2 ms·

Writing a good cover letter is like writing a good sales letter. Show the prospect that you know who they are, you have looked at the situation (you absolutely

by raffi 16y ago

Writing a good cover letter is like writing a good sales letter. Show the prospect that you know who they are, you have looked at the situation (you absolutely must convince them of this), and that you have the solution. I suggest reading about Leonardo da Vinci's resume for a good example: http://www.theladders.com/career-newsletters/leonardo-da-vinci-resume http://www.theladders.com/career-newsletters/leonardo-da-vin... Something else to keep in mind, the interview process is not always about winning/losing--it's about finding the best candidate. You might be extremely qualified for a position but not come across as what the company is looking for. For example, the last time I was interviewing people, I was looking for someone who would follow my instructions. My top five applicants were extremely qualified (overqualified even). I went, not with the most overqualified candidate, but rather the one who I knew I could mold into what I needed. Remember, you're involved in a transaction. You're selling your time. Make sure you know what you want to sell and realize that not everyone is buying exactly that.

mistermann 16y ago
> the interview process is not always about winning/losing--it's about finding the best candidate. Exactly, and this has many variations. On one of my recent interviews for a contract position, about 3/4 of the way through when we were discussing technical details in more depth, I realized I didn't have the proper background for the project, so I said that I would recommend they contact the headhunter to see if they had someone with more experience in this particular technology. They asked me if I was interested in learning it (they seemed to be looking for a reason to hire me), and I said sure, I'd love to, but in my opinion it was in their best interests to hire someone that already knew the technology well. If I wanted to I could have taken the job, learned a new technology, and got overpaid for it. But I believe being brutally honest will pay off in the long run - some people will remember you some day, and you will reap the benefits.

by raffi 16y ago

mistermann 16y ago

> the interview process is not always about winning/losing--it's about finding the best candidate. Exactly, and this has many variations. On one of my recent interviews for a contract position, about 3/4 of the way through when we were discussing technical details in more depth, I realized I didn't have the proper background for the project, so I said that I would recommend they contact the headhunter to see if they had someone with more experience in this particular technology. They asked me if I was interested in learning it (they seemed to be looking for a reason to hire me), and I said sure, I'd love to, but in my opinion it was in their best interests to hire someone that already knew the technology well. If I wanted to I could have taken the job, learned a new technology, and got overpaid for it. But I believe being brutally honest will pay off in the long run - some people will remember you some day, and you will reap the benefits.