Applying for Jobs/Internships

[Haruki-kun]

So I sit here trying to write a cover letter to send to a company at which I'm seeking an Internship... and you know, it's kinda hard! I guess I never really thought about it, but the whole concept of selling your work to a company so that they'll notice you among thousands of applicants is really difficult to grow used to.

So I wondered if it would be a good idea to ask the Playground. I'm sure, some people here have sent cover letters, been to interviews, etc. that they would tell me about? Do you have any pointers?

Or are there any other students around here who are working on the same thing and want somewhere to talk about it?

Me, I'm in Animation as a major, but I don't really expect this thread to be entirely about me. Summer approaches! We all need to be on our best presentable behavior!

tl; dr: General Internship/Job Application thread. Go.

[snoopy13a]

Some pointers on cover letters:

1) No typos.
2) Tailor your letter to the company you are applying to--one or two sentences that shows that you at least spent a few minutes reading their website.
3) Tell what you can add to their team via your skills and accomplishments. Don't just list points on your resume. Instead, in a few sentences tell why these experience make you a good fit.

Do not make it too lengthy. It should have a short intro, one or two short paragraphs making your case, and a closing.

Again, make sure you don't have any typos.

[SaintRidley]

If you know someone who knows someone, make sure to get that in somewhere. My grad school application was just as successful because I wrote a great personal statement as it was because one of my undergrad references got his MFA there and knew who the best people in my field to work with were.

[McStabbington]

Cover letters aren't particularly difficult once you understand why they exist and what they are designed to do. And that reason is because job hirers are lazy and don't want to read through your entire resume. So a good cover letter basically says "Hi, my name is X. I'm interested in working for your company for reason Y. I would be a good fit with your company because of Highlight A, B, and C. Sincerely, X." Expand into two paragraphs, don't mispell your words, and presto, you've got an entirely servicable cover letter.

[noparlpf]

Me: "I'm a junior and desperate to finally get some experience in a field even vaguely related to something I might do one day. Please please give me direction in life. My life is so empty and meaningless right now besides whatever anime/comic/book I'm using this week to distract myself from it all."

Yeah that's my draft so far. Too desperate?

[Haruki-kun]

Cover letters aren't particularly difficult once you understand why they exist and what they are designed to do. And that reason is because job hirers are lazy and don't want to read through your entire resume. So a good cover letter basically says "Hi, my name is X. I'm interested in working for your company for reason Y. I would be a good fit with your company because of Highlight A, B, and C. Sincerely, X." Expand into two paragraphs, don't mispell your words, and presto, you've got an entirely servicable cover letter.

What if they're for Internships? Is it still "I would be a good fit for your company" even if I'm not seeking an established job?

[Helanna]

Me: "I'm a junior and desperate to finally get some experience in a field even vaguely related to something I might do one day. Please please give me direction in life. My life is so empty and meaningless right now besides whatever anime/comic/book I'm using this week to distract myself from it all."

Yeah that's my draft so far. Too desperate?

Hey, we have the same cover letter!

Seriously though, I'm supposed to take a co-op this summer. But I've never done particularly well in my classes, I'm already behind on my graduation schedule, I have no idea what to expect even if I do find one, and I'm just scared I'm not going to be able to find anything before time's up. So I'm a little stressed about it.

[HairyGuy4]

Me: "I'm a junior and desperate to finally get some experience in a field even vaguely related to something I might do one day. Please please give me direction in life. My life is so empty and meaningless right now besides whatever anime/comic/book I'm using this week to distract myself from it all."

Yeah that's my draft so far. Too desperate?

Yes, too desperate.

Nevermind that you will be working for free, it makes you sound like you'll do ANYTHING to get the job. So of course, they would never pick you. Basically your cover letter needs to be a two paragraph argument as to why they should give two ****s about you. Being & sounding desperate is not helpful.

Basically you are the product and you're trying to sell yourself in two paragraphs.
First paragraph should be about yourself. Who are you, what have you studied, and what's your experience.

Second paragraph is basically selling yourself. What do you have to offer that would make them care about you. What do you hope to learn while working for them. etc. Second paragraph is basically all BS, but good BS sells....

of course that's the key to resumes. Bull****ting your qualifications.

Worked a register at mcdonalds for a year. You were a customer service representative. Delivered pizza's? say you were a shipping clerk. It's not a lie, it's play of words to make yourself desirable.

good luck.

[tommhans]

Tell them that you are interested in that position and working for that firm, tell them about your background and skills, and tell them why YOU would be great in that position.

[GnomeFighter]

1) For an internship I would put what you can get from it i.e. I would love to do X in future so learning about Y & Z would be realy good (Find out what the company/department/team specalises in and try and link it in) not what you can do for them. I would much rather have an intern who is realy excited to learn and gain something than someone who witters on about things like "Team player" and "Hard worker". It's not a job. If they are looking for someone who is putting those things it is probably going to be nothing more than an unpaid tea boy like so many interns.

2) Keep it short. You don't have much time to read them so important stuff can get missed if its long.

Other bits of advice, taylor it to the company and try and find out who it is to go to. If you don't have a name try calling the companys HR and politely ask for a contact name to address it too. That will instantly make it stand out over someone who puts "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom it may concern".

[Alejandro]

75% of getting chosen for a position is having a person or other friend on the inside, or already being the person on the inside and getting promoted.

25% is your actual ability.

Note that this does not apply to some things, especially when very specific degrees, like law or medicine, are involved.

[Anarion]

What if they're for Internships? Is it still "I would be a good fit for your company" even if I'm not seeking an established job?

You still want to tell them why you'd be good for their company. If it's an internship you're not telling them about skills you have because you're there to learn skills.

But you can still tell them why they should be teaching those skills to you instead of some other guy. Is the job in an industry you want to get involved with? Would you expect to try and come back to this company permanently if you get along with them? Are you passionate about the thing you'd be doing? Do your sensibilities and ethics match up with theirs? Do you believe in their company mission?

It also helps if you can tell a bit of a story. A cover letter that says "I'm a student at X, I did Y and Z, which would contribute A and B to your company" is correct in overall form, but also generic. You want that each of those independent factors to come together to tell a story about why this company is the right place for you and you'd be right for them.

Some of this also depends how much you care about the job. A generic cover letter saying how cool you are and all the skills you have is fine if you're shotgunning 100 different jobs, just add a sentence or two custom for each one.

75% of getting chosen for a position is having a person or other friend on the inside, or already being the person on the inside and getting promoted.

25% is your actual ability.

Note that this does not apply to some things, especially when very specific degrees, like law or medicine, are involved.

No, it totally does still apply there, don't let them fool you.