When a Cover Letter Goes a Bit Overboard

I always hate the cover letter. They are supposed to be original and detailed and expressive of how you should stand out, but toe that uncomfortable line between self-promotion and pompous bragging. One New York University undergraduate student looking for a summer finance internship, didn't just cross that line--he went running way over it. Yahoo! Finance via Business Insider has the details of this amazing cover letter with this legendary paragraph that sounded like it might have been written more by The Office's Dwight Schrute than an NYU student:

"I am unequivocally the most unflaggingly hard worker I know, and I love self-improvement. I have always felt that my time should be spent wisely, so I continuously challenge myself ... I decided to redouble my effort by placing out of two classes, taking two honors classes, and holding two part-time jobs. That semester I achieved a 3.93, and in the same time I managed to bench double my bodyweight and do 35 pull-ups."

Modest, aren't we? The truth of the matter, as the article points out, that this cover letter did exactly what a cover letter is supposed to do: get you noticed out of the large pile of applicants and make sure people talk about your resume. This one, though, may be for the wrong reasons. Even in investment banking which values those with self-confidence and brashness, this even seems like it may be over-the-top. We wish this applicant the best, but know that it might not have been the best route to finding a finance job this summer.

Astronology - Top Seven Warning Signs of Poor Organization Design

Astronology Volume XII Issue 22 February 7, 2012 Dear Andrew, Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.   The Astron Road Show There's one stop on the Astron Road Show this week.  On Wednesday and Thursday, February 8th and 9th, the Astron team will be in Dallas at the Premier Continuum of Care / Sponsors of Affiliates Vendor Fair.  Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about how Astron Solutions can help them achieve their HR goals, while enjoying an Elvis-themed event.  If you'll be attending, please be sure to stop by and see Michael Maciekowich, Brendan Williams, and Jennifer Loftus - appearing as Elvis!....more    Top Seven Warning Signs of Poor Organization Design Today's Astronology article comes to us courtesy of Tim McConnell, a Managing Partner with McConnell HRC Inc.   To learn more about McConnell HRC Inc., please visit www.McConnellHRC-NY.com.  You can also contact Tim at Tim@McConnellHRC.com.   Do these symptoms exist in your office?  Let's examine the case of ABC Agency, whose name has been protected for purposes of this article.....more      Have a Question? If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology. Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.   The Fine Print We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time. To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2012, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 Quick Links Client List Meet the Astron Team Contact Us   World of HR Blog Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions. More

 

Finally Time to Stop the To-Do Lists

When I was in school, I was pretty disorganized and everyone who tried to "help" always suggested making to-do lists. I couldn't deal with them and never got fully through an entire one. They just weren't for me. Well, as the Harvard Business Review recently wrote, they don't rely work for anyone. Instead the blog post suggests a different route:

The alternative to the feckless to-do list is what I call "living in your calendar." That means taking your tasks off the to-do list, estimating how much time each of them will consume, and transferring them to your calendar. (Don't forget to leave time to process your email. And leave some empty space — one to two hours — each day to deal with the inevitable crises that will crop up.) In essence, you're making a production plan for your work.

As the blog post goes on to say, it's an eye-opening exercise that will be tough, but it's a necessary exercise to help you better determine what's important--and, almost as vital--what can be left out of your life. There are only 24 hours in the day, so stop spending hours doing to-do lists and start using that time to be more productive