Before this assignment a cover letter is something that I have written once before while I was in high school. The previous experience I had was useless after I learned to write using AIDA. Something that was hard for me was trying to be personable with the letter. I wanted my personality to shine during the desire portion but it was hard for me to move from such professional writing to something that is slightly less formal. I tried to be more personable by adding the lessons I have learned during my experiences and how they apply to the job I was looking to apply for.
Something that was important for me during the learning process was the art of formatting. This is something that someone won’t be able to learn overnight. It took a lot of trial and error when formatting this letter to one page. It was nice that I wasn’t forced to write something long but also the one page restriction left me cutting things that I initially wished to include.
This was a good process to get experience in before applying it to a real life situation. It gave me confidence in my work and writing skills. It also may have given me an edge above my competitors, leading me to beneficial jobs later in my life.
I have written a cover letter and a resume before taking this class, but I definitely gained more insight into how to make my cover letter (so far, since we have not done the resume project yet) more appealing to an employer. I really appreciated doing this project because it helped me learn how to fix the structure to my cover letter and reword it so that it makes more sense. Also, I would say that this project went well, and the peer review was very beneficial. Something that was very important for me to work on during this process was not “putting myself down” and being more confident when talking about myself, as well as adding more details into my experiences that align with the position I was applying for. It was a little easy for me to write a one-page cover letter since I have written one before, but making sure I had enough information was challenging because I had to be concise and straight to the point. Basically, getting rid of the “fluff” and just having the important things. Overall, this process with working on the cover letter was really helpful with applying to jobs in the future, since it has provided meaningful advice that I can use long-term and not just in a class.
I have had no prior experience of writing any sort of professional documents without the use of a template. Creating a realistic cover letter that I could use in the future gave me an idea of the necessary components needed to strike interest in the person hiring. From my first draft to my last I learned that I had a few places in my letter that could’ve been interpreted in a negative or corny way, by simply rewording and finding tiny details to steer clear of error made me realize how important attention to detail is in writing. The biggest obstacle I faced when constructing my letter was being able to include all the messages and accolades I wished to display in a concise and powerful manner that would allow me to keep my letter to a single page. I ended up using 11 pt font to allow my words to fit onto one single page. As we’ve discussed in class and written in our book, I found it much more appealing to look at once I rearranged my paragraphs and changed the font for the letter to fit onto a single page. I’ve come to learn that content isn’t always parallel to format with significance when presenting a document to a hiring manager who is reviewing many of cover letters. It makes total sense to me that a person who is looking over hundreds of applicants wouldn’t want to spend their time reading a 3 page cover letter.
After finishing this assignment, there is obviously a sense of relief and accomplishment, but it is actually not just because I finished this assignment. I feel this way because I feel like I learned a skill that will absolutely come in handy in my professional career. Writing this Cover Letter allowed me to learn more about what employers are truly seeking and looking for. It allowed me to almost see the process from the perspective of an employer, as I used what would impress them to make my letter the best it could be. I also now know what to expect when I apply for a career at a certain location. I can construct a professional letter that will leave a good first impression on the employer, and I know how to properly organize my credentials and experience in a way that is not patronizing or coming off as arrogant. My biggest worry when applying for a job is coming across as too cocky and arrogant, and writing this letter helped me find silver linings and a way to avoid doing that. It gives me a better idea for the next time I write a cover letter. Learning about the ropes of a cover letter was super helpful, and it was nice to know that my previous writing skills actually did play a part in the construction of this letter. I know so much about applying for a career now, and I have more confidence in my abilities as well.
Before this assignment, I’ve only had to write one cover letter and I had no idea how to do it properly. Now that I’ve read about cover letters and wrote one myself, I definitely have a greater understanding than before. I’ve learned a lot about how much academic and professional writing is different. It took me some time to get used to it, but I thought this was a great way to practice writing an important document. There would be a lot more on the line if I wrote an ineffective cover letter for an actual job rather than for an assignment. I think this has really prepared me for when I do have to write a cover letter for a job, and I feel a lot more confident in my skills. I thought having peer review was really helpful. My group pointed out a lot of things that totally went over my head, so I’m appreciative of the feedback I received. A lot of what I needed to work on was formatting and not necessarily the content itself. Overall, I thought this project was a huge success and what I’ve learned will for sure come in handy in the future.
Prior to this assignment, I’d never written a cover letter before. It might even be more accurate to say that I haven’t done much in the realm of protech writing more broadly speaking. Much of my experience was in the form of either academic essay writing, or creative writing, both of which are clearly radically different than the rigor required for acceptable professional writing. Overall I would say that the process of writing cover letters was a good and worthwhile exercise which helped me to better understand the requirements of how to write technically.
In terms of reflection on the entire process, my biggest takeaway from the workshop and finalizing process, is that generally speaking if a sentence isn’t absolutely necessary to the purpose of the cover letter, it’s more than likely okay to cut it from the final draft.
