I really liked this article about cover letter writing (you can read it below), and it brought up a few issues close to my heart (and professional experience):
- First: I spent several years teaching the Internship class to MLIS students, and quickly realized I did not have time to waste being constantly appalled by the horrid cover letters my students were writing, because it really dragged out the amount of time I took grading to be appalled by Every Single One. (I had to sleep sometime!)
- Second: cover letters are not an inborn skill, and most people are never specifically taught HOW to apply well for jobs. Consequently, as an educator I would regularly see my very talented students (they were ALL talented!) fail to get jobs, or land jobs that I thought were beneath their skill level. As someone who also has spent years hiring in libraries, and had to wade through stacks of horribly-done applications – it makes me crazy to know that people with good skills are routinely failing so completely in selling themselves to a potential employer.
- And third: I adjusted all of my classes to require everyone to write cover letters and resumes in every class, to give them more experience.I think it was good for them, and I felt much better about sending our very talented students out into the professional world, knowing they had the skills to present themselves well to future employers.
Whether or not you are looking for a new job right now, you need to know how to present yourself to a potential employer. If you are a ten-hour a week shelver, or a ten year veteran of library management, or anywhere between that – you need to know these things. You can always contact us here at CMLE HQ, on a confidential basis, to talk about your resume, your cover letter, and your job hunting plans! We want everyone to be happily employed, in the best job for you; so let us know what we can do to help!