The two main genre’s that precede a cover letter are a job description or posting, and a resume. While a job description is quite obvious, since it indicates a job opening that a cover letter responds to, a resume is not so clear. While a cover letter typically precedes a resume for the reader, the resume is usually written beforehand by the applicant, and is referenced by the cover letter in a way that makes sure there is not too much repetition between the two genres. If successful, a cover letter is usually the basis for various uptake genres such as an email or phone call regarding the next step in the hiring process. The type of genre is dependent on the cover letter, since it provides contact information that is used to create the next genre.
To achieve the desired uptake of a cover letter, there are several tips our group learned from our research. One of the most important points was an emphasis on looking at the preceding genre, the job description, when writing a cover letter. The most successful cover letters are tailored to each individual job opening, and specifically reference certain, or all parts of it. To put it simply, the cover letter connects the details of a position to the qualifications, interests, and personality of the candidate. In this sense, uptake is important, which also lead us to look at cover letters with the relevant job description attached in our research.
However, much of this information is challenging to include in our genre model since each rhetorical situation can be so unique. For example, it is hard to include elements that make sure the sentences created are not too repetitive of the resume, especially if it is not known how the resume is structured. Similarly, since each job description can be different, it is challenging to figure out which element should include a direct or indirect reference to the details of the position the candidate is applying for.
