Cover Letter Assistance and Best Practices
TommyBaum
Registered Users Posts: 2 ■□□□□□□□□□
Hey everyone,
I am applying for a position at big international company in a NOC department. The opening was refereed to me by a friend that currently works within the department.
This will be my "first" entry level position and the first time I have applied to a corporation. Thus far I have only had one IT job and that was more as an A+ technician (I only stayed with the company 6 months before I had to leave due to family issues). The problem is that was nearly a year ago and since then I have not been working within the field.
I have completed CCNA and CCNP courses at my local Community College and had time on real devices. I am CCNA, Comptia S+,A+, and N+ certified, although I am quite out of practice due to taking CCNA 3 years ago and not working with networks for a year. Furthermore I graduated highschool last year, which accounts for my lack of experience.
I do have references and letters of recommendations from my cisco instructor and my former supervisor.
What would be greatly beneficial would be advice to obtain the job.
I have the direct contact information for the manager of the department and my friend has chatted me up a bit to him.
I plan on writing a quasi "cover letter" to him in the body of the email when I send in my resume, but should I also create a general cover letter for HR? And if so what should I add to get it approved by them? I really hate the posturing that goes on in cover letters that are riddled with corporate buzz words that contain little meaning or any true value.
But I do understand that it is their game so I will be forced to play by their rules.
Also I am concerned about passing the technical interview, I dont want to come off as a paper cert, and have been reviewing and practicing as much as possible. Unfortunately the maxim "if you don't use it you loose it" is proving quite true, I am picking everything back up pretty quick but not quickly enough. Any advice and maybe some examples of the type of questions they may ask would be greatly appreciated.
I have been researching this both on the forum and elsewhere, but I think a direct approach in a thread would be more beneficial as I continue to search. I just wanted to let you know I am not creating a redundant topic.
Thanks for your input, I desperately need wise council.
-Tom Baum
I am applying for a position at big international company in a NOC department. The opening was refereed to me by a friend that currently works within the department.
This will be my "first" entry level position and the first time I have applied to a corporation. Thus far I have only had one IT job and that was more as an A+ technician (I only stayed with the company 6 months before I had to leave due to family issues). The problem is that was nearly a year ago and since then I have not been working within the field.
I have completed CCNA and CCNP courses at my local Community College and had time on real devices. I am CCNA, Comptia S+,A+, and N+ certified, although I am quite out of practice due to taking CCNA 3 years ago and not working with networks for a year. Furthermore I graduated highschool last year, which accounts for my lack of experience.
I do have references and letters of recommendations from my cisco instructor and my former supervisor.
What would be greatly beneficial would be advice to obtain the job.
I have the direct contact information for the manager of the department and my friend has chatted me up a bit to him.
I plan on writing a quasi "cover letter" to him in the body of the email when I send in my resume, but should I also create a general cover letter for HR? And if so what should I add to get it approved by them? I really hate the posturing that goes on in cover letters that are riddled with corporate buzz words that contain little meaning or any true value.
But I do understand that it is their game so I will be forced to play by their rules.
Also I am concerned about passing the technical interview, I dont want to come off as a paper cert, and have been reviewing and practicing as much as possible. Unfortunately the maxim "if you don't use it you loose it" is proving quite true, I am picking everything back up pretty quick but not quickly enough. Any advice and maybe some examples of the type of questions they may ask would be greatly appreciated.
I have been researching this both on the forum and elsewhere, but I think a direct approach in a thread would be more beneficial as I continue to search. I just wanted to let you know I am not creating a redundant topic.
Thanks for your input, I desperately need wise council.
-Tom Baum
Comments
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vistalavista
Member Posts: 78 ■■□□□□□□□□
Just apply. I wouldn't waste any time on a company until they show interest. Until then, I just mindlessly send my resume/cover letter to any posting I'm qualified to.
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Everyone
Member Posts: 1,661
A cover letter should be specific to the position you're sending your resume in to. Don't repeat what is already in your resume. Use it to show what relevant value you can bring to the position.
It sounds like you know the name of the hiring manager, so address it to him. If you have to send your cover letter and resume through their HR, and not just directly to the hiring manager, use the same for both.
Since this is an entry level position, and it sounds like you don't really have much if any experience, I wouldn't worry about coming off as a "paper cert". If you had a lot of experience but none of it backed up your certs, then I could see being a little worried, but that doesn't sound like the case for you.
You mentioned that the position is in a NOC, but not what the position is or involves. Is it Help Desk, or what? Hard to say what kind of questions they might ask without knowing what the job is.