In case you missed it, we’re hiring and we started getting emails from people who want to work with us. And it is because of these emails I’m writing this post, we need to talk about job applications.
So far, most of the applications were bad. Really bad. REALLY. BAD. We wrote the best job ad we could and the vast majority of job applicants didn’t even read it. It’s shorter than a page, all the instructions are clearly stated and, still, we got a ton of emails containing questions that were already answered on the post. The minority that read the post and sent a concise email will be getting a reply, and we’re interviewing them soon.
“CV attached” is not exactly what we’re expecting. Your cover letter might be your only shot at making a good impression, so it has to be more than that. We’re looking for outstanding people, not outstanding resumes. It is important for us to know what you’ve done, but more important is to know what you want to do at Startaê. Your resume will get you not-rejected, but your cover letter will get you to the interview.
A great cover letter is the one we feel it was written for us. We want to see ourselves in your email. You need to show that you paid attention to us at all: you researched the company, you like our products for whatever reason and you know what we’re up to. Your cover letter will be read by one of your possible teammates, not only your skills are being considered, but also your personality.
Watch out for spelling mistakes (we’re looking for a detail driven person), if you’re attaching a CV, a PDF file or a link for an online CV is recommended (a doc, odt or whatever document kicks you down a few levels), be careful with naming it too (‘template-cv’ or ‘updated-cv’ is not very intuitive, it makes it harder for us to find your cv in a “pile” of cvs).
More than employees, we’re looking for friends. We want to grab beers, coffee, wine, or whatever and talk about how we see the world and how we, together, will change it for the better. Your email needs to show that you’re the person we’re looking for, and you connect with us in some way.
Remember this post the next time you’re applying for a job. Show you care and we will get back to you. We want to hire you.
