This chapter goes through the basics of crafting a well thought out Cover Letter. It starts off by stating the importance of not making careless grammatical errors, as this will show the employer that you do not pay attention to detail, nor do you really care about getting the position with which you are applying. Another large part of the cover letter writing process is to realize that the cover letter is not really about you, but it’s how the employer will benefit from you. The cover letter’s purpose is basically to make the employer want you. It is the first thing that they see, and is a very important pitch as to why you should even be considered for the position. The AIDA format from the previous chapter on persuasive writing is still heavily in use for the cover letter, as you are trying to persuade the reader to consider you for hire. The letter is essentially a highlight reel. It is supposed to show that you appeal to the qualities that are needed for the job, and that you have some prior experiences that align with what the position entails. It is also stated within the chapter that you are likely not going to have everything that the employer is looking for, but if you have even some of the aspects, you should still apply and state how you are working towards gaining experiences in those areas that you currently have no experience in. This chapter very clearly outlines the ways in which one can curate an impactful cover letter, and is definitely a chapter I will revisit when doing so.
Cover letters are a type of business/persuasive document, and therefore all of the writing rules we have learned thus far should be followed. Cover letters are the first thing a potential employer will see of you, so it should be honest, well-formatted, specific, and professional. For example, the cover letter should be addressed to a specific person, if possible. Developing personal connection through following up with the application, or using names as a referall that your employer might recognize. It is important in a cover letter that the quality of writing reflects you as an individual. It should be a summary of experience, with concrete and specific details that capture interest and desire by showing how the company could use you, and utilize your skills. Everything on the cover letter should be relevant to the job you are applying for, or else you are wasting page space that could be used to show your usefulness in other aspects. As the text says, “the cover letter isn’t about you. It’s about what you can do for the employer, period.” This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t advocate for yourself in your cover letter. It’s still a persuasive document, period.
This chapter discusses cover letters’ importance and their fundamental components. A cover letter is a professional business document that holds a persuasive tone. Therefore all writing rules that we know should be applied. A cover letter is likely one of the most important documents we right as an adult, so it is crucial to nail down the format depending on the industry you may be applying to. As previously discussed in this class, first impressions are everything, and a cover letter does just that. It would be unfair but true to say that someone who sends a hiring manager a poorly written cover letter with little research about the company and many grammatical errors would be a lousy worker with little intellect. To avoid this mistake, it is essential to follow the AIDA model. To recap, AIDA stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. When writing to persuade, you want to get the reader’s attention immediately, then continue to hold that attention by making them interested in your skills and what you could bring to a company. Because interest cannot seal the deal alone, making the reader desire more from you will hopefully cause them to take action and call you in for an interview. To hold their interest all the way until the end, it is essential to hit on the key points of the company; maybe that means mentioning a product they just launched or an award they won; you are holding their interest in you by showing you are interested in them. It is vital to keep a professional tone throughout while holding on to the persuasive element of the document.
Chapter 10 on Cover Letters discusses how to write and understand the tools and techniques behind a stand-out cover letter for job applications. A few items I would point out for readers would be to take the extra time and hone in on those small details because those are what matter in and out of the professional sphere; employers know that. Things such as checking out the website to try and understand the essence of the company and if you think it’s a good fit, making a quick call asking for some names or information about the company, and always paying attention to grammar, spelling, and format. This indicates other themes that resonate with this course as well, such as an overall responsibility for your writing that highlights you, your education, and your character. Despite the cover letter being a business document, adding those key points of personalization will help set you apart. Another crucial element to take into consideration builds upon what the last chapter discussed, the AIDA format. Layering in the Cs of good professional writing as well, the chapter highlights how to manipulate that AIDA formula into personalized and effective information for each job application with ideas such as writing for an audience of a prospective employer who wants to know what you can do for them. It’s also important to remember that the cover letter is not where you delve into specific details of your best and most awe-inspiring accomplishments but a short and persuasive insight into what’s to come.
