Heart felt application:
I just had a really quick question.
Is it OK to put forward a more "personal" or "heartfelt" cover letter or should I keep it formal?
Is it OK to put forward a more "personal" or "heartfelt" cover letter or should I keep it formal?
Replies
Basically I've come to a bit of a crossroads and I want to move away from the CGI world that I have got myself into and move towards game development where I genuniely get excited and as such want to try and present that in the letter.
Also, be sure not to mass email 50 different companies stating "I've always wanted to work for your company!" while leaving the other 49 email addresses visible. Lolol, yes, I've seen this happen on a number of occasions.
Showing interest is good. But don't waste too many paragraphs on it. a) Everyone else is interested (or should be!) b) if you're not interested I won't hire you. Obviously. Interest in the job / company is a basic requirement (just as being able to read and write).
Usually your resume is just a pile of facts. Use the cover letter to fill in the gaps! Weave a story, convince me why your pile of facts and your background can help me to get the job done! You'd be surprised how many people can rattle down skills but cannot form an argument how they would be useful to me on a real or imaginary project.
Summary: writing a good cover letter takes time, and there's a good chance nobody will read it. However if the cover letter is really good, then it can make a difference. Up to you
I'm now feeling quite mixed about my cover letter in the fact that I may have missed a few things from it that I should have ideally included. So I am slightly bummed out by not taking the extra evening just to run over it to make sure I am happy.
Its nothing negative but I think its lacking any real sort of "I want to work with you because of X,Y,Z games you've made" and its more saying how I want to work in a games studio. Also I forgot to put my address at the top which is a real school boy error so I am going to be kicking myself constantly while at work today.
Again thanks for the responses, suggestions and advice. That's very awesome of you
When I read things like this, the following questions come to mind:
"How do you think your skills/expertise/style can help us to make more games like that?"
"Why would you be a good fit for making games like this?"
Your cover letter should really give an answer!
I may ask the same question in an interview, but you have to make it there first
Good answers would be pointing me to specific skills in your resume, specific related jobs in your resume. Artwork in your reel which are similar to the games you just named. The idea is to make it easy for me, as employer, to match you to our needs.
Those sorts of things I would usually answer in an interview as you say; just totally missed it to put it on my letter. Well here is hoping anyway
Also never start a cover letter how you were taught in school. Dear Sir/Madam is fine but the "my name is blah blah, I grew up in blah and I am a blah blah with a passion for blah" is old and tired.
Normally I just jump straight into the important stuff, what I am looking for from the job (in terms of experience) and what i can bring to the table (in terms of experience).
If they want to get to know me and about me as far as i am concerned that is what an interview is for, reading on a page where i am from and my history is impersonal.
What they really care about is the CV and portfolio. The cover letter is there so they have an idea of what you might want from the position and if you are a long-term investment or short-term one (basically don't say "i would like to work for you for a year until i get this job at this company i really like" even if it is what you plan on doing).
It is also important to understand when going for a job that it is a two way street. salary negotiating is fine, however it is also important to make the company know what you want during the process, it may lead to a higher position offered if you impress them enough or they may get you working with a mentor/someone with experience in what you are interested in. If you show them you are thinking about your future then they may as well think about how they can help you get there.
If they do not seem to care about what you want (future) in the interview, then they aren't a decent company to work for and if you can afford it then maybe you should look to the next company.
Just make sure you are a polite decent person and not an asshole when going about it and you will be fine.
Hope this helps!
I couldn't tell you if they worked better or worse, but I can tell you that I didn't get any negative responses from them. The rare times i got any response at all seemed to appreciate my candor. I think when you copy/paste the same letter over and over again it not only cheapens you as a prospect to your employer, but it is demotivating to you as a person. You aren't a robot. tell them what you think and don't tell them what they want to hear.