the brutally honest cover letter

So this is because i really just don't care anymore. Cover letters are (in my opinion) just a sales pitch of yourself. So after the different letters I have written, I typed a brutally honest one. Maybe it will make its way out. Maybe it won't. Landing a job in the corporate world is a crap shoot, might as well roll the dice. Enjoy.

(There may be grammar errors, it was typed on a phone.)

Dear Employer,

The most difficult thing for an individual is to attempt to explain as why they are an ideal candidate without being able to speak to a person. However, I wish to explain as to why I am the ideal candidate for the position of _____________.(that's where the potential job goes). 

Throughout my professional and my time as a community volunteer, I have exemplified the idea of hard work and dedication. I am an employee that goes above and beyond for the company and the mission at hand. I accept no excuses, I take the blame when I fail to perform, or the mission is not completed in a successful manner. I am a firm believer in high quality customer service and that it is the number one priority of the organization to put those we serve at the forefront of our attention. In the public safety world, we tend to forget that those we serve are our customers. These hardworking individuals work tirelessly to pay the taxes that afford us the opportunity of employment. As a society we have gone too far away from the idea that we are here to serve our customers, and it can been seen by those who subscribe to services that many take for granted. It has been my goal and mission to reincorporate high quality customer service while safely and efficiently striving towards success.

I am able to keep my head and quickly prioritize the important of factors in stressful situations. This is a skill that I was able to refine during many mass casualty and large scale emergency incidents. I have learned to make the best of the situation, and how to utilize the resources afforded to me in the best ways possible for the given assignment and budget. I am a firm believer in building not only a working relationship, but a personal friendship with my colleagues and clients. Furthermore, I believe that we are only as strong as our network of resources, and that we need to maintain a strong group of “go-to” people. As humans we can never see what the future holds, but we can stock an effective tool box of resources to get us through whatever challenge presents itself.

My education and experience has be second to none. I feel that we can never be too prepared or too knowledgeable in a subject. I am a very quick and independent learner. Once acclimated, I require very little instruction or attention. There is something new to be learned about the world around us daily, and I encorporate that into my routine. I was raised and instructed by some of the most brilliant individuals this country has to offer. I am regularly attending seminars and classes to keep up with the constantly changing emergency and safety industries.

I have a very strong work ethic that can often be mistaken as intimidating. I do not make excuses and I work tirelessly to complete the task, while still maintaining a strong team work ethic. I believe that we succeed and fail as a team, and that no single person is responsible to the outcome of a situation. We are all in this together. In my time as a Field training officer and as a youth athletic coach, I take the mentoring of new faces to be a serious matter. New employees are an investment and they should be handled as such. I feel that the first few weeks of a new employee’s time with an organization are vital to that person’s talents and longevity within the ranks. If they are given the sense that they are not welcomed from the start, they will surely leave or not perform to their full potential. 

I will admit that I have made my share of mistakes. I will also admit that I have put too much faith, as well as given too much of myself to an employer and was taken advantage of. This experience has taught me a great deal about the real world, yet has not discouraged my loyalty to my employer. Along with my strict work ethic, I believe that work should be an enjoyable time. I like to keep the mood light while still working. It has been proven that happy employees are more driven for success than those who are disgruntled, and I look to keep things positive in the workplace. It takes a team of strong individuals to achieve that success and I feel that I am an asset to any organization that will give me the chance to prove myself to them. Give me the opportunity to apply my knowledge, hard work, and dedication to the team ad let's achieve success together. Thank you and I hope to speak with you soon. 

Sincerely,

Joseph Biggy Jr.

Applying the term, "man for others"

So it has dawned on me that it has been nearly 3 months since my last post. I recently started a new position that has proven to be nothing but a kick in the balls. In an attempt to get out of the ems world that had me so beaten down, sadly this has not allowed me to bounce back from the debt racked up as a result of my injury. I am not living life, just barely keeping my head above the water. 