One big thing that is emphasized in Chapter 10: Cover Letters, is the importance of the fact that a cover letter isn’t about “you,” but instead it is about what you can do for the employer. This means that instead of writing about yourself using the words “I” and “me,” you should use “you” instead. The goal of the cover letter is to quickly show an employer how you can fit into their organization and what you will bring to the table to improve said organization, you don’t want to waste any of their time with information about yourself that does not relate to the position you are applying for. Another main point of this chapter was the use of the AIDA technique in writing a cover letter. I was interested to learn that a cover letter in many ways is just a short persuasive letter for an employer. Writing a cover letter can be made a lot easier simply by considering Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action when writing. The first three components of this technique all work together to show off why an employer should take Action and ask for an interview or even offer you the position.
In this chapter, it discusses that a cover letter is one of the most important documents that you will write in your life, along with your resume. It is the very first thing that someone will see when they are looking to potentially hire you. So before you are done with your cover letter, you need to look it over carefully and proofread it a couple times. With proofreading, comes editing. And with editing comes, AIDA and the C’s that we learned about in the previous chapter. Using those skills with your cover letter will make it more professional and your potential employer will put you at the top of the list. Another thing that this chapter discusses is that when writing a cover letter, you should have already done some research on their company so your potential employer sees that you really care and you want that position. With your cover letter, it’s not really about you, it’s more about what you can bring to their company to help them succeed in the future. Your resume is more about you and what skills you have.
A lot seemed important in this chapter especially considering that I have never written a cover letter before. I never really thought about how rigid the formatting for one is. It makes sense though because a cover letter is a company’s first look at you so you want to make sure you do it right. A lot of it seemed pretty standard, such as 12ish font point, simple font choice and not too long or too short. The chapter also said how paragraphs should be short and sweet or even bullet points if necessary. This chapter also includes the AIDA approach when writing a cover letter which makes sense considering in a strictly business way, you are trying to sell yourself or make yourself desirable to an employer. Another big thing about the letters are details, so pay attention to what the company is saying they want and be that person. One thing the chapter says is to remember that the cover letter isn’t for you, it’s about what you can do for the employer. Also its rare that you are the perfect person and have every skill needed, but here is a good place to say that you are willing to learn and become better. The employer has to see how perfectly you’re going to fit in at the company.
Chapter 10 teaches you how to write an effective job application cover letter. The chapter emphasizes why the cover letter is important and gives us tips on how to write a clear and concise cover letter which is more likely to make you stand out and that is ultimately more likely to get you the job. In the beginning of the Cover letter section it teaches us that “the quality of your writing reflects on you, your education, and your character.” Which is very important when we are thinking about why our cover letters matter so much. This section also teaches us to view our cover letter as the company’s “first impression” of you therefore emphasizing the importance it holds. In the Formatting the Cover letter section it gave five useful tips for formatting which I think are very important and interesting, it didn’t specifically list out the steps but these were the ones that i picked up on. 1.) It should be written in block business-letter format 2.) The cover letter should be no longer than a page 3.) Point size should be no smaller than 10 and no larger than 12 4.) Must be reader friendly 5.) if you can put your skills in a bulleted list do it. When the book said that the cover letter is meant to be a persuasive document it gave me a more clear picture of what is expected and what I need to do. When writing a cover letter the book suggested that it is best to use the AIDA approach. It then takes us through all the steps of AIDA when you are writing a cover letter. These are the most important things that I picked up from the attention section. 1.) “The first paragraph needs to indicate the job you’re applying for and where you saw the advertisement.” 2.) “You might get more attention if you can show some prior connection with the company.” This is so true and I believe this is why I got my job over the summer. In my application I mentioned that my friend who had just left the company but was a really good worker for them told me about the job and I’m pretty sure that’s why I was hired. Also in the last paragraph of this section it says “It’s often not what you know but whom you know that gets you the job.” This is true in so many industries and its unfortunate because so much talent falls through the cracks this way.