Now that I’ve completed my cover letter, I feel better about my professional writing skills as a whole. Understanding the basic requirements of a cover letter, as well as how to embellish language, is incredibly helpful. For example, my cover letter used to state that I have “over four years of writing experience,” and now it says “nearly half a decade…” I’ve also learned that it’s ok to brag about yourself from time to time as long as what you’re saying is true)! In my opinion, the process went extremely well. My peer’s feedback was very helpful, and getting to read and edit other cover letters taught me more about what I want to include and exclude from my own.
I was familiar with writing cover letters before taking this course, but I never really thought about what the underlying purpose of a cover letter is. Now that I am thinking about a cover letter as a bridge between a resume and a job posting, I feel that my cover letter is much more effective and I have learned to tailor my letter to each job that I am applying for. I have also learned how to make my experience seem like real experience, even if I don’t have the job experience that other candidates might have.
This cover letter exercise has helped me a lot in trying to write a cover letter. I used to think it was about why I wanted to have the job, not what I can do for the job. It makes a lot more sense that why I want the job can be focused on in the interview rather than the actual cover letter. This exercise also made me rethink the way that I think about my previous job experience. I’ve gotten creative about how I’ve been able to spin my prior experiences into relevant experiences. I have a lot more skills than I think I do and this process has kind of proven that to me.
This exercise has helped me write a more efficient cover letter because now I fully understand the purpose of a cover letter as well as what you should put on there and the formatting; shorter paragraphs. It’s helped me be more prepared for when I want to apply for a job and have a better chance of getting it.
After fine-tuning my cover letter, I have gained valuable insight into how to strengthen my writing skills and use AIDA in real-world applications. I have previous experience writing cover letters however, the application I used is an actual job I plan to apply to in the future. It was exciting to see how my current skills are applicable. For example in my AIDA process, I used my background of where I grew up and traveled to grab their attention, compared their requirements to my skills for desire, made myself available by phone number or email for action, and sprinkled interest throughout the letter. I’ve learned to use the company’s keywords in your own letter to catch their eye. Employers often have many letters to go through so clearly displaying and mirroring what they’re looking for helps your application and shortens their reviewing process. With this, it’s important to focus on details like format and literacy which shows you’re competent and professional. This can mean using specific visuals to describe your skills or using their language to help create a good image for the person behind the application. Another thing I learned was what type of details to include like being specific to who the letter is addressed, mentioning where you heard about the job, and establishing a connection. While these are standard for cover letters, it shows you have experience and are thorough in your first impression.
11 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 10”
Before this assignment a cover letter is something that I have written once before while I was in high school. The previous experience I had was useless after I learned to write using AIDA. Something that was hard for me was trying to be personable with the letter. I wanted my personality to shine during the desire portion but it was hard for me to move from such professional writing to something that is slightly less formal. I tried to be more personable by adding the lessons I have learned during my experiences and how they apply to the job I was looking to apply for.
Something that was important for me during the learning process was the art of formatting. This is something that someone won’t be able to learn overnight. It took a lot of trial and error when formatting this letter to one page. It was nice that I wasn’t forced to write something long but also the one page restriction left me cutting things that I initially wished to include.
This was a good process to get experience in before applying it to a real life situation. It gave me confidence in my work and writing skills. It also may have given me an edge above my competitors, leading me to beneficial jobs later in my life.
I have written a cover letter and a resume before taking this class, but I definitely gained more insight into how to make my cover letter (so far, since we have not done the resume project yet) more appealing to an employer. I really appreciated doing this project because it helped me learn how to fix the structure to my cover letter and reword it so that it makes more sense. Also, I would say that this project went well, and the peer review was very beneficial. Something that was very important for me to work on during this process was not “putting myself down” and being more confident when talking about myself, as well as adding more details into my experiences that align with the position I was applying for. It was a little easy for me to write a one-page cover letter since I have written one before, but making sure I had enough information was challenging because I had to be concise and straight to the point. Basically, getting rid of the “fluff” and just having the important things. Overall, this process with working on the cover letter was really helpful with applying to jobs in the future, since it has provided meaningful advice that I can use long-term and not just in a class.
I have had no prior experience of writing any sort of professional documents without the use of a template. Creating a realistic cover letter that I could use in the future gave me an idea of the necessary components needed to strike interest in the person hiring. From my first draft to my last I learned that I had a few places in my letter that could’ve been interpreted in a negative or corny way, by simply rewording and finding tiny details to steer clear of error made me realize how important attention to detail is in writing. The biggest obstacle I faced when constructing my letter was being able to include all the messages and accolades I wished to display in a concise and powerful manner that would allow me to keep my letter to a single page. I ended up using 11 pt font to allow my words to fit onto one single page. As we’ve discussed in class and written in our book, I found it much more appealing to look at once I rearranged my paragraphs and changed the font for the letter to fit onto a single page. I’ve come to learn that content isn’t always parallel to format with significance when presenting a document to a hiring manager who is reviewing many of cover letters. It makes total sense to me that a person who is looking over hundreds of applicants wouldn’t want to spend their time reading a 3 page cover letter.
