The Cover Letter
Dear Editor,
In regards to your editorial assistant position, I seek your consideration. You’ll see from my resume that I have no publishing experience whatsoever. All I can tell you is this: I’m an intelligent thirty one year old adult who will work hard for you and gladly accept your offer of a small salary, despite the exorbitant living costs New York City requires to have an ounce of fun. I know any straight out of college Ivy League English graduate feels the same way, but consider me instead. Despite state school theatre degree from almost ten years ago, I’m not so different from those spoiled millenials. I'm chock full of privilege not because my family comes from money, but because my live in boyfriend makes enough money working in tech to pay rent for a shitty basement apartment in Union Square. Yes, I’m letting a man pay for my living expenses. My feminist sensibilities can't fault a man for pursuing a practical and desired skill.
Do you read the hundreds of cover letters you most likely receive for one posted position? Do you already have an assigned assistant who does that job for you? Should I be addressing this letter to you, whoever you are, or is there someone else in your office who wouldn't mind receiving a letter once in a while? Not that this is your area of expertise, but why is turnover so high for pretty much all jobs in New York City? As a person in power, you must have some insight. Having mostly worked in the service industry to make actual money, I know that dealing with the crazy that New York creates is one reason employees can’t handle serving or bartending. Is that the case in every job in New York? Does the publishing industry also harden and embitter bookish introverts or young adult writers with a penchant for grammatical error?
Read my resume, that’s my experience. If you want to know more, call me up. You got my number. On a personal level, I’m a South Dakotan native who feels more comfortable in the city. Cites hardly exist where I’m from, along with diversity. It’s taken me ten years of working in jobs I hate after going to school for a degree with the type of people I hate to understand what I actually want to do. I don’t really want to work. I'm sure you empathize. I do need better insurance than the shit care the government provides me, however. Also, I like buying things and prefer eating in restaurants since New York apartments can't seem to provide a decent kitchen or conveniently located grocery stores that don't smell like mold.
Sincerely yours,
Kelsey Strong
