I am without relent.

We pay attention to the cover letter. It always scores points to see the applicant apply specific skills to specific needs,, i.e., "My time as an Ewok Wrangler allowed me to learn to handle fur, which would be helpful in the advanced combing position you have open."

My CV is three pages, but I have a one page functional resume. In academia, you will often be asked for a resume and a CV.

Meara'ing like wow:

I have read every single post. Well, skimmed the last 100 or so, but I kindda read them as well. Because you guys wowed me. Maria, I hold you and yours in my thoughts. Everything Buffistas wrote here is true.

Teppy, I'm so glad you're post this thing. I know you probably still have a huge pile of shit to handle, but I'm glad this one's done.

My ~mas to everyone else who needs them.

OMG! That Content Writer job I was zizzing about? the way I was just bragging on my cover letter? I opened up my Monday morning mailbox to find a note -- from their freakin' CEO:

"I like your cover letter so much that i passed your info along to a few of our editors. If I can find a good match, I will let you know."

I might take this down at lunch or something, but I what a way to wake up on a Monday!

Do you mean customised for each job?

Yep, It only takes a phrase or two to make the cover letter personalized and special. And at least in our case it is rare enough that it gets read. The ads we run are for programmers, network support, software support. Even when we run an ad for clerical (scanning and document prep) and we get hundreds of responses in the first few minutes the ones that took time to write a few personalized words go to the top.

Truly it is scary how many responses we get whenever we place an ad. People so overqualified, and so many responses. It is overwhelming. I used to write some kind of thanks for applying response to all, but I had to give it up because there were too many. I need to write at least a couple varieties of canned response to let people know something. Because I feel guilt when X number don't even get more than a glance. Too many qualified people, too few openings.

Ha, that was some cross post!

Yay Erin!

Excellent, Erin!

It always scores points to see the applicant apply specific skills to specific needs

I guess I was applying to so many jobs (hundreds) that were so truly the same, that I could literally not have come up with meaningfully different language for each letter. Well, not without doing research on the company, not just the position. And I was saving that for interviews.

Perhaps the mass attack wasn't the best approach, and I'd have been better off applying to fewer positions with different cover letters...but I was feeling the pressure to work in volume.

Yep, It only takes a phrase or two to make the cover letter personalized and special.

The last time I did a job search that involved mailing out resumes, I did cover letters that were customized to each opening. The basic body of the letter was the same, but I would change the "My experience in ___ will meet your need for ___," depending on the position. Of course, at the time, cover letters were much more common, I think. Also, people were still trying to pick unique colors for the paper their resumes were on in order to stand out more. I decided that a good quality white paper would stand out from all the colors, and possibly appeal to anyone out there that might think that whole thing was nonsense.

And Erin, that is good news. I hope something shakes out of that tree.