Cover letters

Today was a relatively productive day as far as databasing and dealing with city permits is concerned. I absolutely love dealing with city permits, probably because they involve a lot of critical thinking. Anyway. This afternoon Vanessa and I went and did doorknocking (in a neighborhood we hadn’t been to before) and the response was not good. So many people are NOT interested in receiving free trees; it’s really astounding! We went to about 15 houses and no one was interested so we sulked back to our car and returned to the office. Oh, the plight of working for a nonprofit.

So about my cover letter… I just want to include a how-to for cover letters that Paul wrote for me, in case any of you ever need it:

Name of recipient (optional)
Title of recipient
Address
[If sent via email include email address]
[do not include phone number]

[Open the letter by directly addressing the individual or group that
will be reviewing your application, e.g.]:
Members of the selection committee,
Kristine and Anthony, (my managers at Trader Joes)

[The body of the letter is your opportunity to contextualize the
qualifications you will demonstrate in your resume for the position to
which you’re applying. Start with something like, “Thank you for
considering me for (position). In this application packet you will find
evidence of my dedication to the blah blah blah…”

Play up your qualifications, but don’t get too detailed, that’s what
your resume’s for. Instead, focus on experiences that have lead you to
1) desire the job your applying for and 2) helped you learn personal
habits or skills that are harder to demonstrate in a resume. Lots of
people will have experience that qualifies them for the job, you have to
demonstrate what makes you unique. It’s more important to give them a
sense of the personal things that can’t be conveyed in a work history.

Be sincere, but keep the language professional. After about three
paragraphs of this size (above) finish it up. No one wants to read a
term paper. In fact if you can do it in one or two slightly longer
paragraphs, that’s sometimes better. Thank the reader for his / her
consideration and sign off.

As a valediction try]:
Warm Regards or Regards (Sincerely doesn’t usually work for me. Just
keep things professional)

Your signature (if sent by mail)

Your Name (printed)
Your Address
Your telephone number
Your Email address

We’ll see how the application process for that job goes. I seem to be one of the only people around the office obsessively looking for jobs after this is over. I guess it’s because I’m not from around here and don’t have CA family to fall back on. I will pretty much have to move right after graduation from the Americorps program, and I want to have some idea about where I’m going and what I will be doing. If only my body could be fueled by stress.. I would never have to eat or sleep again!

Ian has been trying to talk to me and get me to hang out with him a lot lately. I notice he also does a double-take whenever he sees me in the office. I want to be his friend but I really just don’t trust him, and he’s gotten on my nerves enough that I just don’t care much anymore. This is bad I know, but I can’t help it. It just bugs me when I know he’s watching me. ::sigh::

Umm.. I don’t really have much else to add. I guess I’ll try to work on my cover letter for now. I don’t mean to be so boring!