Am I Weird?

[Sciencewoman]

I don't think very many people will read 4 pages.

Keep it to one page.

[*winter*]

Oops...I already sent it. I should have asked beforehand! But I spent over an hour working on it at the library and just wanted to get out of there at that point. Wait...maybe it was "only" three pages? Yeah, I think it was three...

Anyway if I do get an interview I will be sure to come here beforehand

[DrPhil]

3 pages is also too long.

I typically will not read cover letters (and letters of recommendation) that are longer than 2 pages. I prefer cover letters (and letters of recommendation) to be 1 page. Those of us who have been on search committees know how annoying it can be if people submit long cover letters and applications (unless we explicitly state that applications should be longer--similar to a resume').

It takes enough time to read resume' and supplemental information. Imagine having a large applicant pool and all of them thought they were important enough for pages upon pages of STUFF. LOL. When I'm on a search committee I stop reading after a while and I may skim the rest. If your awesomeness wasn't revealed in page 1 or page 2 (at the latest), I will miss your awesomeness.

[thetalady]

The point of a resume and cover letter is to develop interest in you & intrigue the interviewer enough to invite you in for an interview in person. You don't get a job from the resume. You get the job from a fantastic interview. Leave yourself something to talk about.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

I don't think very many people will read 4 pages.

Keep it to one page.

I'd say keep it to one main paragraph. For my money, it really doesn't need to say anything beyond "I'm interested, my resume is enclosed and I would appreciate the chance to talk with you." I know others may feel differently, but I don't pay much attention to cover letters. As soon as one goes into "why I'd be a good fit/what I have to offer," I put it down and move on to the resume. It's the resume, not the cover letter, that gets my interest and makes me decide whether to interview.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I'd say keep it to one main paragraph. For my money, it really doesn't need to say anything beyond "I'm interested, my resume is enclosed and I would appreciate the chance to talk with you." I know others may feel differently, but I don't pay much attention to cover letters. As soon as one goes into "why I'd be a good fit/what I have to offer," I put it down and move on to the resume. It's the resume, not the cover letter, that gets my interest and makes me decide whether to interview.

This totally depends on the position for me. For interns or entry-level, everyone's resume pretty much looks the same; a well-written cover letter expressing a specific interest in the position helps me decide who to interview.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I'd say keep it to one main paragraph. For my money, it really doesn't need to say anything beyond "I'm interested, my resume is enclosed and I would appreciate the chance to talk with you." I know others may feel differently, but I don't pay much attention to cover letters. As soon as one goes into "why I'd be a good fit/what I have to offer," I put it down and move on to the resume. It's the resume, not the cover letter, that gets my interest and makes me decide whether to interview.

I'm with you.

I need the facts first, not the personality.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

This totally depends on the position for me. For interns or entry-level, everyone's resume pretty much looks the same; a well-written cover letter expressing a specific interest in the position helps me decide who to interview.

Fair enough. When it comes down to it, this is all job and profession (and interviewer) specific—what works well in one context may not work as well in another.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

The one thing a cover can do that a resume can't is express enthusiasm. But you can express enthusiasm at least as well in a paragraph as you can in a page. Probably better.

I don't know. In my experience enthusiasm often does come across well in a letter. It reads as a little forced or something. But it definitely comes across better in a paragraph than in a page.