Comments on: How Not to Write a Resume Cover Letter http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/ Brad M. McGehee, Director of DBA Education, Red Gate Software Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:24:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Wayne Tentori http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-324 Wayne Tentori Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:47:18 +0000 http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-324 You can really hear the frustration coming out in that letter and was probably a knee-jerk reaction. I would still be looking for another job, but I would also be looking for ways to improve my current job. I would start with analysing, (yes, I am an Aussie and won't spell it with a z), my current situation. Where is the problem? Can I fix it with some training? Can I ask someone in management for help? It might be as simple as talking to someone and getting some strategies for dealing with the issues. Luckily I have been able to be honest with my boss and when I have serious issues, instead of drowning in them I go and talk to him and get them solved. Hope his situation improves. You can really hear the frustration coming out in that letter and was probably a knee-jerk reaction.

I would still be looking for another job, but I would also be looking for ways to improve my current job. I would start with analysing, (yes, I am an Aussie and won’t spell it with a z), my current situation. Where is the problem? Can I fix it with some training? Can I ask someone in management for help? It might be as simple as talking to someone and getting some strategies for dealing with the issues. Luckily I have been able to be honest with my boss and when I have serious issues, instead of drowning in them I go and talk to him and get them solved.

Hope his situation improves.

]]> By: Samuel http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-318 Samuel Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:56:43 +0000 http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-318 Great analysis. Better still, stars for not deleting the email, rather taking out the time to educate on the accepted protocol in the market place. Can you imagine; if one of the recipients of the email was - in some way - connected to the emailer's employer and made this email available! I bet, Mr Job Hunter would be under much more "pressure" than he already is! I agree; "there is no such thing as confidentiality on the Internet." It's a quotable quote :) Great analysis. Better still, stars for not deleting the email, rather taking out the time to educate on the accepted protocol in the market place.

Can you imagine; if one of the recipients of the email was – in some way – connected to the emailer’s employer and made this email available! I bet, Mr Job Hunter would be under much more “pressure” than he already is!

I agree; “there is no such thing as confidentiality on the Internet.”

It’s a quotable quote :)

]]> By: Tim Mitchell http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-269 Tim Mitchell Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:24:02 +0000 http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-269 Brad, I agree with your assessment of this letter. To further your comments, this communication reeks of desparation. Any employer worth working for is not looking to hire people who are looking for an escape route; they want creative problem solvers with a positive attitude, and the above communicates none of these attributes. I would suspect that most recepients simply deleted this email. Hopefully the sender is a reader of your blog and can learn from this experience. Brad, I agree with your assessment of this letter. To further your comments, this communication reeks of desparation. Any employer worth working for is not looking to hire people who are looking for an escape route; they want creative problem solvers with a positive attitude, and the above communicates none of these attributes. I would suspect that most recepients simply deleted this email.

Hopefully the sender is a reader of your blog and can learn from this experience.

]]> By: Allan Hirt http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-268 Allan Hirt Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:54:07 +0000 http://www.bradmcgehee.com/2010/03/how-not-to-write-a-resume-cover-letter/#comment-268 I agree, Brad. That letter shows that someone is in a lot of job pain, but you should never, ever send it in that form. That's the letter you write to be cathartic, you save it for posterity, then start anew and write the one that actually gets sent. I know exactly what you mean about accidentally sending the wrong thing to the wrong audience. You can't recover from that in many cases (as your example shows). I'll add one bit of advice: that second paragraph is more than whining; it's a disaster. It's a huge red flag for a potential employer. !@$% happens. This to me was the killer: "I am the type of person that needs some quiet time while working under a crisis so I can logically follow it through." That does not say "team player", even if it wasn't intended that way. In a crisis - and I've worked a 28 hour day - you just don't get alone time. It's a crisis for a reason, and chances are people are running around like they are chickens with their heads cut off. Maybe a small shop with less pressure is a better environment for this person. I wish nothing but luck to the person who wrote the letter, and hope they find better employment soon. I agree, Brad. That letter shows that someone is in a lot of job pain, but you should never, ever send it in that form. That’s the letter you write to be cathartic, you save it for posterity, then start anew and write the one that actually gets sent. I know exactly what you mean about accidentally sending the wrong thing to the wrong audience. You can’t recover from that in many cases (as your example shows).

I’ll add one bit of advice: that second paragraph is more than whining; it’s a disaster. It’s a huge red flag for a potential employer. !@$% happens. This to me was the killer: “I am the type of person that needs some quiet time while working under a crisis so I can logically follow it through.” That does not say “team player”, even if it wasn’t intended that way. In a crisis – and I’ve worked a 28 hour day – you just don’t get alone time. It’s a crisis for a reason, and chances are people are running around like they are chickens with their heads cut off. Maybe a small shop with less pressure is a better environment for this person.

I wish nothing but luck to the person who wrote the letter, and hope they find better employment soon.

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