The 5th Grade Test You Failed, and Why It Means Your Cover Letters Aren’t Getting Read
In 5th grade I failed a test. It was an easy test – very easy. In fact, I was the only one in the entire class to fail it. Somehow, I worked on that test for 45 minutes and still managed to fail, even though the rest of the class finished in 2 minutes. The reason I failed that test is the same reason that many cover letters never get read. Let me explain.
The first line of the test was, “Directions: Read every question of the test before proceeding.” Did I follow the directions and read every question before proceeding? Of course not….directions are for suckers. However, turns out my teacher was up to something. The second to last question of the test was “When you read this question, raise your hand and I’ll collect your test. If it’s before 9:45 am, then you’ve passed the test.” Holy smokes! I was duped by my teacher. I thought I was being an overachiever (and a rebel) by skipping the directions and jumping into the test, but I was really just failing a 5th grade test.
How does this apply to cover letters and applications? Read the directions! I used to work for a company that had specific instructions of “Don’t attach a resume.” Truthfully, if anyone attached a resume then we instantly deleted their email. Even if the email itself was brilliant, we would never call them back. Someone that can’t follow the most basic instruction of “Don’t attach a resume” is likely someone that won’t work out. If a company asks a question like, “Tell us about a time you went above and beyond” then tell them about a time you went above and beyond. Don’t talk about whatever the heck you want instead. Follow the instructions or you just might fail your job search. Which, is much worse than failing a 5th grade test.