Employers are not looking for writers willing to submit the bare minimum to a publication. If a cover letter is optional, that should be an immediate sign to go above and beyond. Out of all the most important factors to mention to an employer, previous experience, connections to that employer and a strong sense of passion and originality for writing will gain the most attention. Honesty should be mandatory in any application you send out to a publication. Explaining what you have been through and accomplished in order to get where you are today will give insight to employers reading your writing for the first time. If there is an opportunity to gain more experience in your desired field why wouldn’t you do it? For example I am currently working for a publication on my college campus in order to gain some real world experience before I even land a real paying job in the field.
I was not very familiar with the statement of purpose that is regularly sent out to professors running graduate programs. To me it seems like these are just as if not more important than CVs and resumes. The statement of purpose allows me to sell my skills, my background, and even a bit of my personality. In one of the articles it mentioned how I am expressing a heightened version of myself through my writing. This reminds me of how comedians perform on stage. The ideas are organic to that performer, but the way they are expressed is what makes that person unique. It’s what tells the board of professors to look back at that application, to consider why this person deserves more attention. It seems that more and more cover letters are giving a snapshot of how they will behave and work if they actually get accepted.
Just like in any other manuscript, there should never be any wasted sentence in selling yourself. This is why revision is so important in every single piece that I write. There is always room for improvement and one of the main reasons the writing industry is such a touch business to break through to. However, my stubborn personality and passion for writing will keep driving me to perfect my craft as much as possible. Combine this with a good sense of how the industry works in the real world and I will never need to stress about my writing quality again.
I was not very familiar with the statement of purpose that is regularly sent out to professors running graduate programs. To me it seems like these are just as if not more important than CVs and resumes. The statement of purpose allows me to sell my skills, my background, and even a bit of my personality. In one of the articles it mentioned how I am expressing a heightened version of myself through my writing. This reminds me of how comedians perform on stage. The ideas are organic to that performer, but the way they are expressed is what makes that person unique. It’s what tells the board of professors to look back at that application, to consider why this person deserves more attention. It seems that more and more cover letters are giving a snapshot of how they will behave and work if they actually get accepted.
Just like in any other manuscript, there should never be any wasted sentence in selling yourself. This is why revision is so important in every single piece that I write. There is always room for improvement and one of the main reasons the writing industry is such a touch business to break through to. However, my stubborn personality and passion for writing will keep driving me to perfect my craft as much as possible. Combine this with a good sense of how the industry works in the real world and I will never need to stress about my writing quality again.
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