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Critique my cover letter?
Hi ladies, I've been struggling to find work since May and am barely making ends meet with my 2 part time jobs. I'm a cook by trade, and have never had such a hard time finding a job! (I know, everyone says that. 
) I see so many job postings on CL but can't seem to get any interest. I recently tweaked my resume to be more skills-based rather than chronological, since my last cooking job was over 7 years ago. I was worried that the dates might scare people away.
So now I'm wondering if my cover letter template is a turn-off. Here's the basic:
Dear Manager,
Please accept my resume for the XXX position as posted on Craigslist.
I feel my outgoing personality, friendly demeanor, and organizational skills would be an asset to your XXX. I have extensive back-of-house restaurant experience, including line cooking, pantry, prep and banquet cooking. One of my positions from about 12 years ago was kitchen manager in a transitional living facility for schizophrenic adults. I was responsible for menu planning and ordering for 55 residents and staff, as well as preparing lunch and dinner. When I worked at Sand Point Country Club, I filled a variety of positions, based on that day's events. These would include pasta and omelet stations for buffets, pantry for fine dining nights, and working on the line (saute, grill) for bistro and casual nights.
My excellent customer service skills come from 6 years of running my own business, as well as several retail and retail management positions in the past. I'm a fast leaner and am highly adaptable to new situations.
Please find my resume attached, which outlines my customer service and restaurant experience. I hope my qualifications are of interest to you, and that an interview may be scheduled at your earliest convenience.
I will almost always add extra bits in there that pertain specifically to the job posting so it doesn't look like copy pasta.
Any thoughts? TIA!
~ Brittany
~ The Nestie formally known as MrsBrittany ~
Re: Critique my cover letter?
~ The Nestie formally known as MrsBrittany ~
Dear Manager [get a name if you can],
I am writing in response to the posting for the XXX position as seen on Craigslist (include a job # or CL # if there is one).
I have extensive restaurant experience, including line cooking, pantry, prep and banquet cooking. My experience includes a range of settings from a transitional living facility to a country club. I have several years of customer service experience from my business, as well as several retail and retail management positions. My qualifications in [list a couple of skills here] would be a great fit with your restaurant/organization.
I am enclosing my resume for your consideration. I can be reached at [phone] or [e-mail]. I look forward to discussing this position with you.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
This! You don't want the cover letter to be too long. It should be short (not too short) and to the point. You want to sell yourself with confidence without being arrogant. Include just 1 or 2 of your strongest attributes in detail, enough to grab attention without boring the person reading it. Good luck!
~ The Nestie formally known as MrsBrittany ~