One of the things that I learned when broken, is that I need to be more human. I struggled with finding a new full time job. After falling short many times I took a job with a local city as a fire inspector. Starting In a new city with new faces and people that I did not know at all. Anxiety immediately set in whether I would be able to get by here. However I took this opportunity as a new challenge and I felt that by doing this, I can focus my energy on something that didn't bite me in the ass (yet). I have learned more in the last 2 months about this line of work, than I have in the 6 years previously working in this field. With more knowledge and understanding also comes frustration in seeing the issues that need to be corrected. Sadly as the low man on the totem pole, you have no say. You bite your tongue and you deal with it. 

This was a big adjustment for me. It is hard for me to stand by and watch things happen. You're the new guy, you don't have a say in these matters. I can say I slightly miss working in a place where someone one would maybe listen to a new idea or a suggestion. Even though your idea would be told "it won't work". Then be used by another superior after they made your life a living hell to the point that you leave the organization (not that I have ever seen this happen). Yes, I enjoyed working the streets. Yes, I enjoyed directly helping other people. Yes, I miss the residents of Jersey City. I miss the colleagues I had. I miss working with my old partner Gill and the conversations shared behind warehouses at 3am. I miss cheering up coworkers during the hard times. 

I truly miss my conversations with Pat, and our brainstorming sessions in making the organization someplace great. I miss us speaking about ideas we had, that would improve the organization and morale, Just to be shot down. 

So after doing a great amount of soul searching and reading the writing on the wall. I have just become more upset in seeing how employers and employees work together. I can proudly say that I have worked alongside some of the most brilliant and amazing people in the world. And they are amazing assets to an organization. Yet I've watched employers push them away rather than harness their talents. Mostly because these bosses never take the time to know their employees and the talent they bring to the organization. It's sad to see an operation take place, and not know what is in your arsenal. And that is a crying shame. One thing that I have always done is to not just meet a new contact or colleague, but to learn something about them personally. Believe it or not, people like being treated like people. It's nice to just sit down and have a normal conversation at work. 

A big thing for me in the last few months has been customer service. Customer service is what drives our organization. In the emergency and municipal field, we feel that we are servants in a very cut and dry world. Yet to the public, it is often perceived that we are just taking the taxpayers money and have turned into terrible people while we sit in the ivory tower. Most of the time, public notion is that we go out of our way to make things difficult. There is nothing more upsetting, than seeing the public lose trust in those who are there to keep them safe. Unfortunately, I have been witness to a large number of public employees who use the statement, "it's not my job" or "I don't get paid to do that". 

These statements slay me. The reason why is because IT IS YOUR JOB!!! If you don't want to serve the public, don't work in the public field. Work in a mine, tar roofs, dig a ditch. Do not sit and stare at a person as they have a question directed at you, and tell him it's not your job and walk away. If you don't know the answer, ask someone who may. Show an interest in their problem, even if you don't care. Make them feel that their problem, is now your problem. You have an obligation to not only help, but to be a human. It goes a long way. 

Which goes back to my point of being a human. I have taken pride in turning around the image of an organization by simply being polite, asking if someone is helping them. If not, listen to their issue completely (not half assed, completely). If you can't help them, attempt to point them in the right direction. If they were able to figure out their problem in the beginning, they wouldn't be asking for your help. Don't be a jerk about it. 

We all have bad days. It happens. But as a professional you need to be able to bury the issue down. The customer doesn't care that you have been working harder than your coworker, they appreciate your help. The customer doesn't care about what is on your plate. You need to adapt and overcome the situation. Suck it up buttercup. 

You as an employee owe it to yourself and the people you serve to go above and beyond for them. If we as a society cannot move past the ignorant mindset of it not being your job, or that your boss does not pay you enough to do the right thing, we will never be able to move forward as a society. It is never too much work, to do the right thing. 

*** This rant was due to me being upset with the actions of those around me, despite always attempting to do the human thing. Falling back on that instilled teaching of being a man for others. ***