Cover Letter

The Hunt

I'm currently unemployed and actively applying for jobs (I know, an undesirable state and gauche admission, but there it is). This morning, I decided, for purely analytical and non-self-pitying reasons, to search my email for application submission confirmations. The result of my expert analysis showed that I'm at a grand total of 160 jobs applied for, now. Nice! About to start closing in on that coveted 200 applications sent milestone. Feels gooood...

Oh wait, no it doesn't. It's a different feeling. What is it? Oh yes, "bad." It feels bad. Now, usually, I'm not one to complain. I wouldn't say I'm overly-positive, either, but I think the fact that I've been able to submit 1.25 applications a day (including weekends) for the past 4 months indicates that I have at least some level of tenacity and head-keeping-up-ed-ness. I mean, it's a rough one out there right now; a lot of people are struggling. And if I really want to contribute and be a part of the solution I have to differentiate myself and demonstrate my value.

So today I tried to be different.

The Application

I applied to a position today, and not just a throwaway or long-shot position, either. It was a position that I was genuinely excited about. I read the job description and thought, "I could do that. I could do that well." So I applied. And, as I sometimes do, I wrote a cover letter.

Usually the cover letters that I write are pretty formulaic:

"I'm applying for [position] at [company]. I think I'd be a great fit because [reasons that match job description]. etc..."

Less frequently, when there's a job I'm especially interested in, I get a little more personal and free-form with my writing... you know, to try to let them see my personality and enthusiasm for the work!

And feeling particularly inspired today, I lifted the filter a bit. I won't share the full letter, but I admitted feeling worn down by the job search and struggling to maintain my usual enthusiasm. I even attempted some self-deprecating humor that probably fell flat. But once I started writing, I couldn't stop. And once I finished, I felt I'd be a coward not to send it.

The Lesson

From a purely pragmatic view, this letter probably won't land me the job. But writing it made me feel better, and for once, I felt proud of what I'd written. Maybe there's value in occasionally dropping the professional facade, even if just for yourself.

Update: I got a prompt rejection email instead of the usual ghosting. Progress?