Cover Letters and Cupcake Binges! Ack! - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

GradPhase · 10-03-2009, 09:36 PM

AAHHHH!!!

I've been job searching for about a month now - and I've found the most AMAZING job. I want it SO bad that I'm absolutely terrified to apply for it. I'm mostly qualified according to what they want to see on my resume, but when it comes to the actual job itself - with a little training I know I would be absolutely perfect for it. I know that I'll have to make up for the lack of resume-perfection with my cover letter. But I've never written a cover letter before!! and I am STRESSED!!

Yesterday was dear BFs birthday, so we have cupcakes laying around, and I had F-I-V-E Cupcakes for BREAKFAST this morning. I have been OP for WEEKS without leaving it - and I screwed it up with not just two cupcakes BUT FIVE!! HOLY CATS! What was I thinking?!?!??!

I need a BRILLIANT cover letter, I need an improved resume, I need to STOP eating CUPCAKES, and I NEED *THIS* JOB!!

Anyone else want to vent about diet screw ups and unemployment stress?? Let it out! Any cover letter tips? Let those out too!

HaleyisLove · 10-03-2009, 09:44 PM

I had chick fila yesterday and today, I also had frozen yogurt with M & M's and pasta, and steak and crab mushrooms for dinner... it hasnt been a good day... I also have horrible luck with jobs...and I have a college degree and currently work as a nanny...

good luck with the job...I am very confused by cover letters as well and all the stuff I find online is never helpful...

GradPhase · 10-03-2009, 10:00 PM

Yeah, absolutely. I don't understand how people come up with this information. How do they just KNOW how to do cover letters??? I've been googling samples for hours - but I can't find the "right" idea for what *I* think should be in it. They just look so fake, and I want mine to go over as very genuine... I dont know...... Blah!

HaleyisLove · 10-03-2009, 10:09 PM

Well the last one I wrote obviously didnt do me justice because I never got a call about the job... My job situation has been pretty sad and yet I have an amazing resume....not sure what makes it amazing because I cant find a "real" job

GradPhase · 10-03-2009, 10:18 PM

What's your degree in?

HaleyisLove · 10-03-2009, 10:47 PM

Psychology... I pretty much have to go to grad school to get a job

GradPhase · 10-04-2009, 02:35 PM

Oh yikes - mine too! I'm only third year though. I think it's time for another cupcake....

Mom2QJandT · 10-04-2009, 02:52 PM

Psych degree here too, I work as a case manager for the agency on aging. It's a good job, but I wish I'd been a nurse. On the bright side, while everyone else is having layoffs we're hiring like mad, so there is some job security, but I would have had that as a nurse too.

Aurora · 10-04-2009, 03:58 PM

Don't over think it - just go for it!

You can never know what an employer is really wants. It may be the experience you have, and it might be something that isn't even on the list.

Neither of my full time, post-college jobs required a cover letter. The big company that I work for now eliminates a huge number of candidates based on a personality & logic test. For the job that I wanted *so much* after college, they had me fly in (on my own dime for an interview) and then 3 months later told me that they didn't have the funds to fill the position.

It's all ridiculous and no fun at all. You just have to stop worrying and put your resume out there. Good luck!!!!!!!!

(Now if I could only take my own advice and apply it to the dating scene)

rachiebach · 10-04-2009, 04:47 PM

Ugh I hear you on the job search front. I'm interviewing and applying everywhere right now. I have a decent resume (and had a professor that I love completely rewrite it to look and sound amazing!) but cover letters kill me. Basically just don't repeat what you've already written in your resume. The cover letter is a place to highlight how the skills you've learned will help you in the job that you are applying for. So you can take some of the stuff you've done and written about in your resume and then expand on it and explain how this will help you with the job.

I've been cheating all weekend with cereal. I don't know why I buy it. Once i open the box I can't stop until it's gone. Seriously. I'm that person who has a bowl then adds a little more cereal to use up the remaining milk, but adds a little too much cereal that requires me to add a little more milk...and the cycle goes on. I'm like a freaking guppy, i'll just eat until i pop.

HaleyisLove · 10-04-2009, 05:02 PM

I had better psych related jobs while in college compared to now... Maybe I just need to move or something...I wish I would have studied anything but psychology and at my school it is the largest major however most people never work a day in a psych related field... I did a lot of research related stuff and did my own project and presented it at conferences and still I'm not cool enough haha

harrismm · 10-04-2009, 06:12 PM

At the hospital I work at, we hire a lot of psych techs for psych testing and also to work in the mental health unit doing patient care.Just thinking of possibilities for you

.Good luck!

blueiris6 · 10-04-2009, 09:42 PM

I was also a psych major and I just wanted to say good luck! I quickly realized that I didn't really want to spend 6 years getting my Ph.D. or work for minimum wage doing something unrelated to psych, so I decided to do my masters in Genetic Counseling...it's half psych and half biology, so it was perfect for me, but I know how frustrating it is for you!

As far as cover letters go - be confident! Say something like "I know I will be able to perform blah blah blah" instead of "I think I will be able to perform blah blah blah". And also be specific. If you have done something that is important but you gloss over it on your cover letter because it's in your resume they might miss it! Let them know exactly what relevant experience you have that they want in an employee by giving an example or two, rather than just saying "I have experience in this field."

And btw, I had McDonalds today because I spent all day and all yesterday (about 10 hours total) painting my living room so I "justified" it to myself. Not cool, but you're not the only one. And now I want a cupcake! Blargh!

GradPhase · 10-04-2009, 11:22 PM

My resume is as good as it's going to get - my cover letter is good - and now I'm trying to research reference pages, because they request references with the resume for this particular job.

SOOO STRESSFUL. I've been focused WAY too much on this, and I know I need to take a big step back and just breathe... but I'm scared if I take a step back, I'll lose the shot I've got at it.

Blaaah! At least the cupcakes are all gone

brooksrm · 10-05-2009, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaleyisLove

Psychology... I pretty much have to go to grad school to get a job

I went that route and finished my masters in Clinical Psych. I'm working a high school lvl position at a group home and despite me applying for THREE assistant manager and TWO manager positions, they won't give me a chance at a supervisory position.

Some people I talked to in the company suggest it's because they want someone with supervisory experience, but how the heck do you get that when NOBODY GIVES YOU THE FIRST CHANCE! End vent.

Also that's why I re-took the GRE after my scores expired so I can try for the PhD end all degree. Yay for PhD school rejection round 3.