Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (21 page)

Q. Can I be funny?

A.
I don’t know, can you?

I know you mean “may I?” The answer here is, only if you truly are. Like comedians, cover letters that try to be funny but aren’t are the worst. Why bias people against you right off the bat with corny jokes and putrid puns? Save the humor, unless you’re applying to be a comedy writer.

Your humor can come out in the interview or in a thank-you note, once you’ve established a rapport with the interviewer.

Q. Every time I write a cover letter it turns out totally generic: here’s how I heard about the job, here’s my background, attached is my résumé. How do I jazz up my cover letter and make it stand out, without opening myself to ridicule?

A.
I’m not a fan of artificially “jazzed up” letters—better to sound highly competent and professional. The most important ways to make a cover letter stand out are a) to include the name of someone who has recommended or referred you to the organization; b) to include the names of places you’ve worked or where you’ve been trained; c) to use language from the job description or highlight skills that will ring a bell with the reader; d) to make sure your letter is well written and has a voice, using anecdotes to sustain a reader’s interest and prove your points. Read it out loud to yourself as a test—it should sound as though it’s coming from a human being.

Q. I am answering an ad. Should I address its points directly in my cover letter?

A.
Yes, the ad should be your road map for both your cover letter and résumé. Customize them to reflect everything in the ad or job description. Address stated job requirements with evidence and anecdotes. Again, don’t be slavish to the point of parroting language or addressing every last little detail. Keep the big picture in mind.

Q. Because I took time off, I am older than the average candidate at my level, and I’m worried that I’ll be dismissed as overqualified. Is there any way for me to address that in my cover letter?

A.
This is another “turning vice into virtue” situation. Your cover letter needs to show how your previous skills are relevant and explain why you’re looking at jobs that appear to be beneath your level of experience. Older candidates have years of professionalism, expertise, and wisdom that younger candidates haven’t had time to acquire. Career-switchers bring a new perspective and new contacts to a field. If you’re afraid your résumé will close doors, this is where “Selected Experience” comes in—don’t list everything you’ve done.

In the very last sentences of the letter, indicate your intentions without issuing any ultimatums. Closing with “I will need to hear from you within the week” is not a good idea. You shouldn’t call the shots—you are
the supplicant. Instead, try this: “Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience.” (Realize this could be never if they do not deem you a worthy candidate.)

Many people write: “I will contact you next week to follow up.” Some readers feel this shows initiative, but I think it can appear pushy. Perhaps soften this to “in the next few weeks.” You can say what you like, but remember: The employer is in the driver’s seat at this stage.

Don’t agonize about how to end your letter. Use a standard, conventional closing: “With thanks,” “Sincerely,” or “Best.” Stay away from overly casual or touchy-feely phrases like “Peace” or “Have a Great Day.”

Q. What do I say in my cover letter if I live out of state? It seems like the place to explain my whereabouts and situation, but I don’t want to set off any alarms or complicate things.

A.
One way to get around the issue is to propose a time frame for interviewing: “I will be in New York City the week of January 3. I’d be happy to come in for an interview that week if it’s convenient for you.” If you are moving to this new town regardless of whether or not you get a particular job, make that clear; when it comes to entry-level jobs, many companies shy away from the responsibility of bringing on someone who doesn’t live locally. (Some employers are willing to pay for some or all moving expenses, but most do not.) Also, an employee just moving to an area will likely need time to get settled—the company knows it won’t have your full attention if you’re apartment hunting, having your Internet and cable installed, and so on.

There’s no need to go into detail about the reasons for your move. Do not volunteer that you’re moving for your boyfriend or that you just broke up with your fiancé of five years and need a change. Too much information.

Q. Should I enclose writing or other samples? References?

A.
Only if they are specifically requested. As for references, you should wait until asked, with one exception. If someone definitely known to the potential employer has offered to serve as a reference, include his or her name in the cover letter: “Bill Smith has offered to serve as a reference; he may be reached at (contact info).”

Q. One of my friends sent her résumé and cover letter on neon paper. Should I do that?

A.
Is neon what you want to be noticed for? That’s the paper equivalent of a woman going to an interview in a tight dress or miniskirt. Not recommended!

Get some good white, off-white, or cream stock to match your résumé paper, with matching envelopes and conservative stamps. No personal stationery or overdone letterhead, and no cartoon-character or “LOVE” stamps. Not that anyone is really looking—the envelopes will be tossed—but why not err on the side of caution?

Q. Okay, I’m ready to send my cover letter. Now what?

A.
No, you’re not, unless someone has read it one last time for tone and to check for errors. (See pages 64–65.)

Then make sure you have all the contact information: a correct e-mail or street address with all names spelled properly. Double-check names and titles through Web searches and calls to the company.

Make sure you are sending the right résumé and cover letter! (Yes, I’ve heard of people sending the wrong letter—a total waste after all that hard work.)

Last, make sure you have copies of both résumé and cover letter for your files—whether paper or electronic—and that each one is dated (i.e., Sent September 3, 2009).

