Comments on: A Letter from a Baffled Hiring Manager-Part 2

By: K-cornwell

K-cornwell — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Wonderful insight. Thanks for posting this Joshua!

By: K-cornwell

K-cornwell — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Wonderful insight. Thanks for posting this Joshua!

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:54:29 +0000

“It is rare, extremely rare, to find the “perfect fit” for both the job and the company culture. Please do not tell me you are”.

This is so true. A lot of cover letters begin with “I’m perfect for the job”, that’s a good way to end up in the reject pile.

This is good advice even for freelancers bidding for work. I’m amazed at how people respond to jobs that require English speakers with native fluency, who respond with messages containing typos and grammar errors. Others lacking sufficient experience, a decent portfolio or work samples claim to be web designers, graphic designers and SEO experts without even providing a link to a site.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:54:00 +0000

“It is rare, extremely rare, to find the “perfect fit” for both the job and the company culture. Please do not tell me you are”.

This is so true. A lot of cover letters begin with “I’m perfect for the job”, that’s a good way to end up in the reject pile.

By: Mark Hannan

Mark Hannan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:32:22 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Jeffrey. I generally look for potential and drive more than anything else. Skills can easily be acquired if there is commitment and a willingness to step outside one’s comfort zone.

By: Mark Hannan

Mark Hannan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:32:00 +0000

By: Jeffrey S. Smith

Jeffrey S. Smith — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:27:32 +0000

I appreciate Mr. Hannan’s take on the dance between job-seekers and hiring managers, but I’ve found his refreshing attitude extremely rare in this job market. Employers tend to hold out for that “perfect” candidate, figuring there’s enough people scouting the job boards that they can afford to ignore the “good” or even “great” until the perfect comes along.

Aside from that, his comments about the job-seeker’s responsibility to present themselves as best they can are very apt; both the good news and the bad need to be recognized, revealed and dealt with. I’d not have thought to address gaps or limitations in a cover letter (see my comments above) but it may be the best way to get into the “yes” pile.

By: Jeffrey S. Smith

Jeffrey S. Smith — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:27:00 +0000