A Cover Letter from a New York University - Essay Example

Going Against the Grain: Taking Risks My chosen text engendering creative risk-taking is a cover letter from a New York University (NYU) student named Mark. The letter, which is addressed to J. P. Morgan, is a boastful description of the writer’s experience, educational background, technical capabilities, and intelligence. The cover letter has a marked tinge of risk-taking as the writer constantly reflects upon his capabilities in a glorifying way. Instead of keeping the cover letter precise and professional, the writer embarks upon an attempt to ironically brag about his qualities while mentioning that he is not a “braggart” towards the end (Chen, n.pag.). The reason why I mention that the writer has taken risk is because the letter does not follow the norms. Instead of professionally listing down his skills and abilities, the writer goes on to boast about himself in a way that can be perceived as arrogant. The text represents a form of creative risk-taking because of the fact that it is different than what would be expected of a candidate writing to an employer for a prospective position. It is possible that such an unprofessional cover letter is turned away thereby increasing the chances of the candidate being turned away in the earliest stages of recruitment. Hence, the writer has shown an unusual bravery to defy the norms and go on with an unconventionality that could hurt his prospects of getting the job he applied for. Nevertheless, the cover letter is a good example of a risky piece of writing. The letter starts with an introduction by the candidate saying that he is a student from New York University (NYU) followed by his educational focus. The writer mentions that he is majoring in three disciplines including diverse subjects like economics, mathematics, and computer science. Then the writer begins by mentioning his qualities and attributes such as punctual, personable, and shrewd after which he goes on to say that he is proud of himself possessing a quality such as hard work. The presence of the word “pride” conjures up an image of an arrogant and self-obsessed individual who has so shamelessly mentioned his supposedly remarkable quality in a way that others might not possess. This comes off as too confident in a way that reflects a negative aspect of the candidate. This is also true for risky writings because their detachment from normality often generates negative responses which are also a likely consequence in this case. The writer then goes on to say how hard working he is. Another notable element about the way this is worded is the frequent use of adjectives such as “unequivocally” and “unflaggingly” implying a definite clarity (Chen, n.pag.). Also, phrases starting with “I love…” came off as unprofessional because it is too informal (Chen, n.pag.). Then the writer mentions his intelligible skills by explaining how he placed out of two classes, enrolled in two honor courses, maintained two part-time jobs, and yet managed to maintain a very high GPA. The language used suggests an arrogant attitude with frequent use of adjectives making the candidate sound too inauthentic. Although listing achievements is a normal part of writing a successful cover letter, the writer goes too overboard in glorifying his achievements engendering a sense of pride and conceit. Ironically, the writer mentions that he is not conceited towards the end. The cover letter often mentions clichéd statements that seem unoriginal and reduce the effectiveness of the cover letter. Although the candidate seems clearly proficient in many of the computer languages and very technologically inclined, the use of long and grandiose statements reduce the appeal of his skills. The writer mentions how he is a quick learner and has placed out of many courses due to his ability to pick up skills quickly. It is particularly self-promotional when the writer details his past experience as an intern and as a research assistant. The writer explains how his past employer thought of him highly which is why he was upgraded as an intern. Then follow several statements and claims that are backed rather poorly. Clichés are often used to emphasize facts, which is an unconventional attempt at getting your point across. Although the last line and the sign off is conventional, the body of the cover letter is immensely dramatic and lacks the substance that is required for a successful cover letter that stimulates a positive action in favor of the candidate. The cover letter can appropriately be described as a clumsy attempt at highlighting one’s achievements and characteristics. This is what adds risk to the text as it involves an unconventional approach at describing one’s abilities and skills. It can often be noticed that the candidate tries to be verbose and pompous about his own capabilities in a way that may not be appropriate of a candidate seeking an employment. Adjectives used are overly descriptive and terms such as “terrifying efficiency” also do not help in establishing credibility (Chen, n.pag.). A large part of the risky nature of the text comes from its unusual approach at executing the cover letter. The cover letter mainly glorifies the skills and capabilities of the candidate. This would not normally be expected of a student because it lacks professionalism. Professionalism is a norm in the corporate world and deviating from it seen as unconventional and different which is likely to be viewed as unusual. Because there was a great element of deviation from normality, the cover letter immediately aroused feelings of surprise because it was not expected to be written in such a grandiloquent manner. The whole cover letter engenders a curiously developed and created text that sounds a bit too arrogant in terms of self-promotion. While self-promotion is not always negative, executing it clumsily results in a fiasco. For many people, anything away from normal is wrong and this is why society functions to create certain norms to which people comply. Anything that deviates from normality is usually met with a dismissive response. Here the writer has created a very risky text because of the inclusion of a format and writing style that has approached the cover letter with a great sense of oneself. However it is worth noting that the salutation and closing along with the sign-off is quite usual and legitimate. It is the body paragraphs that create the most curious responses. In any cover letter, the aim of an individual is to come off as professional, educated, and informed by highlighting one’s achievements and honors. The writer has done a wonderful job at highlighting his abilities by giving relevant examples from his GPA, work history, and ability to handle pressure. The writer has actually tried to create sense of the things being claimed by providing evidence however in verbose manner. Apart from being wordy, the use of grammar and adjectives has put a rather dramatic ring to the cover letter. Although the text is too risky to ask for potential employment from an employer, the cover letter has adopted a different way of approaching a prospective job. The use of adjectives adds an interesting touch to the body paragraphs and can also be considered interestingly amusing by employers to gain their attention. Others, however, may also dismiss it as poor execution and may not take it seriously. The cover letter is now famous in the Wall Street which confirms the bizarrely interesting quality of the cover letter that managed to get the attention of the employers because of its laughingly amusing quality. Therefore, the creative and risky text has retained its distinct quality due to its different approach at the problem. Works Cited Chen, Adrian. The Awful Cover Letter All Of Wall Street Is Laughing About. Gawker. N.p., 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. Read More