mc~evans:


It's the Opposite of brick.

Damn Nigerians and their bad mouth oo

naijacutee: I find it interesting that it is the blocked part that interests our people, and nothing else.

Its so unfortunate. smh

For goodness sake peepz the BLOCKED are personal info of the writer n the reciever of the letter.

e-talker:
And WTF is BLOCK?

its not for your consumption, dont u get it? indeed some folks have block heads just as the blocked details above!

People write sincere letters like this all the time.
All the covers letters i have written in my life this sincere.
No inflatory remarks of any kind.
As much as there's so much favoritism and influence is involved in Nigerian employment today,some organisations won't take anything less than qualified/sincerity in all respects influence or not.
So yes,this kind of letter can work if it fits the profile of what the employer wants

Mavor: Wont work in Nigeria. Cos this is not a sane country. Everything here is about connections or unrealistic expectations. Most companies expect you to have all the certifications in the world and then when you come, they transfer all the work to you with no initial training and pay you peanuts. Besides most of the mega-companies are looking for people with 7-10 years of experience which is just plain silly.

God bless u.Most of these jobs can be done by a secondary school student.Very annoying

Afam4eva: What's the writer's reason for blocking those very salient details?

Not like the typical Nigerian CV which MUST HAVE so many personal details even when you are just still applying

Sincerity works anytime...Never liked those big books telling you how to/how not to write cover letter

BE811APP: can cover letter help someone in 9ja??

Yup, if it gets to the right hands

In my former company, the biggest indigenous player in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, one Nigerian from abroad sent a similar, sent similar daring email to the Group CEO. She must have researched our CEO's email address, probably contacting someone internally.

The Group CEO was amazed at the courage of the lady and replied her, copying all group staff, so we can learn:

Let me paraphrase the email (not verbatim pls):

This is not a scam sir. Please try to read in full. I am a Nigerian in United states, in my early thirties. I have ABC qualifications and worked briefly for XYZ in the United States. I am considering coming back home to Nigeria, and your organizations, which exploits in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria I have been following from here, comes to my mind.

Give me the job and I can assure you I will perform. blabla

Our Group CEO then replied, blindcopying all staff (not verbatim again):

Thank you for your interest in our organization. I would pass this to our HR and see if there is any opening that fits your profile.



I also did a similar thing when in 2006, just few days after I finished university. I researched teh email system at Accenture. firstname.surname@accenture.com. From newspaper readings I knew the name of their Country MD then (Omobola Johnson, now Minister for ICT). I generated th email address and sent my CV to her, boldly telling her what I can do. She replied, saying she had passed my CV to their HR. Their HR called me few days later for test, but because I hadn't collected my statement of results from my school, I couldn't attend the test. I got same invitation twice later and didn't show up too - one because I was already in an investment banking outfit and didnt have time to attend and the second time, I was far away in Sokoto state, doing my NYSC.


Personally, I have never been afraid to send emails to powerful people, the CEOs, after all, the worst is to ignore. Only couple of weeks ago I sent an email to CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria to wade into an issue involving me (service-related, not job related o) his lower staff were taking for granted, and I got results immediately.

e-talker:
And WTF is BLOCK?

mc~evans:


It's the Opposite of brick.

this response deserve an Award

Xunxhine: Its a cover and not a letter. Gettin job isn't pity, its what you can offer. When i become CEO, i won't employ that kinda person, cus of too many excuses.

Sorry, with this attitude of yours, you may neva become one and even if u do, objective people like this wont bother working for you
Ogb0n0

phlamy: Wall Street Bosses Are Calling This 'The Best Cover Letter Ever' - But Not Everyone Agrees - Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/crossingbord...
Shocker. It seems that ‘humble’ could actually work on Wall Street. Well, at least for the brutally honest and hilariously self-deprecating young student, whose cover letter publicized on Business Insider, has generated a ton of positive interest amongst investment banking bosses. Perhaps unsurprisi…

DEAR MR BLOCK

i find myself in the exact position of where the writer hope to find himself/herself
Now as an associate of engineers, surveyors, town planners, geology....NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. it is by the grace of God i find myself here - NO CONNECTION FELLAS
It all depends on ur physical presentation and humility.
Now i think and reason with these professionals i am working with. while am awaiting the end of my degree programme, i hoping to get some cash to purpchase ICAN form. if all things being equal by June i should be through

This had nothing to do with “confidence”. He was begging….which is about the furthest thing from “confidence”. In essence, have pity on me and I will be your slave. I really don’t care that he’s begging, nor do I consider it a unique “outside the box” letter, but just don’t lie about what he’s doing.

