Cover Letters: The Bane of My Existence

I once again find myself in need of a cover letter. I once again find myself stalling the application process because of the required cover letter. I despise writing cover letters. Cover letters, simply put, are the bane of my existence.

I have heard from friends, acquaintances, and strangers about "form" cover letters. A cover letter that has been used multiple times for multiple job applications...change the receiver's name, click, print, attach to resume and VOILA, a completed application. Curiously, I have never been able to create one of these convenient masterpieces. I am unsure whether this is due to the varying institutions to which I have applied, the varying jobs, or my own inherent need to be creative and create the best "first impression" possible. Most likely it is a combination of the three. Regardless, I find myself in the possession of numerous cover letters, all seemingly inappropriate for the current job to which I am applying. Once again, I find myself thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking about the direction I want this next letter to take, the impression I want to make, the skills and qualities I possess that make me a perfect candidate for this job...thinking in a constant circle, no finish line in site.

Cover letters are, in part, difficult for me to write because I am not good at tooting my own horn in a serious manner. I can easily joke with you about my genius, wit, and skill...however, all I am truly doing is joking. Cover letters, take a certain amount of conceit, or appearance of conceit. They require the writer to believe or be able to convince the recipient, that they are truly the best candidate for the job, the most qualified, the most invested in the job and the institution. I rarely believe any of these things nor am I skilled in the art of deceit, making it difficult for me to write about myself and my skills in an inflated manner. If there is one thing this life has taught me it is humility. Humility is, in life, a virtue. In business and education, it is a huge flaw! Businesses and educational institutes survive and financially thrive because they convince their employees that they are special. Delude them into thinking they are irreplaceable. What really is an interview but an assessment of how easily that possible employee will buy into the philosophy of the institution? How willing that possible employee will be to focus their time, energy, and effort on the job, and the politics of the job? How desperate that individual is to feel a part of something larger than themselves, something unique and meaningful? Fortunately, or in this case, unfortunately, I have no delusions about my place in the business world! I am a number. Easily hired, easily fired. Easily replaceable. This does not mean I am not passionate about what I do. That I feel like I make no difference. I definitely believe in my importance to individuals, but not to larger institutions. I am passionate about what I do, but passionate because I believe in the power of knowledge...the self-growth and discovery it brings. The walls of hate, poverty, and prejudice that knowledge can destroy. The beauty it unearths. I am passionate because I believe knowledge improves people, and it is the collection of those people that bring positive change to the world. It is this passion that usually comes out in my cover letters. Unfortunately, I know that neither businesses, nor educational institutions (hard to believe, I know), are interested in an individuals passionate ideologies. They want commitment and sacrifice to their ideologies, ideologies that more often than not are in direct conflict with my own, making it difficult for me to commit to cover letters of any kind.

The frustrations I feel writing cover letters and sending out resumes is only exacerbated by the lack of response I usually receive. I respect those businesses that take the time to at least send a postcard confirming the receipt of my resume and cover letter. Those businesses at least make the pretense of valuing any possible employees. Unfortunately, those businesses are now rare. More often than not I receive no reply. The cover letter I have so painstakingly crafted enters into the those mysterious black holes, otherwise known as the garbage cans or filing cabinets of executive assistants and human relations officers. Those institutions so bent on having loyalty, commitment, and effort from their employees can hardly take the time to show their candidates the same respect.

Thus, I sit here. Thinking, thinking, thinking, and thinking about the next cover letter I must compose, hoping it can resist the gravitational pull of those pesky black holes.