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The best application I saw in a recent round of hiring was in four parts: - Short cover letter in e-mail. - Longer cover letter signed and scanned as PDF. -

The best application I saw in a recent round of hiring was in four parts: - Short cover letter in e-mail. - Longer cover letter signed and scanned as PDF. - 1 page concise CV. - 4 page detailed employment history. HR handed out the right bits to the right people and everyone was happy with the level of detail they got. All the worst CVs I saw came from agencies - not for content, just for layout. They can start off with a perfectly sane PDF and reformat it in to some god forsaken docx with broken layout and graphics, while adding spelling mistakes and removing qualifications. It's downright infuriating - any time in future I have to apply via an agency I will try and send a copy of my CV through directly as well.

icey 18y ago
I do hiring these days (I haven't used a resume since the 90s), and this is excellent advice. All of these points are great ways to show your attention to details. I'm sure you used to be able to get away without cover letters, but today there will be many more applicants than jobs; and I honestly won't even look at a resume without a cover letter now. Of course, it's much better to do something so that you don't need a resume any more; then you don't have to do the song and dance. Network well, write a blog or release some code; all are great ways to get known.
- darkxanthos 18y ago
  What do you look for in a cover letter? I'm not too lazy to make one I've just never understood the purpose. I think you might be able to provide some insight for me.
  - icey 18y ago
    Well, before all else, I'm a software guy; not an HR person, so you will want to take this with a grain of salt. That being said, it doesn't have to be some kind of formal thing; the best cover letters I've read just let me know that someone has actually read and comprehends our requirements and their cover letter should tell me a few things that sets them apart from the other torrent of resumes that I'll see. In other words, it's obvious that you're applying for this position, and not just every position you see. Just like an employee wants to think that an employer has hand selected them to work there, instead of just saying "you'll do"; an employer likes to think that the person actually cares about what they do and where they work.
  - modoc 18y ago
    The best cover letter, imho, shows a personal touch to the application, and covers a short list of requirements listed in the job listing, and why you're the perfect candidate for the position. "Your job listing mentioned that you need a team leader for a new application to run on mobile phones. I've led three teams in mobile application development, and all projects launched on time." Etc...

icey 18y ago

I do hiring these days (I haven't used a resume since the 90s), and this is excellent advice. All of these points are great ways to show your attention to details. I'm sure you used to be able to get away without cover letters, but today there will be many more applicants than jobs; and I honestly won't even look at a resume without a cover letter now. Of course, it's much better to do something so that you don't need a resume any more; then you don't have to do the song and dance. Network well, write a blog or release some code; all are great ways to get known.

darkxanthos 18y ago
What do you look for in a cover letter? I'm not too lazy to make one I've just never understood the purpose. I think you might be able to provide some insight for me.
- icey 18y ago
  Well, before all else, I'm a software guy; not an HR person, so you will want to take this with a grain of salt. That being said, it doesn't have to be some kind of formal thing; the best cover letters I've read just let me know that someone has actually read and comprehends our requirements and their cover letter should tell me a few things that sets them apart from the other torrent of resumes that I'll see. In other words, it's obvious that you're applying for this position, and not just every position you see. Just like an employee wants to think that an employer has hand selected them to work there, instead of just saying "you'll do"; an employer likes to think that the person actually cares about what they do and where they work.
- modoc 18y ago
  The best cover letter, imho, shows a personal touch to the application, and covers a short list of requirements listed in the job listing, and why you're the perfect candidate for the position. "Your job listing mentioned that you need a team leader for a new application to run on mobile phones. I've led three teams in mobile application development, and all projects launched on time." Etc...