It can be difficult to make the transition from college to the working world. For one thing, unless you go into teaching, no more summers off, no more spring break, no more month off for the December holidays. I admit, it takes a little getting used to. O.K., it can take a lot of getting used to. The other thing that takes some getting used to is changing your speech patterns, vocabulary and familiarity with people whom you do not know.
While most recruiters and hiring managers understand that this transition is difficult - we've all been there - you are going to need to make a concerted effort to practice formality. Your resume and cover letter must be crisp and precise. You need to communicate clearly and succinctly in your cover letter what you can do for the company. We know that you may not have a lot of experience and that is o.k. (if you are applying for entry level positions, which you probably should be doing).
When writing your cover letter, keep in mind, you are not writing to a friend. You are writing to a person who is a professional, who is accustomed to working with other professionals who do not say, "like" before every sentence, who do not call people "dude" and who do not wander the halls chewing gum. You are writing to someone who is very busy and who really doesn't have time for you, so make that person take notice! Tell that person in as few words as possible (while still writing a complete sentence, of course) why you think you are the right candidate for the job. Do not talk about your summer vacation or the fact that you ran out of money or are in a dead-end job and want something that pays better. I got that letter today. I laughed and kicked the person out of the running. I didn't even look at the resume.
By the way, most companies maintain huge databases of resumes and cover letters - you really do only get one shot at a first impression so don't blow it. Be professional.
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