Job help

[GilbertsGrape]

I hope you all can help me out. I graduate in May and I will be looking for a new job in the information Technology field. I have a resume already I just don’t have a cover letter. For those of you in IT jobs would you help me out by showing me your all’s cover(s) letters so I can get some ideas of style and content.

Thank you very much.

Grape Dude

[Nija]

I don't have a cover letter... maybe that's why I don't get the jobs I want..

But good luck on yur job hunt, yo!

[GilbertsGrape]

nija
Thanks for the luck i will need all the luck i can get ....

[dbax791]

Are you interviewing on campus? Generally campus recruiters don't require a cover letter and on-campus interviews are BY FAR the best way to land a job right out of college. If the employer you are interested in does not interview at your college, call them up and ask them if they have "regional" interviews or job fairs where you could talk to them and drop of a resume.

Sorry, I've been thru 4 jobs and I've never used a cover letter...:)

[chrissy]

Cover letters are almost job specific.

I have one for an internal job posting from a couple years ago.

monster.com and other online resources have a lot of good tips for writing one.

It should basically be short and to the point.

The first paragraph should be an introduction and show that you know what is expected of the postition.

The second paragraph should BREIFLY sum up your skills.

The third is a thank you and you are available type thing.

Mine read as follows

The current posting for Support Specialist II is an opportunity of great proportions for MicroAge and this center. It involves providing sound technical knowledge and great customer service skills. I have made my career at MicroAge around the same principles. I am submitting my resume for consideration of this position

With over a decade of customer service and technical knowledge, I am certain that I can help this call center as a Support Specialist II technician. I am a strong team player. Assisting in Internal Team Trainings, evaluating technicians to help target needed additional training and actively serving in the mentor pool, I serve as a technical resource to management.

I know I can make a positive contribution to the Support Specialist II desk and look forward to discussing my capabilities in more detail. I am available for a personal interview at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


:)

[GilbertsGrape]

chrissy,

wow! "With over a decade of customer service and technical knowledge"



Experience wow must be nice to have that much experience. I have 5 years experience at a dead end low pay job on campus …..

[chrissy]

LOL

And apparently you missed the post where I am now starting work at Wal mart making just as much money as I was working there AFTER I got that promotion!

:)

GL Grapey :)

BUT you have 5 years experience working with customers. Remember, co workers are also customers. (bosses love to hear employees say "internal customers" ).

Most of my customer service skills I learned working at Hardee's and waitressing through HS and such. BUT it still counts as knowledge! ;)

[OremuS]

Originally posted by GilbertsGrape
I hope you all can help me out. I graduate in May and I will be looking for a new job in the information Technology field. I have a resume already I just don’t have a cover letter. For those of you in IT jobs would you help me out by showing me your all’s cover(s) letters so I can get some ideas of style and content.

Thank you very much.

Grape Dude

I could only wish that was graduating in May. I graduated last June and expect to start work for one of the Big Five Consulting Firms and they pretty much called me up the MOnday after graduation and said they were moving my start date back 2 months. This was fine...I wanted to take some tiem off and all, but then about a month later in the middle of July, I get a call telling me that everyone in the new recruiting class is being pushed back indefinately and that they are going ot be re-evaluating things in April 2002.

I jsut got an email yesterday saying that yes they are re-evaluting things in the coming month but cannot ensure that everyone will still get the position that they were originally promised. Bleh this sucks.

I accepted my job back in the fall of 2000 before all of the job fairs and other stuff. I knew that it was my dream job so I felt pretty good. For this reason I didn't interview anywhere else...I even turned down another offer that I got from the place I interned prior to my senior year in college.

All I can say about finding an IT job....try to get it done on campus because once you leave, good luck getting in anywhere without experience.

[whitak24]

good advice, and good example from chrissy :) (of course, with 10 years of extensive experience, i'm sure she really knows what she's talking about ;) )

a few points of my own:
1.) basically, try to use your cover letter to make you come alive as a person from your resume. when employers look at your resume, all they see is a list of skills. your cover letter tells a story about WHY you are qualified for the job. instead of just saying "i have java skills", you can say "i have experience using java to provide solutions to client problems", etc.

2.) use your cover letter to make up for deficiencies in your resume. maybe you have a low GPA. maybe you don't have a lot of work experience that looks applicable to the position you're applying for. whatever the problem, use your cover letter to explain it away. work in a line about how you took very difficult classes. explain how your job busing tables in an allnight diner made you more determined, a better team player, or helped you hone your interpersonal skills.

