Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + suits necessary, neutral, or harmful?

Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su... by edw519 on Monday June 16, 2008 @03:16PM (#218990)

"I dislike cover letters because they feel extremely artificial."

Then make yours natural. Write like you speak and say what you want to say.

"is this over-the-top or absurd"

A suit is never absurd, except at the beach. When in doubt, overdress. You can always take off your jacket (and tie).

And don't forget the handwritten and sincere Thank You Note.

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Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su... by wallflower on Monday June 16, 2008 @03:51PM (#219034)

> And don't forget the handwritten and sincere Thank You Note.

The power of the Thank You note. In your Thank You note, reaffirm your interest and state when you will call them to follow up ("I will call you next Thursday at 10am") and make sure you call at that time! I got this from CollegeGrad.com back in the day and it's a valuable tip. Please do not email something. How much effort does that take? Putting a letter in the mail at least takes putting some clothes on, finding a stamp.

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Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su... by nradov on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @12:42PM (#219866)

Handwritten thank-you note? I do a lot of interviewing and would find it bizarre and annoying if a candidate sent me something by snail mail. Only a fax would be worse.

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Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su... by edw519 on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @03:45PM (#220067)

I find it bizarre and annoying that you find a handwritten thank-you note bizarre and annoying. Have we gotten so immersed in technology that we've forgotten how nice it is when someone goes out of their way to show a little appreciation? I sure hope not.

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