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I just want to add my 2 cents worth suggestion - covering letter is your key to an interview.

hkchan(*)

Covering letter is the summary of your resume, and it is your 5 seconds sales pitch to sell yourself, why you are suitable and why the manger wants to hire you.

You should tailor made a covering letter for each job (and probably your resume as well). You may not believe it, they made the decision when they read your covering letter, the resume is a mean to justify their decision, rahter or not to give you an interview.

And the first paragraph is the most important part of your resume. For those who need to review 20+ applicants would understand my argument. Say each applicant have 1 page of covering letter and 2 pages of resume, you need to read over 60 pages. And believe me, if you are a busy manager, you don't want to go over all 60 pages. You just want to go into details on those interest you.

Remember, the frist 5 seconds count.

(#5287784@0)
Last Updated: 2009-5-25

Replies, comments and Discussions:

工作学习 / 事业与工作 / First job: getting the interview. -wincity(toad); 2009-5-25 {5787} (#5287708@0)

so great a post -giss(rr); 2009-5-25 (#5287749@0)
I just want to add my 2 cents worth suggestion - covering letter is your key to an interview. -hkchan(*); 2009-5-25 {859} (#5287784@0)
Covering letter is the summary of your resume, and it is your 5 seconds sales pitch to sell yourself, why you are suitable and why the manger wants to hire you.

You should tailor made a covering letter for each job (and probably your resume as well). You may not believe it, they made the decision when they read your covering letter, the resume is a mean to justify their decision, rahter or not to give you an interview.

And the first paragraph is the most important part of your resume. For those who need to review 20+ applicants would understand my argument. Say each applicant have 1 page of covering letter and 2 pages of resume, you need to read over 60 pages. And believe me, if you are a busy manager, you don't want to go over all 60 pages. You just want to go into details on those interest you.

Remember, the frist 5 seconds count.

All the resumes we got were from recruiters and we didn't get any cover letters. -wincity(toad); 2009-5-25 (#5288252@0)

That's because the recruiter would do the selling part on behalf of the applicant. I guess I had bad experience with recruiter and never quite trust them, so I prefer to scan the applicants myself. -hkchan(*); 2009-5-25 (#5288519@0)

阿叔阿，不是我说你，这些在十几年很流行，现在？满地都是中介和走后门的，谁看这个卡我信？ -thisunreal(饭得志); 2009-5-25 (#5288483@0)

I guess you are right, if you are applying the job through recruiter, then a covering letter may not be necessary because the recruiter would do the selling for you. -hkchan(*); 2009-5-25 {298} (#5288532@0)
However, for people who don't like to go through recruiter, then covering letter is still important.

I changed more than 10 jobs in Canada, and I always prepared the covering letter myself. I prefer to skip the head hunter or internal HR and sent my application directly to the hiring manager.

Good article first of all. Just 2 points: 1. It does not hurt to exaggerate your experience a little, for example, ... -bugatlarge(hy); 2009-5-25 {1397} (#5288022@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛say 3 year when it is actually 3 month as long as you have done it and know what it is about. However, making up entire non-existing experience, especially it is related to the job's core requirement is difficult. Think about the humiliating situation while you are caught faking your resume :)

2. Cover letter. Cover letter is supposed to impress the hiring manager with your writing before they digging deeper into your CV. For many our Chinese, if writing is your strength, by no means, go for it. On the other hand, cover letter will only bring you the damage. First of all, needless to say it slows down your resume submitting process significantly, you have to tailor each cover letter according to each different job. Secondly, you are exposing your key weakness, English writing, right away. Think it this way, if you experience is not qualified, you won't be given a job because of an impressive cover letter anyway. On the other hand, if you are qualified, a poorly written cover letter will only make hiring manger think twice about your communication skills, which otherwise, won't be a problem if you don't write them one in the first place.

Basically, cover letter is the biggest pitfall for our chinese job seekers, unless u are looking for executive type of the job, which it normally requires one. Otherwise, I will suggest you do urself a favor: just don't bother.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

You can't say 3-yr when it is only 3-month. The general rule is you cannot lie. You can hide something but you cannot lie about something. -jeffrey815(Smartiecat); 2009-5-25 (#5288059@0)

If you go to the top, you will find out ... -bugatlarge(hy); 2009-5-25 {318} (#5288107@0)
this thread is talking about how to give non-experienced people a chance help them to land a job which they might be qualified. I am just following the spirit of the first post, so you can see I am more on the conservative side in terms of making up experience... after all integrity and honesty is highly respected...
The general rule is you have to lie, Jeff. It's highly debatable that to lie in your resume, especially to get your first job, means you're dishonest. I consider myself to be very trustworthy, but I lied in my resumes. -wincity(toad); 2009-5-25 (#5288251@0)

I have never and will never lie on my resume. -jeffrey815(Smartiecat); 2009-5-25 (#5288275@0)

Good for you, Jeff. For a friend, I might prefer you but I don't have a problem hiring someone who lied in his resume. I actually might even pick him over someone too honest. -wincity(toad); 2009-5-25 (#5288325@0)

??? !!! -nicetomeetyou(好好学习天天向上); 2009-5-25 (#5288347@0)

Agree. I am surprised that they didn't find out during interview and reference check (both formal and informal). -hkchan(*); 2009-5-25 {135} (#5288543@0)
IT community is quite small in Toronot (at least in financial industry), you can always find a friend's friend who know the applicant.

很好，很受启发。上周发了份简历，和人家贴的job script不是太match，他们要求的东西和我的专业方向有些偏差，有什么办法补救吗？ -xybca(摇曳秋风的葱); 2009-5-25 (#5288464@0)

说你正在转向那个方向啊 -xiaozhuang(小庄); 2009-6-7 (#5322535@0)
你的简历一定要和job description match, 他要求Java, 你简历一定要有，当然要包括主要的技术要求。要会高度概括提炼job description. -henryli2009(henryli2009); 2009-6-8 (#5322688@0)
这个工作要是冷门，没多少人申请，就可以补救。要是有200份简历在桌上，你只能在申请别的工作时多加注意了。 -henryli2009(henryli2009); 2009-6-8 (#5322761@0)

太多，太长。我帮你总结一下：要找工，第一要有料到，第二要敢做假。做苦力是这样，做老总更要这样。。。。 -thisunreal(饭得志); 2009-5-25 (#5288481@0)

一针见血 -win98(狂拼); 2009-5-26 (#5292088@0)
哥们，在技术工作上，简历作手脚可以，搞管理就是搬石头砸自己的脚。毕竟北美高管圈子很小，一露馅就没意思了。扫地出门不可避免。搞管理的简历关键是简历写的要有艺术性，撒谎不可取。 -henryli2009(henryli2009); 2009-6-8 (#5322692@0)

good.thx -eagle_no1(瞎起哄); 2009-5-28 (#5295855@0)
very good, tell the truth of job seeking... -gigii(小园香径); 2009-6-7 (#5322388@0)

@Edmonton

I just want to add my 2 cents worth suggestion - covering letter is your key to an interview.

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