🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Is something wrong with my proposal/cover let...
Page options
benhp
Community Member

Is something wrong with my proposal/cover letter?

So I've submitted quite a few proposals (16 to be exact) and all I've heard so far is the sound of crickets.  Yes I'm new to the industry but I'm making sure to apply with entry level and not overbid on my hourly rates.  If anyone could give me some feedback on this cover letter, I'd greatly appreciate it:

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

Graciously accept this application from a highly skilled and capable applicant who wishes to fill the opportunity you have with (company name) to complete (type of job offer).

 

I'm a native born, English-speaking American that tells every story with down to earth clarity and wit. As I begin the journey of developing my writing into a career, I'm confident I'd be a perfect fit to fulfill all the attributes you're seeking for this particular position. I've been an avid writer my entire life and obtaining my associates of arts while I was at Arizona State University helped hone my grammar and speech. Being a member of the Chicago Writers Association and Independent Writers of Chicago provides me important insight from seasoned veterans of the trade who reaffirm that my style is polished.

 

I am a determined, hardworking and disciplined freelancer who is able to write intelligent, exciting copy about a wide range of subjects. I have an elite understanding of Microsoft Office 365. I know that my journalistic curiosity aids in analyzing complex issues and would help to generate ideas for new content and would be sufficient in completing whatever task you lay before me. I'm able to independently complete any desired deadlines and assignments, regardless of whatever obstacles I might run into. I have exceptional writing skills, a graphic eye and an exceptional attention to detail.

 

Right now, I would like to team up with (company name) where I will have the opportunity to add to my portfolio which will be invaluable to the future of my career but more importantly deliver a valuable product to you. If this brief account of my competencies intrigues you enough to invite me for an interview and/or further discussion, then feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. 

13 REPLIES 13
martina_plaschka
Community Member

You are a writer, so know your audience. You want to grasp attention, not turn off with flowerful antiquated language.

Same goes for your profile. No structure. 

Be concise. 

To whom it may concern is the worst way to start a cover letter. 

Made my point. 

Now you. 

Martina,

 

I really appreciate your insight.  This is the type of constructive criticism I need to hear so that I can develop into the writer I know I have the potential to be.

Hi again, Benjamin. I agree on the language. (Actually, ironically, my first thought was "Is English not this person's native language?" That's not a slight on either you or on non-native English speakers, it's just something that jumped out at me.)

 

Make your proposal about what you can do for the client. 🙂 Make it very very specific to the actual project. Don't go on and on, but do mention at least one specific aspect of the actual project, or it reads like a form letter.

 

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I'm serial-posting largely because I'm avoiding some work that I'm not comfortable with, LOL. (Non-Upwork, don't worry.)

 

Anyway...I also wanted to mention that you should be very very selective about submitting proposals. You only get so many connects in a month and I've heard some people here say they were ejected from the platform as a bad fit due to sending numerous proposals but not landing any gigs. Can't remember the exact language used.

 

I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just saying, Upwork pares down freelancers once in a while, as far as I know (somebody correct me). Be careful not to just keep throwing out proposals at any and every job hoping it's a numbers game. It is, but only up to a point. Then you could be gone. Make sure you're an absolute slam-dunk every single time for every single project you apply to.

 

 

Hey Melanie,


Thanks for the full disclosure lol.  I appreciate your insight.  I agree with you that I shouldn't just be submitting to any gig and it's definitely not something that I'm doing.  I'm going to take all the valuable feedback I've been given and basically do a lot of rewriting.

 

Thanks again for the valuable and timely feedback

jmlaidlaw
Community Member

UGH!

 

It's a wall of clichéd, flowery, repetitive text that is all about you. It is only incidentally about the client; the client is secondary to your own brilliance, eliteness, and career advancement.

 

Example: "As I begin the journey of developing my writing into a career..."  To be painfully blunt: It's wordy, it's boring, and it's not about the client. (And, from a stylistic point of view: too many -ing words.)

 

Also, you make a number of annoying small mistakes ("American that" should be "American who" ... hyphenate "down-to-earth" ...it's "Associate of Arts," not "associateS of arts" ...one doesn't "fulfill" an "attribute" nor "complete" a "deadline"... etc., etc., etc.) You repeat many words within close proximity as you write.

benhp
Community Member

Hi Janean,

 

Thanks for your quick response.  I feel stuck in how to approach the cover letter since I don't have any experience that I would usually include if I were doing a cover letter from the fields I use to work in.  The gist that I'm getting from a lot of feedback is to keep things short and sweet.

 

I've read several articles that talk about the use of hyphens.  I agree that "down to earth" should be hyphenated but then I found several recent articles that talk about how the use of hyphens in certain instances is fading out.

 

This is all a learning experience.  I think I developed tunnel-vision with my cover letter and because of that missed a lot of the stupid mistakes that you pointed out.

 

If you have any advice on the best way to approach my cover letter, having no experience, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond

jmlaidlaw
Community Member

Hi, Benjamin:

 

(1) Shorten the cover letter to one-two paragraphs.

(2) Tell the client what you can do for him/her.

(3) Be specific for each individual prospective client.

(4) Have a good proofreader/copyeditor help you.

 

I just read your profile: That is also an unbroken wall of text. Needs work.

 

Thanks for taking my very blunt comments without rancor!

benhp
Community Member

Hey Janean,

 

Thanks for the great suggestions.  As I was saying in some of the other replies, I have a lot of rewriting to do. 

 

My first mistake, other than the ones you mentioned, was not getting a second pair of eyes to look at my profile and my cover letter.  I think I just develop tunnel vision because I know the first obstacle to learning anything is thinking you already know everything.  That mentality was basically my reasoning for not taking the time to get someone to proofread for me.

 

I embrace constructive criticism and I love people that are blunt.  It get's rid of the sugar-coated BS but that's JMO.  I have pretty thick skin and honestly my initial reaction wasn't very pleasant but then my ability to be objective set in and realized I had extremely valuable feedback coming from a highly experience individual.


Thank you again for all of your input and I look forward to any communication with you in the future

 

versailles
Community Member


Benjamin P wrote:

I think I just develop tunnel vision because I know the first obstacle to learning anything is thinking you already know everything. 

 


Spot on and knowing it gives you an advantage over the crowd of those who think they have nothing to learn 🙂

 

Tunnel vision, raise your hands who never got caught into that kind of mental processes. 🙂

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
versailles
Community Member

Benjamin, form your overview profile I think your writing style sounds unnatural because you're overdoing it and it shows. As someone already mentioned, it lacks of structure. And formatting too. Mexico won't pay for your wall of text.

 

Structure your overview, shorten it and stop talking about yourself. Add portfolio samples of your writings instead.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
benhp
Community Member

Hi Rene,

 

Thanks for the feedback and the laughter from your "Mexico wont pay for your wall of text" comment.  As I've stated in several other replies, I have a lot of rewriting to do.  I appreciate some of your suggestions.  The gist I've gotten from a lot of feedback is keep it short and sweet. When it comes to my portfolio, I don't have anthing that I can put in there that has been published which is why I'm going to start a blog.  

versailles
Community Member


Benjamin P wrote:

I'm going to start a blog.  


Great idea and also you can write things just so you can add them into your portfolio. Be your own client and give yourself specific writing tasks, then publish them.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths