The Agony and Ecstasy of Cover Letters

I'm currently looking for work, which means I am writing a LOT of cover letters.  The more you write these essential job search tools, the better you (should) get at it.  However, if you are writing cover letters all the time, its easy to slip into formulaic and generic mode — which translates to a hiring manager as uninspired and uninteresting.  Here are some tips to help you get started on the letters you have on the back burner right now.  

1.  Customize to the job you are applying to.  Yes, we all know we should be doing this but what does is it really mean?   You'll need to think critically about the job description and find something in your professional life that directly translates.  I go through the description line by line and jot down applicable skills and projects for each point.  Use these as your starting point to craft your letter.  (You should also be doing this with your resume every time too!)

2. Use the same language as the job description.  If you see a qualification on the job description that matches something on your resume — out with the old and in with the new.  Change the wording on your cover letter and resume to reflect the new opportunity.  Mirroring the culture of your potential employer can demonstrate that you'll be a good fit there.

3. Use examples to prove your qualifications.  Compare these sentences: "I am a competent and successful project manager,"  and "Over the past summer at X company, I assumed the role of project manager for a content management initiative. Under my direction and careful planning, the project was successfully completed two months ahead of schedule and $10K under budget."  

Saying that you have excellent skills is not adequate however true that may be.  Proving you have the skills with an example is essential and if you have numbers to back it up, even better.

4.  You don't need to stick with the same old boring letter format for every letter.  Especially if you are applying to a job in a creative field, make it interesting.  Your only guidelines are addressing the job description and remaining professional and courteous.  Remember that hiring managers are reading several, sometimes hundreds of cover letters — having one that stands out will separate you from the pack.  

5.  Don't forget to let your excitement for the job come through in your writing.  I always try to let my enthusiasm for a new opportunity shine through.  Think about it from the hiring manager's point of view, if it sounds like you aren't really interested in the job, then why would they hire you?

6. If you are stuck, do some research to give you inspiration.  Some quick keyword searches on the Internet will yield thousands of cover letter examples for any given job title (cover letter librarian, for example).  Use them to give you ideas about formatting, opening or closing your letter, or transitioning from one point to the next.  Keep in mind, if they are on the Internet, they are fair game for your hiring manager to search for too, so keep yourself honest and original and don't borrow word for word.  If you are in the library and information field like me, I would suggest Open Cover Letters.  

okay so that thing I said I was going to do . .

Post more and share my experiences about the new (now old) job?  Didn't do that.  However, better late than never!  My first job as a knowledge management consultant ended last week.  In the end, I did exactly what I was hired to do, although at times it felt like we were never going to get there.  It was a great learning experience for me, and for the steering committee I worked with.  I left at a time when we all could sit back and reflect on how far we'd come and I was touched by the difference I helped to make in a relatively short time.

Among the many things I learned was how life works in a corporate atmosphere and how projects can seem to be going nowhere but then quickly pick up the steam they need to carry through to a successful end.  After a slow month or two, suddenly a term I wasn't familiar with, change management, was keeping me up at night and reading article after article about user adoption and success strategies, as the project started to ramp up again.  Its a slow process to build business champions who not only believe in the change they are advocating but also fully understand it too.  All work in helping the team to understand what we were moving towards was valuable.

I found that my librarian skill set - the ability to organize and classify information, a deep understanding of search strategies and strong research skills were a valuable commodity in the business world.  As a new kind of worker there, one who's focus was on making documents (information) readily available, transparent and organized, I brought a perspective that was needed and appreciated.  I would advise my traditional librarian colleagues to investigate the field if they are interested in a change.

I'm now on the look out for what is next for me, and not limiting my search in any way.  Life is an open book, and I hope to be well versed by the time I get to the last page.

23 things with SLA

Recently a friend presented me with a membership to SLA (Special Libraries Association) and I have done nothing with the gracious gift despite the fact it would be in my best interest to.  I decided it was high time to investigate the benefits of membership and found their lifetime learning project called 23 things.  Most of these 23 things (wikis, blogs, social media type stuff) I am well versed in but a few I could get better at (ahem, blogging) so I decided to sign up. 

One of the reasons I chose to participate in 23 things is because as a consultant, my position is tenuous and it never hurts to network, learn new skills and develop professionally.  I have been thinking a lot about where I see myself going career-wise but haven’t decided firmly what my next steps will be.  The further I get from public librarianship, the less interested I am in returning.  Having spend five years at a large urban public library made me rethink my dream of doing that as a lifelong career.  I consider it a truly valuable thing to do with your life, but it was not for me for a variety of reasons.  Originally upon moving out to Los Angeles a few months ago, I hoped to return to my academic library roots, having spent some time at academic institutions when I was just starting out my professional career but I discovered I couldn’t even get interviews for entry level positions.  A degree from a top library school and five and a half years in the field professionally and another five before that in paraprofessional positions – all of which at world renowned institutions -  didn't seem to resonate with academic employers.  That was a bit of a wake up call. 

I’ve spent my career at all kinds of libraries, an art museum research library, two liberal arts college libraries, a short stint at a law library, public libraries and now, I’m working as a consultant at a private corporation.  I’ve always sought to learn more about my profession as a whole, and working in different settings, with different kinds of information has given me a broad base of knowledge and a deep understanding of the fundamentals of librarianship.  If academic institutions don’t see the value in a well rounded knowledge base and wide range of experience, then I guess I am glad to stick with special libraries and alternatives to traditional librarianship.  I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else with a similar career path to see if they've experienced the same thing.

Next up, delicious, which is something I’ve been pretending I understand for years.  I know it’s not complicated, but I’ve never taken the time to learn about it.

Knowledge Management?