Cover letters are some of the most important documents one will utilize throughout their life, along with resumes. However, they are one of the most scrutinized documents, as many people will submit their own cover letter when applying for a job. As such, it is important that one makes their cover letter professional, yet attention-grabbing. The seven Cs must be considered here, along with grammar and spelling. It won’t matter to the employee if you are the best candidate for the job if your cover letter reads like a first draft. The impression is that you do not care enough about the job to put the effort into it, therefore, by that logic, making you a bad fit for the company in that position. A cover letter can also work under the AIDA structure, which I find interesting until you realize that the AIDA structure might pertain to all correspondence constructed like an email or letter. The paragraphs are more focused on the job you are applying for and can be shorter than the persuasive letter due to needing to fit on one page. This is because there is a limited amount of time that someone or something will spend looking at it versus an interview which can go more into depth. There is a bit more of a struggle in writing the letter as you must balance focusing on the job/company you are applying for and promoting yourself and your experience.
The biggest takeaway from chapter 10 was the importance of cover letters when applying for a job. Where a résumé is all about showing off yourself and your accomplishments to the prospective employer, a cover letter is all about showing off what you know about them. For example, the company’s mission statement, any successes they have had, the name of the CEO, etc. The chapter made it clear that a cover letter can make or break a job opportunity. As a result of the large role a cover letter plays, it is imperative to know how to write a proper one. That is where chapter 10 went into some key guidelines to follow. For instance, the eight C’s (clear concise, concrete/specific, complete, courteous, coherent, and constructive), or AIDA (attention, interest, desire, and action), which we read about in previous chapters. This chapter spoke specifically to AIDA, and how it relates to cover letters in particular. The chapter also described cover letters as being similar to persuasive letters. For example, the book stated, “The cover letter isn’t about you; it’s about what you can do for the employer.” Like a persuasive letter, the writer is trying to persuade someone (the employer) into believing that hiring them would be beneficial to the company, by showing knowledge, dedication, and effort from the time they spent researching. Another helpful aspect of this chapter, was the incorporation of cover letter examples. Formatting is also important when trying to appear professional and organized, and so it was useful to see a realistic example.
This chapter is the culmination of almost everything we learned in the previous chapters. In writing a cover letter, the first most important step is to follow the eights C’s and have good grammar/spelling. If a cover letter is sloppy and full of mistakes, the employee going through your cover letter is likely to throw it out before they even look at your qualifications. A messy cover letter implies that you, the applicant, are messy and unthoughtful in your work, and while that might not be the case it’s what most potential employers assume. The format of the letter is important as well – putting your cover letter in proper business format elevates it above those who haven’t, raising your chances of being hired. In terms of the content of the letter, we circle back to ethos, pathos, logos, as well as AIDA. Since it’s a persuasive document, following the steps of attention, interest, desire, and action give you the best chance of being hired. How you use these steps is a little different than other persuasive letters, but you still follow the format of ethos, pathos, and logos within the individual sections. Finally, the most important thing to take away from this chapter is the fact that the cover letter isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for the employer. A cover letter should be “you”-centered, not “me”-centered.
I think a point that was stated in the previous journal that they mention again here is the acronym AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action). Our cover letters should grab our employer’s attention, make him interested in the things we might have to offer, and make him or her want us for the position. Desire our work ethic and our position etc. The action should be us making that decision and ending our letters with a conclusion that makes us stand out from the competition. While AIDA is a very important tool to use, another even more important tool to use language and tone. Using language that appeals to the reader. Like “thank you for your time” or “I know you’re extremely busy…” In a sense suck up to the higher to sweeten the deal per se. If we redirect the language that doesn’t sound braggy or desperate, but confident and respectful, we might actually have a chance. That being said the language should not be sophisticated but rather simple and straightforward. However, we can flex our skills a little to show we do have what it takes. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be clear on what position we want. It’s sort of the abstract to the resume if you will.
