Before attending the Rose Seminar on cover letters, they had still been somewhat of a mystery to me. Yes, I know what a cover letter is, and yes, I understand the purpose, but I did not know how to craft one that would ensure that I would have the greatest chance of getting a job I apply to. In the seminar, we discussed an analogy, comparing writing a cover letter to speed dating. You need to present everything that is relevant to the job, or in the case of speed dating, say the most important things that would make you compatible with a potential date. Knowing that everything must be concise, to the point, and tailored to showcase skills and compatibility with the job is the key to a great cover letter. One thing that I really took away from this seminar was the point that one doesn’t need to be a perfect match for a job to apply. It’s all about marketing the skills you do have and framing them in a positive way to present to an employer. I think this was the best advice taken from this seminar, as it can be a common pitfall to fall into during a job hunt that no job seems to a perfect fit for anyone’s given interests, skills and experience, and then not apply. This seminar showed me that if there is a job that interests you, there is something on your resume that you have done that can be tailored and can be shown in a cover letter to an employer, regardless of whether you match every single qualification on the job description.