subject: Letter Cover For Resume - What Results Can I Expect From A Generic Cover Letter [print this page] I used a letter cover for resume that was generic. I know better now but I think it's good to admit it to see how much I've grown. Initially my cover letter wasnt really mine. I really dont know who it belonged too. I picked it out of a site on the internet. Following its example I thanked the reader for taking the time to read it and offered my services. Gave them the best way to contact me and closed it with my resume.
I thought I was doing the right thing by including a letter that was short and simple. Being that, what I really wanted them to do was read my resume. My resume on the other hand I had spent some time rewriting. Unfortunately I dont think it was being read. I talked it over with a good friend and she mentioned how using a generic letter cover for her resume hadnt helped either. "Now, I'm no expert" she said, "but what I noticed was that I didnt even get call backs when I used a generic cover letter. Yeah their good examples, but they arent personal. They also show how little effort you place on getting hired." Honestly I never looked at it that way.
If I was sending that message to potential employers I can see why they didnt call back and offer me an interview, much less a position. To fix this I searched the web for good cover letter manuals and I found one that I felt was helpful.
I dont recommend you go get one if you're a good writer. Me on the other hand, I could use the help on the letter cover for my resume so I did it. I always felt my vocabulary was limited when it came to writing and this program made it easier for me to come across in a more professional manner by using language I didnt really use. It got me on the interview chair enough times to get a job offer.
A combination of persistence and using a different letter cover for the resume for every company made it possible to get better results. I won't use another generic cover letter again. I ended up just spinning my wheels and messing up my opportunity to be hired by the ten companies I applied too. I sent about 40 resumes and cover letters in total. I would have felt silly sending a completely different cover letter to the same company.
