I hate cover letters

They can be torture to write sometimes. Yes, business professionals will always tell you that a cover letter is necessary. It will make you stand out from the rest of the applicants. If your resume is only ho-hum, your cover letter could get you the job. But I still loathe writing them.

Each cover letter has to be specific for the job you're applying to. It can't be a generic one you send to everyone. Apparently recruiters have a need to feel special and if they think you're toying with their emotions by sending them an obvious generic cover letter that's not all about them, your resume is in the trash by the first paragraph.

The pressure is on. It took me two days (not the full 24 hours in each day of course) to write out a stinkin cover letter for a job in San Antonio. I think I spent the first couple of hours trying to write the first sentence. Then I stared at a blank word document for another good two hours. Agh! I'll come back to it later, I said. When I did eventually go back, I got another sentence written. But then, I couldn't think how to flow into my next line of thought without an abrupt change of pace. That's the most difficult part, I think...going from introductions to the main plot.

I scoured the Internet for ideas. I Googled "cover letters" and read through cover letter samples and took pieces of several hoping to weave them together into a cohesive letter that would become my own. In the end I found the basics for any cover letter. You need three basic elements, or three basic paragraphs.
1) Why you are writing.
2) Why you are a good fit for this position. (It helps to list their requirements and how you fit them.)
3) How you will follow up.

And let's not forget to add just a small dash of flattery. I also researched the company's website and added a line that included information from their mission statement and how I agreed with it, showing how well I'd fit in with them.

Too bad the best cover letter I wrote is lost. It was written two years or so ago. I don't know what happened to the file. Maybe it was on my last computer before it crashed. I really could've used it as a jumping off point. But in the end, I finally got this new letter written. I don't know if it's the best cover letter. Probably not. But at least I don't think it stinks.

You know, I get that recruiters want a sense of your style before they call you in for an interview. They can't always get that from just a resume. The resume could be flawless, but if you screw up in a cover letter, they won't be calling. It's such a shame, really. A cover letter tells how you could be a good fit for a job, but in the end, you're really just trying to get a job. A cover letter is nothing but a fancy letter explaining why you and your resume should be given a chance because you really need a decent paying job. That's all.

That being said, below are two cover letter examples for your reading enjoyment. The one on the left is the actual cover letter I wrote, with phone numbers and my address changed of course. I left the company's info because I got that information right off their web-page and so could anyone else. The second on the right is a screwy letter I wrote for fun...what a cover letter really is.
(I think if you click on them, they should enlarge.)