There’s no other way to title a post like this. The problem I’m having here is that no matter how close to the edge a possible title comes off, it fails to compete against the unexpected, and somewhat terrifying shock of the actual subject of this blog post — which is the Cover Letter soon to hit your eyes.
The following cover letter was received yesterday (1/16/12) by a Houston area creative agency. Quick warning, if the “C” word bothers you, then I suggest you stop reading now.
The more I read this cover letter, the more it resembles a mullet. The front/beginning is all business and appears to be professional. However, you’re quick to realize by the middle and surely at the end that this email is quite possibly the most unprofessional and ridiculous job search document you you’ve ever read.
Initially, I would have bet my money on an incredibly angry and frustrated job seeker who had been burned by the agency in the past. I was quickly proved wrong by my contact at the company.
I’ve never met this person, and I searched my inbox to see if I had any previous interaction with them – hadn’t.
The agency is known for being a bit different than the other kids on the block. If the job seekers goal was to gain the agencies attention by ‘being different’ in their cover letter approach, then they succeeded, but not all attention is good.
I was appalled. As a creative agency that purports a “rebellious” and non-traditional approach, I’m used to irreverence and humor – even in cover letters. I didn’t find anything funny or clever about this message.
So, by now you are probably wondering a few things…
- Yes, the job seeker is a real person. A Google search led the agency to find their job seeker.
- No, the job seeker didn’t supply their resume and writing samples as promised in the letter.
- Yes, the job seeker really did use the “C” word, AKA the most offensive word in the English language