After finishing this assignment, there is obviously a sense of relief and accomplishment, but it is actually not just because I finished this assignment. I feel this way because I feel like I learned a skill that will absolutely come in handy in my professional career. Writing this Cover Letter allowed me to learn more about what employers are truly seeking and looking for. It allowed me to almost see the process from the perspective of an employer, as I used what would impress them to make my letter the best it could be. I also now know what to expect when I apply for a career at a certain location. I can construct a professional letter that will leave a good first impression on the employer, and I know how to properly organize my credentials and experience in a way that is not patronizing or coming off as arrogant. My biggest worry when applying for a job is coming across as too cocky and arrogant, and writing this letter helped me find silver linings and a way to avoid doing that. It gives me a better idea for the next time I write a cover letter. Learning about the ropes of a cover letter was super helpful, and it was nice to know that my previous writing skills actually did play a part in the construction of this letter. I know so much about applying for a career now, and I have more confidence in my abilities as well.
Before this assignment, I’ve only had to write one cover letter and I had no idea how to do it properly. Now that I’ve read about cover letters and wrote one myself, I definitely have a greater understanding than before. I’ve learned a lot about how much academic and professional writing is different. It took me some time to get used to it, but I thought this was a great way to practice writing an important document. There would be a lot more on the line if I wrote an ineffective cover letter for an actual job rather than for an assignment. I think this has really prepared me for when I do have to write a cover letter for a job, and I feel a lot more confident in my skills. I thought having peer review was really helpful. My group pointed out a lot of things that totally went over my head, so I’m appreciative of the feedback I received. A lot of what I needed to work on was formatting and not necessarily the content itself. Overall, I thought this project was a huge success and what I’ve learned will for sure come in handy in the future.
Prior to this assignment, I’d never written a cover letter before. It might even be more accurate to say that I haven’t done much in the realm of protech writing more broadly speaking. Much of my experience was in the form of either academic essay writing, or creative writing, both of which are clearly radically different than the rigor required for acceptable professional writing. Overall I would say that the process of writing cover letters was a good and worthwhile exercise which helped me to better understand the requirements of how to write technically.
In terms of reflection on the entire process, my biggest takeaway from the workshop and finalizing process, is that generally speaking if a sentence isn’t absolutely necessary to the purpose of the cover letter, it’s more than likely okay to cut it from the final draft.
Now that I’ve completed my cover letter, I feel better about my professional writing skills as a whole. Understanding the basic requirements of a cover letter, as well as how to embellish language, is incredibly helpful. For example, my cover letter used to state that I have “over four years of writing experience,” and now it says “nearly half a decade…” I’ve also learned that it’s ok to brag about yourself from time to time as long as what you’re saying is true)! In my opinion, the process went extremely well. My peer’s feedback was very helpful, and getting to read and edit other cover letters taught me more about what I want to include and exclude from my own.
I was familiar with writing cover letters before taking this course, but I never really thought about what the underlying purpose of a cover letter is. Now that I am thinking about a cover letter as a bridge between a resume and a job posting, I feel that my cover letter is much more effective and I have learned to tailor my letter to each job that I am applying for. I have also learned how to make my experience seem like real experience, even if I don’t have the job experience that other candidates might have.
This cover letter exercise has helped me a lot in trying to write a cover letter. I used to think it was about why I wanted to have the job, not what I can do for the job. It makes a lot more sense that why I want the job can be focused on in the interview rather than the actual cover letter. This exercise also made me rethink the way that I think about my previous job experience. I’ve gotten creative about how I’ve been able to spin my prior experiences into relevant experiences. I have a lot more skills than I think I do and this process has kind of proven that to me.
This exercise has helped me write a more efficient cover letter because now I fully understand the purpose of a cover letter as well as what you should put on there and the formatting; shorter paragraphs. It’s helped me be more prepared for when I want to apply for a job and have a better chance of getting it.
After fine-tuning my cover letter, I have gained valuable insight into how to strengthen my writing skills and use AIDA in real-world applications. I have previous experience writing cover letters however, the application I used is an actual job I plan to apply to in the future. It was exciting to see how my current skills are applicable. For example in my AIDA process, I used my background of where I grew up and traveled to grab their attention, compared their requirements to my skills for desire, made myself available by phone number or email for action, and sprinkled interest throughout the letter. I’ve learned to use the company’s keywords in your own letter to catch their eye. Employers often have many letters to go through so clearly displaying and mirroring what they’re looking for helps your application and shortens their reviewing process. With this, it’s important to focus on details like format and literacy which shows you’re competent and professional. This can mean using specific visuals to describe your skills or using their language to help create a good image for the person behind the application. Another thing I learned was what type of details to include like being specific to who the letter is addressed, mentioning where you heard about the job, and establishing a connection. While these are standard for cover letters, it shows you have experience and are thorough in your first impression.