Humor in Cover Letters
Cover letters can make or break your job search. If you are in job search mode and stressed out, perhaps a few examples of humorous cover letters will cheer you up. And if any of these are actually what you are using for a cover letter, you may have just learned why you are not getting called for an interview.
Entire Letters
- “Here you go.”
- “See attached.”
- “Have at it.”
- “My unemployment is running out and I cleaned out my savings account on my last trip to Europe. Please help me find a job.”
- “I’m probably not what you want, but here’s my resume anyway.”
- “Please take a look at my resume and let me know if there are any jobs you think I might be able to do.”
- “Here’s a link to my profile on LinkedIn (or Facebook or my portfolio). I’m interested in the job you have posted and I’m sure you will see that I’m perfect for the job.”
These are always fun, especially for a recruiter who has numerous job openings in the mix. Being told to “check out my information on-line” and then try to guess for which job they are applying. Priceless!
Especially since many job seekers see themselves as rocket scientists even though they spelled rocket AND scientist incorrectly and have no education or experience in that line of work. It makes my work challenging to say the least.
Least Favorite Cover Letter Content
My absolute least favorite cover letter is the single spaced, extra small font, one to two page cover letter. Difficult to read in the first place. But about 30 – 40% of the time, it details everything the candidate knows how to do and is tailored and customized for a completely different job than the one for which they are applying.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter
A nicely written cover letter will go a long way towards enticing the hiring manager to spend more time reviewing your resume.
Be polite, professional and concise. Touch on the high points of the requirements of the job and how you are a fit for those. Everyone thinks they are a hard worker, detail-oriented, dependable, reliable and honest. Those words don’t make you stand out. Address the issues the company is trying to find help with and you’ll get their attention.