Constraints imposed on the creative cover letter writing by digital online job advertisements

Abstract

Genre studies on the job cover letter (letter of application) have focused mainly on linguistic analyses of the genre in terms of the generic structure and linguistic strategies commonly used by applicants. These studies have taken the view that the cover letter was an open-ended opportunity for favourable self-promotion. However, to date no study has provided a detailed description of the context in which these letters were written. This study examines one essential contextual aspect, the job advertisement, and its impact on the cover letter. It aims to determine if the cover letter is still of major significance in the application process in the digital era. Based on a genre-based analysis of a case study of an online job advertisement from an Australian-based recruitment website together with the response of an applicant, it is found that the open-ended and creative cover letter may no longer be the preeminent genre of the job application process.