12 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 6”
This chapter goes through the basics of crafting a well thought out Cover Letter. It starts off by stating the importance of not making careless grammatical errors, as this will show the employer that you do not pay attention to detail, nor do you really care about getting the position with which you are applying. Another large part of the cover letter writing process is to realize that the cover letter is not really about you, but it’s how the employer will benefit from you. The cover letter’s purpose is basically to make the employer want you. It is the first thing that they see, and is a very important pitch as to why you should even be considered for the position. The AIDA format from the previous chapter on persuasive writing is still heavily in use for the cover letter, as you are trying to persuade the reader to consider you for hire. The letter is essentially a highlight reel. It is supposed to show that you appeal to the qualities that are needed for the job, and that you have some prior experiences that align with what the position entails. It is also stated within the chapter that you are likely not going to have everything that the employer is looking for, but if you have even some of the aspects, you should still apply and state how you are working towards gaining experiences in those areas that you currently have no experience in. This chapter very clearly outlines the ways in which one can curate an impactful cover letter, and is definitely a chapter I will revisit when doing so.
Cover letters are a type of business/persuasive document, and therefore all of the writing rules we have learned thus far should be followed. Cover letters are the first thing a potential employer will see of you, so it should be honest, well-formatted, specific, and professional. For example, the cover letter should be addressed to a specific person, if possible. Developing personal connection through following up with the application, or using names as a referall that your employer might recognize. It is important in a cover letter that the quality of writing reflects you as an individual. It should be a summary of experience, with concrete and specific details that capture interest and desire by showing how the company could use you, and utilize your skills. Everything on the cover letter should be relevant to the job you are applying for, or else you are wasting page space that could be used to show your usefulness in other aspects. As the text says, “the cover letter isn’t about you. It’s about what you can do for the employer, period.” This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t advocate for yourself in your cover letter. It’s still a persuasive document, period.
This chapter discusses cover letters’ importance and their fundamental components. A cover letter is a professional business document that holds a persuasive tone. Therefore all writing rules that we know should be applied. A cover letter is likely one of the most important documents we right as an adult, so it is crucial to nail down the format depending on the industry you may be applying to. As previously discussed in this class, first impressions are everything, and a cover letter does just that. It would be unfair but true to say that someone who sends a hiring manager a poorly written cover letter with little research about the company and many grammatical errors would be a lousy worker with little intellect. To avoid this mistake, it is essential to follow the AIDA model. To recap, AIDA stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. When writing to persuade, you want to get the reader’s attention immediately, then continue to hold that attention by making them interested in your skills and what you could bring to a company. Because interest cannot seal the deal alone, making the reader desire more from you will hopefully cause them to take action and call you in for an interview. To hold their interest all the way until the end, it is essential to hit on the key points of the company; maybe that means mentioning a product they just launched or an award they won; you are holding their interest in you by showing you are interested in them. It is vital to keep a professional tone throughout while holding on to the persuasive element of the document.
Chapter 10 on Cover Letters discusses how to write and understand the tools and techniques behind a stand-out cover letter for job applications. A few items I would point out for readers would be to take the extra time and hone in on those small details because those are what matter in and out of the professional sphere; employers know that. Things such as checking out the website to try and understand the essence of the company and if you think it’s a good fit, making a quick call asking for some names or information about the company, and always paying attention to grammar, spelling, and format. This indicates other themes that resonate with this course as well, such as an overall responsibility for your writing that highlights you, your education, and your character. Despite the cover letter being a business document, adding those key points of personalization will help set you apart. Another crucial element to take into consideration builds upon what the last chapter discussed, the AIDA format. Layering in the Cs of good professional writing as well, the chapter highlights how to manipulate that AIDA formula into personalized and effective information for each job application with ideas such as writing for an audience of a prospective employer who wants to know what you can do for them. It’s also important to remember that the cover letter is not where you delve into specific details of your best and most awe-inspiring accomplishments but a short and persuasive insight into what’s to come.