I had never even heard the term before a couple months ago when I was hired as a consultant to do just that. When people ask me what I do, they are inevitably impressed by the title. It certainly sounds powerful and I sort of enjoy the images it conjures up. Having recently shed most of my earthly possessions and moved across the country from New York to Los Angeles sans employment prospects, I jumped at the opportunity to expand my career horizons and shrinking wallet. Do I know how to help shepherd this corporation from institutional knowledge leakage! Sure, that doesn't sound so different from that time I had to clean up some vomit in the children's room. Can I help mitigate risk by creating a transparent organizational architecture? Um. yah . . something like the Dewey Decimal system perhaps??? Can I help them find the best vendor for the solution they seek? I have been known to do a bit of research in my time so I think I can handle that.

My library background has definitely helped and I am happy that the corporation I'm working for saw the value in that. Its been interesting adjusting not only to life in LA, but also to corporate culture. So far so good though.

Previous posts

All previous posts were originally published on the New York Public Library blogs, in the blog channels, Reader's Den, 24 Frames per Second, Bibliofile, Food for Thought, and Community Information. Some have been modified. All original posts from NYPL can be found here.

2010's Oscar Worthy Books

* Originally published here on 02/01/11

The Oscar nominations were announced last week and this year, there are four Best Picture nominees that were adapted from books. If you've seen the films and want to read the books, here they are:

The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. This book was adapted into the Golden Globe-winning film, The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg (nominated for Best Actor) and based on the true story of the beginnings of facebook. The film was nominated for a total of eight awards this year. This blog post, written by my fellow NYPL librarian, Jennifer Allen, discusses the book vs. the movie. Reserve it at your branch today, we have it in print and as an ebook. Mezrich is the author of seven novels and five works of non-fiction. The film 21 is based on his book Bringing Down the House. Facebook fans might also be curious about NYPL's Social Media Week programs, read more about them here.

True Grit by Charles Portis. This is the second film adaptation of True Grit. The first, released in 1969, brought John Wayne his only Oscar for Best Actor. The latest adaptation is from the Coen Brothers and stars heavy hitters like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. It has a combined ten Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. The original novel was written by western author Charles Portis in 1968. Portis has published four other novels and several short stories and articles. Fans of Portis's work might want to try Cormac McCarthy's book, All the Pretty Horses, or The Ox-bow Incident by Walter Van Tilberg Clark.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. This was adapted into 127 Hours, starring newly published author and Best Actor nominee, James Franco. This is the one film among these four that I have seen and I really liked it. Ralston's five day adventure in Canyonlands National Park in Utah was admittedly hard to watch but was an inspiring story and very well acted. It was nominated for six academy awards including Best Picture. If Ralston's outdoor adventure biography is your cup of tea, you might enjoy Jon Krauker's Into the Wild and Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell. The independent film has been nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence. Daniel Woodrell has written eight novels mostly set in his childhood home, the Missouri Ozarks. The author coined the term "country noir" for his writing style. Readers who enjoy similar themes should check out Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (also adapted to film) or The Little Friend by Donna Tartt.

In addition to these films based on novels, there's more to be read from the Oscar nomination list!

• The King's Speech, a leader in nominations with twelve, is based on the life of King George VI of the United Kingdom.
• For younger readers and viewers, Best Animated Feature film nominee How To Train Your Dragon was based on the popular series by Cressida Cowell.
• Best Picture nominee The Fighter is based on the life of Micky Ward, a boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts. NYPL does not currently have any copies of the biography by Bob Halloran, but you can find it in WorldCat.
• Best Foreign Language Film nominee Biutiful is produced by Guillermo del Toro, writer of several popular novels and screenplays including Pan's Labyrinth, The Strain and The Fall.
• Jeremy Renner is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Town, which was based on Chuck Hogan's novel, Prince of Thieves.
• Nicole Kidman is nominated for Best Leading Actress performance in The Rabbit Hole, which is based on a play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire.
• Alice in Wonderland is up for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects and is of course based on the Lewis Carroll classic.
• Barney's Version starring Paul Giamatti is up for a Best Makeup nomination and is based on the novel by Mordecai Richler.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is based on the best-selling series by J. K. Rowling. It is up for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction.

To view the full list of nominations, check out the Academy's website. The awards will be broadcast on February 27, 2011.

New York City Examinations FAQ

Originally published here on 01/19/11

Many jobs within the City of New York government are filled through competitive, citywide examinations, which are administered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services or DCAS. Positions like Police Officer, School Safety Agent and Correction Officer are all filled on a yearly civil service exam schedule. Take a look at the exams for jobs booklet or this informational website if you have additional questions. Also available through DCAS, scheduled licensing exams for skilled tradespeople. Check here for general licensing examination requirements.

You can apply to take an exam with the City of New York Online Application System or OAS or by printing out a copy of this form and sending it in. Or request a copy of the application be sent to you along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to DCAS Application Unit, 1 Centre Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10007, postmarked no later than the application deadline. Be sure to check the requirements before applying.

There are two testing locations, 210 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, or 2 Lafayette Street in Lower Manhattan, 2 blocks south of City Hall.

Test Preparation
Civil service exam books are available at the branch libraries, be sure to leave plenty of time before the test though, they tend to circulate frequently as the date come up. Please note that not all exams have published companion books.

You can buy copies at many bookstores including : Civil Service Book Shop, 89 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013-3411, (212) 226-9506.

Test guides and resource booklets are made available 60 days before the exam through the New York Department of Civil Service. Online test preparation for the some of the exams is also available through LearningExpress, a database freely available at the branch libraries. If you are registering from your library, please create a Username and Password, enter your e-mail address, and click the "Register" button. Your Username and Password must be at least 6 characters and should not include spaces.

If you have any questions regarding the exams and positions, you should contact DCAS at 311 or OASys@dcas.nyc.gov