Q. If I send my cover letter and résumé electronically, should the cover letter be an attachment, or the body of the e-mail?

A.
Let’s put it this way. If you include the letter as an attachment only, the recipient opens a blank e-mail and has to take the trouble to download the document. While this may not seem like a big deal, you have delayed the process and added a step. I would send the cover letter both ways; your résumé should be an attachment only. As with your résumé, print out the letter to make sure it’s formatted correctly or PDF it before you send it.

Q. If I’m asked to fax my résumé, do I use my cover letter as my fax cover sheet?

A.
To avoid confusion, include a cover sheet with the appropriate information—a
very brief cover letter. Use a simple, businesslike template from your computer’s office suite. In the subject line, give as much information as you have: “Re: Assistant Opening in Data Department.” In the body of the cover sheet, type up a brief note explaining what you’re sending and why. “Dear Mr. Williams: My mother, Anne Jones, let me know she had spoken with you about an opening as a gallery assistant. I am faxing a cover letter and résumé, and would be happy to come in for an interview at your earliest convenience. Best, Sarah Jones.” Be sure to specify the number of pages you’re sending. Including the cover sheet, that should be three.

Q. Can I use one cover letter for multiple jobs?

A.
You might use the same framework, but you should be tailoring your cover letters to each position for which you apply. Another good reason to do this: Sloppy candidates who use form letters often end up sending them addressed to the wrong person. That kind of carelessness is an obvious ticket to the wastebasket.

Q. I sent a cover letter, and then I found a typo—and not a little one. Help! What do I do!?

A.
Here’s my question: WHY DID YOUR LETTER HAVE A TYPO??? You shouldn’t have sent it without having someone proofread it. Okay, I’m calming down … So first, correct the mistake on your computer so it doesn’t happen again. Now, you have two choices: If the typo wasn’t too egregious, do nothing and hope the employer won’t notice, but bring a corrected copy to the interview. Either wait for the interviewer to bring it up or be proactive and say: “With great embarrassment, I realize that I sent an old version of my cover letter with an uncorrected error; here’s a new copy for your files.”

Or you can send a new version with a simple note: “Dear Mr. Powell: On January 15 I sent a résumé for the accounting opening. Please accept this updated version as a replacement.” It’s a fifty-fifty proposition. If the employer hadn’t noticed, you have now called attention to the fact that you made a mistake. But if he has noticed and hasn’t rejected you out of hand, at least you’re offering a correction. You might think it’s not fair for you to be rejected just because of one little mistake. Yes, it is! With hundreds of candidates vying for a single job, why shouldn’t an employer eliminate anyone who’s made a typo, something that’s one hundred percent under a candidate’s control? We all make mistakes, but a résumé or cover letter is not the place to use your allotment.

SETTING UP YOUR FAN CLUB

As a teenager, I took a Red Cross babysitting certification course. We smooched and smacked baby dolls for CPR training and learned how to change cloth diapers in the pre-Pampers era. (If you stick a safety pin into a baby, it will cry.) We learned what to say to the Operator if we had a child in crisis (911 was still new) and how to reach parents in the pre-cell phone era. This was useful: On my first paid job, the baby started power-puking (the medical term, I now know, is projectile vomiting), but I had insisted the parents give me the number at the restaurant where they’d be. They came rushing home, grateful that I’d called right away. The last time this had happened, they told me, the baby ended up in the hospital.

In addition to a lot of other useful advice, the Red Cross trainers provided this lifelong gem: They suggested we create a running list of
references to give to prospective employers. Although I can’t say I’ve ever gotten over the sight and smell of the regurgitated peas and carrots that marked my first certified babysitting job, I knew the parents would give me a glowing reference since they felt I had saved their baby’s life. Any babysitting job I wanted in Providence—no, dare I say, the entire Ocean State—would be mine. This was my welcome to the world of references and recommendations.

WHY CAN’T THEY JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT?

References, both formal and informal, play a critical role in the job search. You have to know how to get them, and eventually, how to give them.

In other realms, references are casually tossed around. Friends ask you for the best place to eat in your neighborhood, the best movie you’ve seen lately; you ask for the name of their dentist or vet. These are casual, harmless recommendations. No one is going to sue you over them (you hope); they shouldn’t change the course of anyone’s life; nor will they put your reputation on the line. Sure, they might not ask you again if they don’t like your picks, but it’s not a big deal.

Job references are a bigger deal. After you’ve been interviewed, if an employer is seriously considering hiring you, you will be asked for the names and contact information of people willing to speak on your behalf—generally three to five, though I’ve heard of candidates being asked for six to eight. Why? Because as impressive as you may sound during an interview, an employer needs to take what you have to say about yourself with a grain of salt. You’re a biased source of information. Yes, employers are interested in what you think about yourself, how much confidence, energy, and enthusiasm you exude, and how you present yourself and your set of skills. But they also want input from people who have worked with you
in some capacity: in an academic, professional, or volunteer setting. Your references will be quizzed about your performance, skills, capacity for growth, ability to work with others, efficiency, productivity, punctuality, honesty, reliability, and general attitude.