One big thing that is emphasized in Chapter 10: Cover Letters, is the importance of the fact that a cover letter isn’t about “you,” but instead it is about what you can do for the employer. This means that instead of writing about yourself using the words “I” and “me,” you should use “you” instead. The goal of the cover letter is to quickly show an employer how you can fit into their organization and what you will bring to the table to improve said organization, you don’t want to waste any of their time with information about yourself that does not relate to the position you are applying for. Another main point of this chapter was the use of the AIDA technique in writing a cover letter. I was interested to learn that a cover letter in many ways is just a short persuasive letter for an employer. Writing a cover letter can be made a lot easier simply by considering Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action when writing. The first three components of this technique all work together to show off why an employer should take Action and ask for an interview or even offer you the position.
In this chapter, it discusses that a cover letter is one of the most important documents that you will write in your life, along with your resume. It is the very first thing that someone will see when they are looking to potentially hire you. So before you are done with your cover letter, you need to look it over carefully and proofread it a couple times. With proofreading, comes editing. And with editing comes, AIDA and the C’s that we learned about in the previous chapter. Using those skills with your cover letter will make it more professional and your potential employer will put you at the top of the list. Another thing that this chapter discusses is that when writing a cover letter, you should have already done some research on their company so your potential employer sees that you really care and you want that position. With your cover letter, it’s not really about you, it’s more about what you can bring to their company to help them succeed in the future. Your resume is more about you and what skills you have.
A lot seemed important in this chapter especially considering that I have never written a cover letter before. I never really thought about how rigid the formatting for one is. It makes sense though because a cover letter is a company’s first look at you so you want to make sure you do it right. A lot of it seemed pretty standard, such as 12ish font point, simple font choice and not too long or too short. The chapter also said how paragraphs should be short and sweet or even bullet points if necessary. This chapter also includes the AIDA approach when writing a cover letter which makes sense considering in a strictly business way, you are trying to sell yourself or make yourself desirable to an employer. Another big thing about the letters are details, so pay attention to what the company is saying they want and be that person. One thing the chapter says is to remember that the cover letter isn’t for you, it’s about what you can do for the employer. Also its rare that you are the perfect person and have every skill needed, but here is a good place to say that you are willing to learn and become better. The employer has to see how perfectly you’re going to fit in at the company.
Journal #6:
Chapter 10 teaches you how to write an effective job application cover letter. The chapter emphasizes why the cover letter is important and gives us tips on how to write a clear and concise cover letter which is more likely to make you stand out and that is ultimately more likely to get you the job. In the beginning of the Cover letter section it teaches us that “the quality of your writing reflects on you, your education, and your character.” Which is very important when we are thinking about why our cover letters matter so much. This section also teaches us to view our cover letter as the company’s “first impression” of you therefore emphasizing the importance it holds. In the Formatting the Cover letter section it gave five useful tips for formatting which I think are very important and interesting, it didn’t specifically list out the steps but these were the ones that i picked up on. 1.) It should be written in block business-letter format 2.) The cover letter should be no longer than a page 3.) Point size should be no smaller than 10 and no larger than 12 4.) Must be reader friendly 5.) if you can put your skills in a bulleted list do it. When the book said that the cover letter is meant to be a persuasive document it gave me a more clear picture of what is expected and what I need to do. When writing a cover letter the book suggested that it is best to use the AIDA approach. It then takes us through all the steps of AIDA when you are writing a cover letter. These are the most important things that I picked up from the attention section. 1.) “The first paragraph needs to indicate the job you’re applying for and where you saw the advertisement.” 2.) “You might get more attention if you can show some prior connection with the company.” This is so true and I believe this is why I got my job over the summer. In my application I mentioned that my friend who had just left the company but was a really good worker for them told me about the job and I’m pretty sure that’s why I was hired. Also in the last paragraph of this section it says “It’s often not what you know but whom you know that gets you the job.” This is true in so many industries and its unfortunate because so much talent falls through the cracks this way.
