Do people mail resumes and cover letters anymore?

God NO. Nobody does this ever now. Is this a serious post OP?

Don't mail it unless the job posting says to mail it. Many people in offices don't check their mail for weeks because they get so little.

I feel like these elder people are just posting this for shits and giggles.

How old are you OP?

Yes you're probably right R3.

This is a serious post. I was looking at the websites of places I'd like to work, but there weren't any listings I'd be interested in, but I feel like they would find a place for me with my qualifications. I'm 50 btw.

Horseshit R6. You're trolling from your nursing home bed in your hospital gown, diapers and crocs.

R6 What profession are you in. And I take it you live in Iowa.

OP most recruiters don’t even read emailed/online resumes and cover letters any more - that’s why they ask for them in Word format. The documents get fed into a database tool that searches for some keywords and spits out the results. No human intervention.

No, r7. I'm an attorney and and was looking at the websites for my state's ACLU and Democratic Party and all they were advertising were senior positions or interns.

Have you heard of LinkedIn R10? You seek out the person you want to speak to and request to connect. Everybody hates LinkedIn but it's how things work these days. Make sure your profile is top notch.

If you're really smart you will be able to work out how to contact them via email from their name and the domain name of the organization they work for. i.e.; name.name@organization.com (also n.name@organization.com and namename@organization.com - use BCC so they can't see all the different emails).

They will respect that a lot more than a letter which they probably will never see and will demonstrate that you are "old school" and tech phobic.

Mail a resume in? That’s not how you do it, OP.

You have to show up in person in your best suit and drop it off personally at the business. That’s how you show them you’re a real go-getter with moxie. That’ll knock their socks off.

I wouldn't do that as the first line of attack.

I would consider it if you apply online and haven't heard anything in like a week or so - then send a personal letter to the HR rep and include another copy of your resume.

Showing up in cosplay always worked for me. For example OP you have to really up the ante. Law enforcement show up in full blown Swat gear. Health insurance show up as a high end nurse. Don’t back and never take no for an answer. Good luck OP.

[quote]Everybody hates LinkedIn but it's how things work these days.

Actually, the last few years, people have been leaving linkedin in droves. It's way too full of recruiters spamming people and everyone claiming they are a CEO of a company staff of one.

In my fathers day, when he was a young man, they didn't use resumes back then. Even for something like a white collar job as an engineer, you would just go to XYZ company and fill out an application in person.

R16 are you Gen X or a boomer. Over hundred million cunts later that’s why. We need another plague…

Dissenting opinion.

It depends what profession and the position. I think this paper letter would work in some very narrow situations and if the letter is a "cold letter" - not responding to an advertised position.

I will give examples.

Let's say you want to be the curator of English silver at the Victoria & Albert museum. And a friend of yours is good friends with the VP there, as they are in the same fancy homo crowd in the summer.

Let's say you want to work in Trusts & Estates at a private bank in Geneva or Zurich. And you once worked in private banking as a young man in New York or London, right after earning a very prestigious degree. And you are married to a well known VIP at the World Bank or the IMF, and have been a successful private art consultant for 20 years, with a great list of loaded clients.

In such contexts, you might even send a letter on paper, and NO cover letter. Naturally, hand written in fountain pen on good but not pretentious paper, an in impeccable French if possible, for Geneva.

You may think this is Duchess Meghan level of corny pretension but in Meghan's case it's only because she doesn't have the pedigree and background to pull it off, and she would do it publicly.

In short, there are still a few people who recognize and reward an elegant gesture with their personal attention. So this sort of thing still flies, in narrow contexts.

R18, in the first instance, you would ask your friend to call or email the VP. Depending on what he says, you might then follow up with a letter and CV, unless the VP specifically asks that you send your CV by email (as he might well do because he might prefer to save the CV as an electronic document). The point is that, once the personal contact is made, you do what your potential employer asks you to do.

A similar process would be followed for the banking job. Responsible positions in prestigious organizations are usually filled by word of mouth and personal connections.

If you actually get an interview, then your elegant gesture would be very nice as a thank-you letter afterwards. I do agree with the hand-written part. A letter with a hand-written address will draw more attention because they are so rare nowadays. Bear in mind that your future boss's secretary is one who will be opening it, not the man (or woman) himself. Also, bear in mind that sending such a letter will peg you as an eccentric, which might or might not be a good thing.

R19 all good observations. My point at R18 was just to give contexts in which paper might be possible.

And this is the best look for the day.