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Cover Letter too Late?
3

Cover Letter too Late?

Cover Letter too Late?

(OP)
Hey, been lurking for some time, and its cool to have found such an informative resource, of so many veterans.  

I have a job interview coming up, and usually online, I have sent a cover letter; however, for this particular posting, their website had no option to upload a cover letter.  

My question is, do you think I should submit a cover letter to the group who will be attending the interview, along with copies of my resume?  Or just leave well enough alone, and it does not really matter at this point?

Thanks

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

You've got the interview already.

Afterward, write a nice thank you letter recapping the interview, and highlighting your strengths based on the discussions at the interview.

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Save your energy for a real nice post-interview letter.

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

The cover letter and resume are instruments used to obtain an interview.  Since you already have an interview obtained, the cover letter and resume are no longer needed.  It would be good to have a resume on hand in case one is requested.  The team of interviewers can then make copies of it for their own use.  The primary focus at this point would be to present yourself well at the interview.

puzzler77

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

(OP)
That is pretty much what I figured.

Thanks for the replies.

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

3
I would goone step further than the above.

You are attempting to sell your services, so at this stage of this process you are a salesman.

One very important sales technique is when you get the order shut up. From the point where you already have the order or interview, any further unnecessary communication runs a risk of doing harm.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm
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RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Just to be clear.

The shut up only applies to further input to getting the interview.

You till need bto prepare for and perform well in the interview.

Make your points clearly and concisely, answer all questions if you can.

Spend as much time as reasonable asking questions and listening to what they say.

 

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm
for site rules
 

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

In this day and age it's nice to see a thank you letter.  Most young kids in the computer age have forgotten this little yet effective post interview follow-up.   

Regards,
Qshake
pipe
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.
 

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Thank you letter is a must, got me hired  

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Interesting idea, sending the follow-up letter. It's not very common in the UK, which maybe means it could be a good idea as it would make the applicant stand out. How common is the practice elsewhere?
  

----------------------------------
  
If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
 

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Mostly agree, but with one more thing to consider:

I have had my resume scrambled by unethical recruiters who wanted to change the wording, format, or whatever.  Changes were usually due to low ethics or technical information ignorance on the part of the recruiters, and done without my knowledge until I showed up at the interview.  Why else do they request you submit it in editable MSWord format?  I have also seen my resume scrambled or severely limited by some online submission forms.  In both cases I brought hard copies of my intended resume to the interview and explained the reason why.  This extra effort for clarity and good communication was always well received.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com

RE: Cover Letter too Late?

Scotty, it's still uncommon in the US from my experience.  However, it's very strongly suggested by all the job-hunting guides.

The ones who do submit a post-interview letter really do stand out.

Good on ya,

Goober Dave

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