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How Not to Get a Job From Me

Oct 20, 2010
By .
WTF?

I am currently going through resumes & trying to find a candidate for an unpaid internship. I have been shocked by the lack of forethought people put into their cover emails.

First off, if you want a job (or even an internship) make sure your email address is professional. I will not be hiring AZNPRINZEZZ08. Ever.  And despite the popularity of Prop 19, having 420 in your email address is probably a bad idea.

Next, when you write the cover letter, at least give it the illusion of personalization. When I was applying a few years ago I had a template, sure but I always had at least one paragraph that was specific to the organization. And I always mentioned the organization and position in the first sentence of the letter.

None of the candidates have so much as put the name of the organization in their letter. Or mentioned our issue (which I think is vital for an application to an advocacy non-profit!)

So, if you read this, please make sure that your cover letters are specific and make the reader want to learn more about you. Don't just send the same memo 30 times. It will make anyone more likely to hire you. And, I will guarantee an interview to any who uses a pirate cover letter!

Last 5 posts by Ezra

11 Comments
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11 Comments

  1. tim  •  Oct 20, 2010 @3:21 pm

    I didn't realize cover letters were still used. Haven't seen one in years. A when I have to read through 50 resumes – there is simply no time to read one.

    However – a nice professional follow up e-mail helps a lots.

  2. Ezra  •  Oct 20, 2010 @3:56 pm

    In the non-profit world, cover emails are definitely still prevalent. We are looking for someone that is not only qualified, but also committed. It adds a wrinkle to the whole process, let me tell you.

  3. Mike  •  Oct 20, 2010 @4:02 pm

    With white male privilege what it is, I don't even need to send cover letters.

  4. PEBKAC  •  Oct 20, 2010 @5:01 pm

    I guess the Joyce Foundation has tightened the belt somewhat so I shouldn't be surprised those interns aren't getting paid. :)

  5. Ezra  •  Oct 20, 2010 @6:12 pm

    That's funny, George didn't mention anything about that when we had lunch at the Trilateral Commission today.

  6. Scott Jacobs  •  Oct 20, 2010 @6:23 pm

    "Arrrrrr. I be wantin' a job with yer not-for-profit group, me hearty!!!"

    My next cover letter to MS will be done in Pirate.

    Haven't gotten a call yet on a job, so it isn't like I'm hurting my odds…

  7. Dwight Brown  •  Oct 20, 2010 @6:55 pm

    Your internship, your rules, Ezra, and I can understand where you're coming from wit the 420 references.

    But unless your unpaid interns are sending out emails for your organization from their personal email addresses, which would be just stupid, I'm not really sure I see what's wrong with AZNPRINZEZZ08 as an email address, provided that there's nothing wrong with the rest of the cover letter, and that she attached a photo of herself in a swimsuit.

  8. Eileen  •  Oct 21, 2010 @5:41 am

    An agency I was with a bit back was interviewing for a paralegal position, and we had requested writing samples along with resumes. One young lady, whose entire claim to being qualified was that she had always for worked for her father who was really hard on her, provided us with a yellow, lined sheet of paper. On that paper she wrote, by hand, "Here is my writing sample. The brown fox jumped over the fence." While her penmanship was not bad, it did not get her an interview.

  9. Grandy  •  Oct 21, 2010 @8:38 am

    Should I make an AOL joke right now? If I do, will I get a visit from the AOL Fairy? Hope springs eternal.

  10. Marty  •  Oct 21, 2010 @3:12 pm

    Yawn. You get what you pay for.

  11. Ezra  •  Oct 21, 2010 @3:35 pm

    Strangely, not as true as you'd think in the non-profit world.