Reality Check

Here's a job description for a position I've just applied for at OSU, plus my cover letter. I think it sounds pretty good, but I'd appreciate any feedback y'all would care to share with me. Thanks!

-E

Direct from the HR posting: "Provides administrative support for regional advancement program; maintains calendars; assists with developing and producing various written correspondence and documents; prepares and monitors budget; makes travel arrangements; processes fiscal and human resources forms; answers phones; maintains filing system and databases; provides excellent customer service to inquiries from staff, donors, university administrators and other constituents, maintaining a high level of confidentiality and performs other duties as assigned."

Dear Ms. XXX,

Thank you for considering me for the position of Office Associate with the Ohio State University Foundation.  You will find that my professional experience, work ethic and personal values make me a good fit for the position.

By always seeking to provide the highest quality work, I have successfully held positions with progressively increasing responsibility levels and a wide range of tasks.  My commitment to learning new skills and pushing my own boundaries in order to get the job done has enabled me to develop skills in communications, document design, logistics and schedule management.  I have demonstrated expertise in customer service, calendaring, writing, budget tracking and executive support.  In addition, I have successfully worked under conditions requiring frequent juggling of competing deadlines and shifting priorities, as well as handling sensitive and confidential information.

Because of my focus on small business, non-profit, and University offices, I have wide-ranging experience with all office functions.  I’ve done everything from working the reception desk to making budget and long-range planning judgments to creating complex reports and manuals.  I can set up efficient filing systems, create effective print materials and presentations, plan meetings and events, proofread dissertations, maintain websites, work out scheduling challenges, resolve equipment problems and manage databases.  My ability to see beyond emergent challenges and to envision creative long-term solutions has made me an invaluable resource to past employers.

For four years, I managed operations in a busy church in downtown Seattle.  I served as the communications liaison and public face for the parish, coordinated all events and activities on the church campus, created countless documents for internal and external use, arranged travel for clergy, managed several budget line-items and handled all purchasing for the office and facilities.  As an active participant in all stewardship campaigns at the church, I proofread and edited letters, tracked pledges and gifts, and generated thank-you notes using the mail merge functions of both Word and a church-specific database.

I am able to learn new tasks with minimal training and have excellent interpersonal skills.  I have experience working with a diverse array of personalities and ages, and truly enjoy interacting with people of different backgrounds.  My observation has been that individual differences make the team stronger and mutual respect allows people with varying points of view to work together productively.

I hope that you will agree that my qualifications and skills would make me a valuable addition to your team.  If you would like to contact me, please call 614-XXX-XXXX or email XXXXX@msn.com.

Sincerely,

Emily Marlor