However, I do detect a certain underlining arrogance in the letter. For example, he writes “will work for next to nothing” when the majority of internships pay nothing. And the “whatever that is worth” part sounded rather insincere…was he just talking about the class or both the class and the Merrill Lynch internship?

It looks like he tried the humble route but his ego wouldn’t let him totally commit to it. For me, there is no reason for the fuss about this cover letter

A cover letter that includes the word crap? I don't care in what context its used, that for me is a no no.

..I'm not surprised some of my Nigerian people didnt understand why some informations were BLOCKED in the cover letter! NO! not surprised!

..if Wall Street Bosses that have interviewed and reviewed many cover letters from professionals and other interns are calling this the best cover letter ever, who then are you mere Nigerian employees with corruption in your blood stream to dissect and analyse this letter? See them saying the writer has pride, and that he is begging...abeg, make una carry 'shiar'siddon dey learn. Thats why Nigeria remains the way it is, cos we refuse to learn...This is a simple, honest cover letter from a prospective intern, who knows what he wants and goes about achieving it...I'm sure he eventually got the internship with the "blocked" firm...

WO, my advice to future interns, you had better use this as a template...it definitely will work everywhere in the world and Nigeria is no exception!

mc~evans:


It's the Opposite of brick.

....I DIED!
[img]http://gifsoup.com/imager.php?id=352682&t=o[/img]

sunnshyn: ..I'm not surprised some of my Nigerian people didnt understand why some informations were BLOCKED in the cover letter! NO! not surprised!

..if Wall Street Bosses that have interviewed and reviewed many cover letters from professionals and other interns are calling this the best cover letter ever, who then are you mere Nigerian employees with corruption in your blood stream to dissect and analyse this letter? See them saying the writer has pride, and that he is begging...abeg, make una carry 'shiar'siddon dey learn. Thats why Nigeria remains the way it is, cos we refuse to learn...This is a simple, honest cover letter from a prospective intern, who knows what he wants and goes about achieving it...I'm sure he eventually got the internship with the "blocked" firm...

WO, my advice to future interns, you had better use this as a template...it definitely will work everywhere in the world and Nigeria is no exception!

I am extremely sure they understood



They were just joking jare,

@all
While i understand the audacity of the letter,
In real context the guy still had something to present on his CV,

Try being sincere, and tell them you had a 3rd class, you have no experience whatsoever,
they will reply you and ask you 'what have you been doing with your time?'

I believe the key is to Present whatever qualification you have in the most sincere manner you can.

In Nigeria, no senator wants a thief for a driver, but most of them are what?

I leave the answer to your imagination.

The letter is well written, and he has a near perfect GPA, he has interned in one or two places
For the position of an intern, i dare say he has enough qualification.

BE811APP: can cover letter help someone in 9ja??

Good question.

mc~evans:


It's the Opposite of brick.

Lovely answer

This will get you a job in the states and especially in Canada...but this will get you a slap in Nigeria...They ll tell you its too unofficial, unserious, blunt, weak, uninformed, etc...Some Nigerian CEOs are so dull

all-out:
A cover letter that includes the word crap? I don't care in what context its used, that for me is a no no.

this is btw two adults. think outside the box buddy, unconventional ppl become leaders while conventional ppl become mere managers.

One thing I know for sure is that there is no perfect Cover letter. Your cover letter is good as long at it serves its purpose and deliever good results (Job interview) for you. Your CL will deliver for you as long as it is well written and also depends a lot on the mood of the person reading it.

Nairalanders!!! abeg do not start copying this because it is believed to be the best in the world oooo!!!!!! You are on your own!!!!

Xunxhine: Its a cover and not a letter. Gettin job isn't pity, its what you can offer. When i become CEO, i won't employ that kinda person, cus of too many excuses.

well, till you become ceo. STFU