anatomy of a Killer Cover Letter

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:41:01 +0000

Good information and I enjoyed the examples. I agree with addressing cover letters to the appropriate person but that is not always possible with many blind ads.

By: Good news, and things I’ve learned about applying for jobs. » writtennessa

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:00:27 +0000

[...] Tailor your cover letter, too. Don’t type a form letter to attach to every resume you submit. Do research on the job for which you’re applying and the business, and make sure that your cover letter reflects a knowledge of how your skills will apply. If possible, find out the name of the person who will be reading your resume and conducting your interview and address the letter to him/her. People with writing experience/talent, why wouldn’t you use this option? Your skills at writing, presentation, and research make the cover letter your most effective part of your application. Here’s a really good blog by Kerry K. Taylor, author of the blog Squawkfox, about the anatomy of a killer cover letter. [...]

By: private

private — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:10:15 +0000

This is no different then what the unemployment “professionals” preach. Same cover letter, same format, same thing in different words. It finally occurred to me they are there to collect statistics, not help you find a job. I am an experienced professional myself, and this article is good for those who don’t know how to write a cover letter. For the rest of us, it’s the same jargon. I just wanted to see if perhaps I can tweak mine, make it better somehow. Now I realize the more I try to make it better then it is, the worse it gets. I wish I could share my cover letter with everyone, as it really is a “killer” but that won’t happen because I decided to finally start speaking my mind rather then being kind so obviously I won’t be able to. It sounds like I am bitter, but actually I am fed up with know-it alls in these offices who have smug attitudes and don’t appreciate the truth-that I have more education and experience then they do in their own fields and that I can do a much better job then they can-I just don’t get the chance to prove it.

Good luck to everyone! My best to you all.

By: FilmGirl

FilmGirl — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:56:30 +0000

(I should add I am an editor/assistant editor and also submit for on-set jobs occasionally, so was asking for those “nontaditional” jobs in our industry- for the office jobs such as Asst to Producer, Development, Studio Coordinator of some sort, etc, standards are like traditional business.)

By: FilmGirl

FilmGirl — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:51:42 +0000

If you are able to do a special piece for those of us in creative industries- specifically the film/TV industry, I would love that! Our problem is that job postings are anonymous, so not only is there no hiring name or a real regular email (they make one just for the job), but rarely is it even made known the name of the company or the name of the show. And then I struggle with balancing how to demonstrate creativity and the technicality required. Most people want your resume simply to be a list of credits and title, no details, so cover letters are the only way to demonstrate anything special.

By: billy

billy — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:51:17 +0000

It’s still a crap shoot with cover letters. Because a lot depends on the personality of the person reading it. However, it never hurts to fine tune your cover letter.

By: Laura Paris

Laura Paris — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:27:36 +0000

This site is very helpful. After several attempts to find a job, I found that this approach actually works. Go down to the interviews, which is half.

By: Murray Moman

Murray Moman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:41:24 +0000

The first paragraph of your letter can be even stronger. You’re right that you need to get attention right away; HR hiring managers suggest that your first paragraph starts by announcing your strongest attributes. Then you follow up with the formal “application” sentence: “This is what I would bring to the position of…”

By: What’s Sizzling? – September 27th Edition

What’s Sizzling? – September 27th Edition — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:54:53 +0000

[...] have a number of career resources for you this week. Squawkfox did a great analysis of a killer cover letter – a play-by-play of sorts for pitching yourself in one page or less. Once you’re done [...]

By: Weekly Links: Working | Money Under 30

Weekly Links: Working | Money Under 30 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:15:33 +0000

[...] an extremely helpful series on writing cover leters. Don’t miss the first installment: Anatomy of a Killer Cover Letter. Squawkfox’s Kerry Taylor also wrote a guest post for Get Rich Slowly (@jdroth): Five Ways to [...]