An Honest Cover Letter

Hi, my name is Chloe Lee - and this is a cover/application letter you would never receive. I am 24 years old and my story, experiences, expertise, personality - my entire being - has been squashed into one (sometimes two) pages; which you may or may not ever bother reading.

Maybe you’ve been on the other side of the room for far too long; maybe you have long forgotten how tough this entire job-searching process has been. Maybe now it’s easy to brush resumes off the table and into the shredder as applications, and not people - because you’ve secured yourself a job. Who’s to blame when you’re expected to deliver quality - and not humanity.

Smart. Humble. Confident. Teachable. Intelligent. Thinks critically. Analytical. Strong leadership qualities. It’ll be a bonus if they’re witty too. Good grades. Takes initiative. Any internships or work experiences? The more the merrier. How am I supposed to be all of that - and more - when all my university taught was to write essays, maybe a presentation or two? Or I can be all of the above, but “at this time we have decided to pursue candidates whose experiences are more aligned with this position”. You’re not even sorry and to be fair you do not have to be, because you are merely doing your job; as I one day - hopefully - will be.

Sell yourself. Use keywords. Edit, proofread, edit and proofread again. How do you reduce your entire worth to one cover letter? How do you respond when replies tell you again and again that you’re simply not worthy?

If I were honest - if I were allowed to be. I ask that you see me as human, that though I make mistakes, I will learn. That I am more than the words or the design plastered across my one-paged resume. That though it is my duty to help you see a value in me, I’d like to mention - with all humility - that I am valuable. That knowing my worth suggests integrity and not necessarily arrogance. For if I did not know my worth, you would be hiring but a mere puppet. It is, however, ironic; that in most cases, a puppet is what you want me to be.

If I were honest - if I were allowed to be. I ask that you show compassion, for no one has ever once told me: do your best and let what’s meant to be, just be. Instead, we’re told to pursue the rat race of competitions, internships, placements, networking, all to be a little bit more employable, but none to be more human.

If I were honest - if I were allowed to be. I ask that you be patient. That it will take time for me to unlearn and learn again, to catch on, to be quick on my feet, to deliver. That though I got the grades, all I knew was to remember. To memorize, to repeat. But I can promise that with all my might, I am trying - I certainly am.

If I were honest - if I were allowed to be. Please just hire me.