Some Job Hunting & Interviewing Tips

[MattFancy]

I was just going to suggest tying in some keywords from the job description into the LOI. Most companies just scan for keywords and if they come up, they'll continue reading.

[LadySkinsFan]

Oh yeah, one more thing, I'm at 2517 characters, it's a 2500 character max for this. That's just a guideline right? I don't want to cut it down.

Don't go over the max guidelines. In govt. proposals, if there is a page count and you go over, they just take out the pages that are over and you might have an important requirement that needs to be addressed and it gets yanked and you get downgraded. This is also a way for them to see if you can follow directions.

Go back over and look at any sentences that may be too long and see if you can write it with the same meaning but shorter. Look at vocabulary words that you can substitute a word in the place of several but make sure you use it correctly. Also, if you are putting 2 spaces between sentences, reduce it to 1 space after the period. Many style guides for online writing are going to this method. You can save a bunch of characters this way. Remember, one thought per sentence, one subject per paragraph. Be clear and concise! Who, What, When, Where, Why and How also, if you can answer those questions you will convey your message.

And most of all, good luck!!!

And what Matt said!! Good point, Matt!

[renaissance]

Yeah, unfortunately most of my classroom experience in econ has been straight lecture, one thing that you have helped me to do is to highlight my ongoing SAS experience, which I'm doing this semester. That's a requirement I've seen for econ jobs which require a master's degree. So for me, as an undergrad, that would be something to go in further detail about.

Once again, thanks guys! Put down another reason why I love this community.

Oh yeah, one more thing, I'm at 2517 characters, it's a 2500 character max for this. That's just a guideline right? I don't want to cut it down.

Understandable. I went through a similar exercise to obtain my GAO internship a couple years ago. You should definitely write about SAS and other hard skills you've learned through coursework. I also wrote about courses I would be taking in the spring (I was applying in the fall for a summer internship), which I guess isn't relevant for you now if the internship would be this summer. If I could find my final letter I'd send it to you. I will see if I can find it when I get home.