I never truly understood why a cover letter was needed. I always thought a potential employer only needed a resume. Now, after attending this workshop, I realized that a cover letter is needed for every job you apply for. It has the ability to fill in many blank spots of your resume. For example, it can explain why I have large gaps of unemployment in my resume. I can show and explain why they should hire me. A resume doesn’t actually do this: however, a cover letter can explain my reason for applying for the job, and what specifically I can bring to the table.

If I were to just give a resume to a job, I would come off as lazy. By submitting a cover letter along with resume, I am able to show that I am serious about the opportunity that the employer is giving me. Submitting a cover letter allows me to be in control of follow up interview as well. At the end of the cover letter, I can specify when I will be able to call them. A cover letter makes me a more attractive job applicant as well as giving me power as a job applicant. Writing a cover letter is a win-win for the applicant, so why not?

A cover letter should include how you found about the job. It should also include why you think you are qualified to work this job. It should also thank the job for even considering your application. It is made up of the typical introduction, body, paragraph form. The letter needs to be formatted like a professional business letter. In addition to this, the same font needs to be used as in your resume. Obviously, proofread and edit your cover letter at the end for any silly, careless mistakes. Thanks to this workshop, I realized that more goes into applying for a job than a resume and an interview.

Today, Mike and I decided we were going to the second floor during club hours. I still had no idea what club I wanted to be a part of, and Mike offered to come with me and help me out.  I knew that Mike was half Ecuadorian, and it was extremely ironic that we stumbled upon the Ecuadorian club. I love the food, and was extremely excited that they were holding an event called “Let’s Go Bananas!” on Thursday during club hours. They will be playing Ecuadorian music, serving authentic Ecuadorian food, and teaching people more about the Ecuadorian culture.

Many of my friends, and even best friends/brothers, throughout all stages of my life have been Ecuadorian, but they were all from Queens. One thing I am hoping that this club will do is allow me to meet Ecuadorian people from all over the 5 boroughs, and all over the world. Hopefully, I will be able to learn many aspects of the culture that will open my eyes to how other people live.

Everyone lives so differently and experiences different things that shape them. It is extremely interesting how people from the same culture can experience similar things throughout their life while those experiences are different from someone outside of the culture. To see how life is lived through a different lens allows for people to understand the people around them. Becoming knowledgeable of another culture gives me insight on how to live my life better.

In addition to learning how to live my life better, when my linebacker “bro”, Paul Cardova (who is Ecuadorian), comes back from the University of Buffalo I can surprise him with my newfound knowledge of the Ecuadorian culture.

If you are interested in the event, let me know, and we could go together. If you do not want to go with me, that’s cool too, the event will be at Room 10-170 in the Vertical Campus from 12:40 pm to 2:20 pm. Hope to see you there!

My trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was lit. I never took myself for a “museum guy,” but actually going with a purpose opened my eyes. I appreciate the fact that these sculptures, paintings, and artifacts are hundreds of years old. The ability to preserve these things allowing us to track our history and progression as a race is incredible. You are able to get a sense of what was important to the artists and society of that time; in addition, you can also see how some of these ideas, feelings, and morals are still relevant in today’s world as well. Even though you will never be able to fully relate to these artifacts or paintings, it still allows you to valuably reflect on where we are now as a society. In some cases, it even allows you to reflect on yourself.

 

One painting that particularly stuck out to me is called Young Woman Drawing by Marie Denise Villers from 1801. This painting depicts a girl in a dark, isolated room drawing with a large, singular window with view of a couple enjoying their sunny day on a roof in the background. Even though the woman is alone in a dark room on a bright sunny day, she doesn’t seem to be sad. She finds joy in her craft and does not mind being alone. Her white dress makes her seem like she is at peace with what she is doing and where she is in life. The ability to take a message away from something that is from an entirely different culture and time period is amazing. A message lived on in a painting for over 200 years, and I think that that alone is amazing. The message I took away from that painting, and the painting itself, will stick with me for a long time. I learned that you just have to find joy in your craft. That even though life may seem bleak at times, if you love what you are doing, it does not matter.