Cover letters are some of the most important documents one will utilize throughout their life, along with resumes. However, they are one of the most scrutinized documents, as many people will submit their own cover letter when applying for a job. As such, it is important that one makes their cover letter professional, yet attention-grabbing. The seven Cs must be considered here, along with grammar and spelling. It won’t matter to the employee if you are the best candidate for the job if your cover letter reads like a first draft. The impression is that you do not care enough about the job to put the effort into it, therefore, by that logic, making you a bad fit for the company in that position. A cover letter can also work under the AIDA structure, which I find interesting until you realize that the AIDA structure might pertain to all correspondence constructed like an email or letter. The paragraphs are more focused on the job you are applying for and can be shorter than the persuasive letter due to needing to fit on one page. This is because there is a limited amount of time that someone or something will spend looking at it versus an interview which can go more into depth. There is a bit more of a struggle in writing the letter as you must balance focusing on the job/company you are applying for and promoting yourself and your experience.
The biggest takeaway from chapter 10 was the importance of cover letters when applying for a job. Where a résumé is all about showing off yourself and your accomplishments to the prospective employer, a cover letter is all about showing off what you know about them. For example, the company’s mission statement, any successes they have had, the name of the CEO, etc. The chapter made it clear that a cover letter can make or break a job opportunity. As a result of the large role a cover letter plays, it is imperative to know how to write a proper one. That is where chapter 10 went into some key guidelines to follow. For instance, the eight C’s (clear concise, concrete/specific, complete, courteous, coherent, and constructive), or AIDA (attention, interest, desire, and action), which we read about in previous chapters. This chapter spoke specifically to AIDA, and how it relates to cover letters in particular. The chapter also described cover letters as being similar to persuasive letters. For example, the book stated, “The cover letter isn’t about you; it’s about what you can do for the employer.” Like a persuasive letter, the writer is trying to persuade someone (the employer) into believing that hiring them would be beneficial to the company, by showing knowledge, dedication, and effort from the time they spent researching. Another helpful aspect of this chapter, was the incorporation of cover letter examples. Formatting is also important when trying to appear professional and organized, and so it was useful to see a realistic example.
This chapter is the culmination of almost everything we learned in the previous chapters. In writing a cover letter, the first most important step is to follow the eights C’s and have good grammar/spelling. If a cover letter is sloppy and full of mistakes, the employee going through your cover letter is likely to throw it out before they even look at your qualifications. A messy cover letter implies that you, the applicant, are messy and unthoughtful in your work, and while that might not be the case it’s what most potential employers assume. The format of the letter is important as well – putting your cover letter in proper business format elevates it above those who haven’t, raising your chances of being hired. In terms of the content of the letter, we circle back to ethos, pathos, logos, as well as AIDA. Since it’s a persuasive document, following the steps of attention, interest, desire, and action give you the best chance of being hired. How you use these steps is a little different than other persuasive letters, but you still follow the format of ethos, pathos, and logos within the individual sections. Finally, the most important thing to take away from this chapter is the fact that the cover letter isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for the employer. A cover letter should be “you”-centered, not “me”-centered.
I think a point that was stated in the previous journal that they mention again here is the acronym AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action). Our cover letters should grab our employer’s attention, make him interested in the things we might have to offer, and make him or her want us for the position. Desire our work ethic and our position etc. The action should be us making that decision and ending our letters with a conclusion that makes us stand out from the competition. While AIDA is a very important tool to use, another even more important tool to use language and tone. Using language that appeals to the reader. Like “thank you for your time” or “I know you’re extremely busy…” In a sense suck up to the higher to sweeten the deal per se. If we redirect the language that doesn’t sound braggy or desperate, but confident and respectful, we might actually have a chance. That being said the language should not be sophisticated but rather simple and straightforward. However, we can flex our skills a little to show we do have what it takes. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be clear on what position we want. It’s sort of the abstract to the resume if you will.