3.) if possible, always submit a cover letter. for on-campus interviewing, it may not be required. but remember, the worst thing that can happen is that they'll throw it away and never read it. in the best case, they'll read it and be more inclined to interview you because they feel like they know you. (now sometimes they may specifically say that they want resumes only, in which case you obviously don't want to be obnoxious and add a coverletter).

4.) this is pretty obvious, but be SURE there aren't spelling, grammar, or typing errors in the letter. it's hard because usually you have a few stock letters that you will rearrange for each specific employer (try to throw in something specific about the position -- that way they know you actually read the posting). but just be sure to double-check so that you KNOW there aren't any errors that will make you look stupid to potential employers.

i would give you examples of letters i've written, but i don't have any on this computer. but i think there are a lot of resources online and there should be a lot of resources available in your career services center.

[Kim]

I don't have any advice, so I'll just offer some ~~~good luck~~~ vibes to you. I hope you find your dream job!

[GilbertsGrape]

Thanks whitak24 you sound like you have some experience doing this kind of stuff too. thanks for the advice and i look forward to seeing your samples

GrapeDude



Originally posted by whitak24
good advice, and good example from chrissy :) (of course, with 10 years of extensive experience, i'm sure she really knows what she's talking about ;) )

a few points of my own:
1.) basically, try to use your cover letter to make you come alive as a person from your resume. when employers look at your resume, all they see is a list of skills. your cover letter tells a story about WHY you are qualified for the job. instead of just saying "i have java skills", you can say "i have experience using java to provide solutions to client problems", etc.

2.) use your cover letter to make up for deficiencies in your resume. maybe you have a low GPA. maybe you don't have a lot of work experience that looks applicable to the position you're applying for. whatever the problem, use your cover letter to explain it away. work in a line about how you took very difficult classes. explain how your job busing tables in an allnight diner made you more determined, a better team player, or helped you hone your interpersonal skills.

3.) if possible, always submit a cover letter. for on-campus interviewing, it may not be required. but remember, the worst thing that can happen is that they'll throw it away and never read it. in the best case, they'll read it and be more inclined to interview you because they feel like they know you. (now sometimes they may specifically say that they want resumes only, in which case you obviously don't want to be obnoxious and add a coverletter).

4.) this is pretty obvious, but be SURE there aren't spelling, grammar, or typing errors in the letter. it's hard because usually you have a few stock letters that you will rearrange for each specific employer (try to throw in something specific about the position -- that way they know you actually read the posting). but just be sure to double-check so that you KNOW there aren't any errors that will make you look stupid to potential employers.

i would give you examples of letters i've written, but i don't have any on this computer. but i think there are a lot of resources online and there should be a lot of resources available in your career services center.

[whitak24]

Originally posted by GilbertsGrape
Thanks whitak24 you sound like you have some experience doing this kind of stuff too. thanks for the advice and i look forward to seeing your samples
hey, no prob.

my letters are on my parents' computer at home so i really don't think i'm going to be digging them up anytime soon. but here are some resources that should help you out......

general info/samples:
http://www.careerlab.com/letters/
http://susanireland.com/coverletterindex.htm (http://)
http://www.rensselaer.edu/web/writingcenter/cover_letter.html
http://content.monster.com/resume/samples/coverletters/
http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm

cover letter checklist:
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/career_dev/resumes_coverlett/coverchecklist.html

preparing electronic cover letters/resumes:
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/career_dev/resumes_coverlett/coverchecklist.html

[GilbertsGrape]

Wow thanks for the links I know how I will be spending my weekend

Thanks again
Grape


Originally posted by whitak24

hey, no prob.

my letters are on my parents' computer at home so i really don't think i'm going to be digging them up anytime soon. but here are some resources that should help you out......

general info/samples:
http://www.careerlab.com/letters/
http://susanireland.com/coverletterindex.htm (http://)
http://www.rensselaer.edu/web/writingcenter/cover_letter.html
http://content.monster.com/resume/samples/coverletters/
http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm

cover letter checklist:
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/career_dev/resumes_coverlett/coverchecklist.html

preparing electronic cover letters/resumes:
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/career_dev/resumes_coverlett/coverchecklist.html