The Job Search 1: Me vs. the Cover Letter

When it comes to the job search, I know what I want.

At least, I think I know what I want.

When I'm on HigherEdJobs.com, I'm easily able to cull through the possibilities, so that's a plus.

"Yeah, I think I could do that… hmm, maybe not in Alaska… 

Oh, here's one in Boston! Wait, doing development? Nope.

 MY UNDERGRAD IS HIRING—no, that's not for me either... 

THERE. Right there.  Good location, good school. Save…to…organizer. Done!"

And at this point, I have ten different jobs in my organizer. I'm on a roll, right?

Maybe not. Because, you see, there's this tiny little matter of the cover letter.

Ah, The Cover Letter, my mortal enemy.

I know can't apply for a job without a cover letter. But when I pull up that blank Word Document, and prepare to get my fingers flying over the keyboard, I just… can't… do it. *sigh*

For some reason, cover letters have always proved a roadblock for me. Need a personal statement? No problem. Resumes aren't worrisome either—I've tried to constantly edit mine over the past year and a half, so it's a cinch to update it as new responsibilities come along.  But when the words "cover" and "letter" are mentioned in succession, for some reason, my brain freezes. I don't know what it is about the cover letter that I find challenging—maybe it's the difficulty of not repeating everything in my resume; maybe it's my personal trouble with not being able to brag on myself (I use "brag" loosely, of course); maybe it's just that I know that once I write one cover letter, the rest of the job search will just entail rewriting that same letter over, and over, and over, and over… well, you get the point.

But I guess that's the beauty of the cover letter, too. The first one is the hardest to write; it's coming up with the ideal structure and content that's so hard. But with each successive job, it'll come easier—I'll know how to address each qualification the university requires; I'll know how to talk about why I want that specific position at that specific university; and most of all, I'll be able to talk about why I should be hired.

After all, I do think I should be hired. I'll have two years of quality experience at a respectable university by the time I graduate this spring, and I am confident that I've chosen the right profession. In the end, the whole job search comes back down to this one fact: I chose student affairs because I care about college students and their experiences. I choose to care every day because someone cared about me, and it's time to pay it forward.  Ultimately, this isn't about me—it’s about the students, and where an institution can use me to make the most difference. I believe that I can get through this job search successfully, and make a positive contribution to the people and place where I'm headed next. 

So take a deep breath.

Stretch, sit, flex those fingers.

Pull up that first job description… and go for it. I'm right there with you.

Do you have any suggestions for a smooth cover letter-writing process? Let me know in the comments!