Hey, this is a bit late to enquire but i figured i may as well give it a shot and learn for the future.
COVER LETTERS! whats the deal with those things? You gotta address it to somebody, yet nobody tells yah who its going to. Are these things even given to anybody? "Sir, we recieved another letter." "whos it for?" "doesnt say" "excellent, put it with the others" DA DA CH.
So yah, to put it plainly, who the heck do you address cover letters to? I am sure some places you can find a specific person or something but a lot of job postings do not give anybody.
Specifically I am applying for the Pixar summer internship and i have looked all over the website to no avail. I have to put SOMETHING up there to start off my first step into their building, but what?
Any general rules? good basic job description titles to address it to?
Thanks
"who wouldn't want to make stuff for me? I'm awesome." -Bloo
Address it to John Lasseter.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
Haha. Wonder what would of happened if I did.
Today i google mapped Pixar, got the phone number and called them. I asked the receptionist who i should address it to...she said they could not disclose any personal information and it would be fine to address it to:
"Recruiting Department"
so...i did, and am about to mail this off tonight. So i guess i answered my own question?
just call and ask?
"who wouldn't want to make stuff for me? I'm awesome." -Bloo
Yep, just call and ask. Explain what you are doing e.g."sending a resume for their opening for an Animator" and ask nicely and professionally if you could speak with the Human Resources department.
Once you get the HR receptionist, explain again. This time ask for the name of the person handling the specific opening. Better yet, see if they'll tell you the name of the "Hiring Manager."
If you don't get the HR dept, ask how to address your cover letter so that it gets into the right hands. "Is there a specific mailbox address or building number?" The easier it is for the mailroom to redirect your cover letter & resume the better. Also ask if there is a fax number that you can send it to as well.
An ambitious person will get the name of ANYONE in the company and ask for them (the higher up the better) and then when you get them, explain that you want to work there and do you have 5 minutes to chat, or can you give the NAME of someone more appropriate. Then chat about what it's like to work there, people usually like to talk about themselves. Note: This is an "informational interview" and not a "job interview". Keep it to 5 minutes unless the person you reach wants to continue. At the end, you may mention that you saw that there was an open position and do they know who might be doing the interviewing for that position. Thank them profusely for their time (Send them a thank you note.) This is very common elsewhere in the business world and is all part of building your network of contacts.
-Andrew
Yep.
Just call and ask.
If you get a name, send it to that name--make certain spelling is correct.
If you don't get a name--as in your case--send it to who (or what) they tell you to. If they are interested in you, rest assured, someone with a name will get back to you.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)