I came across the following website containing a letter from Leonardo da Vinci to the Duke of Milan, which is essentially a cover letter of sorts. When so many of us dread the job application process and having to constantly update resumes and write cover letters, perhaps this site helps put things in perspective – even Da Vinci, a man of so many talents, had to hand-write an elaborate letter to persuade the Duke that he could build bridges, ships, chariots, and tunnels. He doesn’t even mention his painting skills till nearly the end of this letter, which he wrote in 1482 at age 30. This letter is pretty bad-ass – it’s amazing how knowledgeable Leonardo apparently was in all things artistic and architectural, especially in the creation of war machines. There’s no debating that he really was a Renaissance Man; however, did he know how to build an M&A model or calculate net present value? To be continued… http://gizmodo.com/5460442/leonardo-da-vincis-resume-explains-why-hes-the-renaissance-man-for-the-job?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+gizmodo/full+(Gizmodo)&utm_content=Google+Reader
It’s interesting that he mentions painting and sculpting last, almost as if he didn’t wish to include those talents.
Glocap negged him so he went directly to the Duke
Chuckrox8 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It’s interesting that he mentions painting and > sculpting last, almost as if he didn’t wish to > include those talents. Yes, that is interesting. It shows that Leo made efforts to be client-centric, and focusing on his value-added core competencies within his target market segment. He ended up drilling down and getting granular with his what-if deliverables.
Chuckrox8 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It’s interesting that he mentions painting and > sculpting last, almost as if he didn’t wish to > include those talents. Based on the rest of the letter it’s probably safe to assume that the position to which he is applying is militaristic in nature. The fact that he did bring up his artistic abilities leads me to believe that: 1. He was very proud of his artistic ability and made a point to mention it even if it wasn’t relevant to the position. 2. In that day, or at least to that position, they had only one document which functioned as a resume and cover letter. The art part was essentially his interests and/or accomplishments.
Bankin’ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Chuckrox8 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > It’s interesting that he mentions painting and > > sculpting last, almost as if he didn’t wish to > > include those talents. > > > Based on the rest of the letter it’s probably safe > to assume that the position to which he is > applying is militaristic in nature. The fact that > he did bring up his artistic abilities leads me to > believe that: > > 1. He was very proud of his artistic ability and > made a point to mention it even if it wasn’t > relevant to the position. or that he was trying to portray himself an “all rounder”, who has other interests besides all the guns and mortars he mentioned. Employers appreciate extracurricular interests and this also hints that he has a soft side.
I am enlightened. The letter was very persuasive and humble. It also profiled a man with great imagination and problem-solving skills. A successful cover letter should deliver both “who I am” and “what I can serve”. But with today’s “two-second-scan” rule, it all boils down to what school you went to and what companies you worked for.