Behind the curtain [people powered]

In a recent Esquire article, Richard Dormant applied to 290 different jobs to land 7 interviews. Throughout the experiment, he rotated through three different cover letters--all hot air, all business, and just plain folksy. Surprisingly, the "just plain folksy" cover letter netted him five interviews.

Hello [name],

Wanted: [name of position]. Found: The perfect candidate — me. Just take a look at my attached resume and you'll see why.

Okay, so I know what you're probably thinking: What does a guy who's spent seven years in publishing know about [name of position]? But I'll tell you what: I'm exploring new career options, and I'm a hard worker, a quick learner, and I'm great with [relevant skill (i.e. hands, computers, etc.)]. I also have a strong set of people skills — I get along with everybody — that would make me a valuable addition to your team.

Give me a shot and you won't be sorry. Many thanks for your consideration, and please let me know if you have a moment to talk.

All the best,
Richard Dorment

The expert says: "The 'perfect candidate'? Good grief. This whole letter smacks of conceit and arrogance. Would you want to work with this person? And the 'give me a shot' at the end is cheesy and unprofessional. I wouldn't call this person no matter what their resume looked like, not how qualified they were."

We forget that behind all the policies and procedures are people. We forget that the decision makers have a sense of humor and don't want to come in on Saturdays because they want to make their kid's soccer game.