
Forget the resume, kill on the cover letter - ph0rque
http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1748-forget-the-resume-kill-on-the-cover-letter
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tptacek
People are going to pile on to DHH for again suggesting that his experience
represents the whole universe of job hunt circumstances, but if you can hold
just two thoughts in your head at a time, there's a kernel of valuable
information in here.

No matter where you are, the actual words in your actual resume _aren't_ going
to get you hired (although the roles they describe might, and _bad_ words can
clearly get you _un_ -hired). He's right about that.

More importantly, 9 out of 10 smart people I've interviewed are positively
meek in their resumes and during interviews. They don't stand out at all.
What's worse, they make no effort outside of the "official channel", dutifully
submitting resumes into the HTML form, talking to the HR person, waiting for
us to call back.

DHH is right. If you're just going to play by the HR rules, the cover letter
_is_ your one chance to position yourself ahead of the 9 other candidates with
similar resumes. It's not the only thing to do, but there's literally no
downside to putting an effort in.

~~~
dschobel
You're missing the point of most of the objections here. If the article were
just "Have an awesome cover letter and be super enthusiastic!", that would be
one thing.

What most people are objecting to is the "forget the resume" part of the
headline.

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ankhmoop
Another ridiculous anecdotal extrapolation from 37signals.

When I'm hiring, I only look to the cover letter to determine whether the
candidate is personally interested in the job, not whether they're qualified
for it.

Might I suggest a new title: "If you want to work at _37signals_ , forget the
resume, kill on the cover letter."

~~~
axod
Really does sound like a fun place to work. Just be careful you don't write
'37 signals' anywhere with a space! Taking self importance to a whole new
level.

[http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1088-how-not-to-apply-
for...](http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1088-how-not-to-apply-for-a-job)

~~~
ajju
That post alone makes it seem like a little less fun place to work.

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PebblesRox
Doesn't decimate literally mean to reduce by ten percent? Literally decimating
the pool would mean eliminating 7 applicants :)

~~~
thras
I just did a quick order of magnitude calculation to see how many times that
exact comment has been written in response to a story on the internet
containing the word "decimate," and I came up with 10^7.

~~~
biotech
I have no problem with people using the word "decimate" loosely. It's the word
"literally" that gets me. If you say, "I _literally_ have to decimate the
pool", then it should be the _literal_ definition of decimate you're talking
about.

~~~
eli
The word "literally" _literally_ means "word by word, letter by letter." So I
assume that since you're such a stickler, _you_ only use it to talk about
transcribing the scripture... right?

Or, put another way, get over yourself. Language evolves. And "literally" has
been used in ways you would consider "wrong" for several hundred years now.

~~~
PebblesRox
I wasn't using the word "literally" literally, but that's okay because I never
said I was. I guess I'm a stickler because I think words work better when they
have strong, precise meanings. Over time, these meanings tend to get watered
down, and I think that's a shame.

~~~
eli
That was my point: you _were_ using a watered down version of literally that,
over time, came to be an agreed upon definition. That's just how it goes.

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dmix
Whats the appropriate attire for an interview at a tech startup? Somewhere in
between a suit and jeans/tee?

~~~
menloparkbum
Blue jeans, a polo shirt and converse or vans are the only thing I've worn to
work or an interview since 1999.

I've also interviewed a ton of people and the only time I've noticed what
people are wearing are if they were wearing "dress clothes" or they had one of
those weird burning man goth cyber warrior outfits on.

~~~
olefoo
"burning man goth cyber warrior outfits"

I think I've just discovered the new office dress code.

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dschobel
I for one don't care if I'm working with someone with the all the personality
of a door-knob.

If someone knows their shit and doesn't piss other people off, that's enough
personality for me.

In this case since it was a design position I can understand why they want
someone wacky and zany and original, but if I saw this behavior in a
programmer applicant I would figure they had forgotten to take their meds that
morning.

~~~
donaq
Programming _is_ a design job. It's just a different kind of design.

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antidaily
Highlights a larger issue - the way we hire people is broken. Resumes and
cover letters only give you enough info to know the person may or may not be
qualified for the job. Are they a fit with culture at your company? Are they
going to leave in a year to pursue their REAL passion?

~~~
tptacek
That's what interviews and references are for.

~~~
antidaily
Except I don't have time to interview 50 candidates.

~~~
arebop
Maybe you could find a way to make time, perhaps by starting with a shorter
initial phone screen. Interactive dialog has much better predictive power
compared to resume+coverletter in my experience.

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hypermatt
I have never once seen a real hiring manager look at these, most good
candidates aren't going to be writing ones specific to your company. I'm sure
its nice to be 37S.

~~~
tptacek
If you're talking to a "hiring manager" who "doesn't read cover letters",
you've already conceded the game. Also, speak for yourself --- I read cover
letters in advance, and often don't even bother with the resume until the
candidate is in front of me.

I have no idea why you think most good candidates won't be "writing specific
cover letters for your company". Top talent doesn't shotgun resumes across 100
companies; they pick places they think they'll like, have a reason for doing
it, and do everything they can to get the best possible offer.

~~~
jawngee
Why would you not read their resume before the interview?

I spend a good 30-45 minutes building a list of questions based entirely on
the contents of their resume. I couldn't imagine just looking at a resume and
then interviewing a person off the cuff. Seems a little rude.

~~~
menloparkbum
It is rude, but this happens a lot, especially at smaller startups. The chain
of communication is usually a bit chaotic and most people are very busy.
Sometimes people get pulled into the interview at the last minute, and so on
and so forth...

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paul9290
How about kill it on your Google search for your name?

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MikeMacMan
Ho, and indeed, Hum.

