Job Search, Dice, Monster, Indeed, Linkedin, CareerBuilder, Facebook, Twitter, and more! All My Best to You, James Reply to this Comment The more details you put in the cover letter, the more details you can put in the body of the email. And I can guarantee you're getting far fewer replies to your poorly worded, no-content emails. I would like you to write a well thought-out cover letter in response to this, and we can continue from there. You are definitely on the right track. Reply to this Comment @Vladimir C. Your points about the company and the industry are valid. Perhaps you are not being given the opportunity to show what you can do. However, the reason companies don't like to see a lot of the same language repeated in cover letters and resumes is because when they read them, they don't have a feel for what skills you bring and how you can address a problem. They won't know why you would be a good match to them. What makes you a good match for the company is that you have the skills and know how to address the specific problems that the job entails. I work for a company that needs a number of people like you to produce quality work on schedule. We were just having a discussion on your blog about the importance of doing a great job the first time. It has nothing to do with your background or experience. I hope you do get some responses to your job search. It's not easy. But when you find a job, I hope you can send your resume and cover letter to all the candidates who didn't hire you. I think that the companies should look at the applicants they hire more than once. Reply to this Comment Vladimir, thanks for the reply, and of course I agree on your first point, that the job description defines the specific job skills needed. But I think you're missing the idea on my part of getting through to them with what I can do and how. I'm not asking for miracles, but I am just hoping for some consideration. It doesn't have to be perfect or even very creative, but even a simple sentence like "I have X years of experience in Y" could help them see what kind of candidate you are. You also missed the point that my resume may have been generic, but the cover letter certainly was not. My experience is in sales, so I know what it's like to do something to get the ball rolling. The candidate with a specific interest in the company is the one who will get the most out of the discussion. Sure, people can be trained to do it, but it's hard to teach someone something when you've never experienced it yourself, or have had the background for it. Anyway, I can certainly appreciate your viewpoint. The job is filled as it is. I've moved on to other things in the meantime and I appreciate the encouragement to continue. I'll certainly make the effort to include more information in future communications. Your advice is right on the mark and I agree with you completely that I'm getting way too many job applications. Perhaps that's because I am a new account on LinkedIn? :) Reply to this Comment The reason companies don't like to see a lot of the same language repeated in cover letters and resumes is because when they read them, they don't have a feel for what skills you bring and how you can address a problem. They won't know why you would be a good match to them. What makes you a good match for the company is that you have the skills and know how to address the specific problems that the job entails. I agree with this, and have always felt that you are able to put your own stamp on your job search by using your specific skills and experiences. But you also make a good point. Why would they look at a cover letter and then ignore it when the resume might show what they're looking for? I'll think through my approach a bit more, but I am confident the company will see what I can do. Thanks again! Reply to this Comment I'm not a fan of 'blanket' resumes in the first instance as I believe this kills any thought and consideration from the potential employers. If you are getting so many job applications that you are drowning in them and it has nothing to do with specific skills which they want, then it's a candidate that is looking for a job and a company that needs a good employee. Just be very clear about the skills you do have and the type of employer and industry that you need. You are not going to waste their time, or yours. Reply to this Comment I have a background in the financial industry and most of the resume submission requests come via LinkedIn. That said, I would like to get a job in sales. What makes a strong cover letter? Reply to this Comment I use cover letters to communicate with a potential employer. I'm trying to communicate what I am capable of doing for their company as I'm applying for a sales position. I'd like to know if I'm on the right track. Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment I would like to know why the cover letters I send out and cover letters the clients are requesting via email aren't working. What am I doing wrong? Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment I am getting so many job applications that it's becoming hard to keep track of them. Is there a way that I can put my LinkedIn profile on my resume and still retain my current job? I have a background in education, but I would like to switch over to sales. Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment I recently went to a new job where my interviewer actually told me I had the worst cover letter he had ever read in his 25 years of working with candidates. They actually said that too many candidates were trying to copy some other person in an unrelated industry and get me to believe they should be hired. They said they received almost 3 times as many applications that said "I am excited about X" than they received that were "I want to make X company successful." What in the world does this mean? Reply to this Comment I did not know what the "X" and "company" was they talked about. What does that mean? Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment The job description states very clearly that you need 5 years experience with 3 years being as a lead programmer. The candidates who respond positively also have that experience and even more. So why do I still get the rejection emails. I did put 5 years experience with 2-3 years leading on my resume and cover letters. Any suggestions? Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment There are a lot of factors that play a role in why someone gets hired, as opposed to other candidates. You'll want to look at the job description, and how you might be a great fit for it. Are you able to be a good match for the kind of work that the company does? Are you a dynamic, out-going, energetic person who gets things done and can motivate others to do the same? Or do you have a more quiet style, but are solid in your work and able to get things done? Is it maybe a company culture issue? Do they favor those with an outgoing personality? I've been in those situations where I applied to a position and was a great candidate, but yet they hired someone else for the role. I felt that was wrong. I also asked and got the job they hired someone else for the job. I didn't get it the first time. They did not like my personality. What in the world is wrong with me? I've also been the person hired and didn't like the person hired. The reason was that the other person didn't fit into their culture. I don't think it's fair, but then, it's not like we can make decisions based on what is fair and what is not fair. It's like playing the game of life. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment How can I write a cover letter that does not sound "canned" or a cover letter that I have "typed-up" because I was told to do so, but then when I change the words to make it sound more sincere, I still get it done to "the letter of the law"? Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment Reply to this Comment I was told to add a little bit about myself in the "about me" section of my LinkedIn profile. That said, should I add something to the cover letter? My experience in sales is that candidates will include their experience, knowledge, and abilities to help answer a question if one were to ask them. Yet,