Steve Jobs’ bad cover letter: That’s what HR managers think of it

Steve Jobs is considered an innovative pioneer and far ahead of his time. However, it would be difficult to see his talent and passion from a cover letter he wrote when he was 18 and which was recently auctioned off. The future Apple founder was either in a hurry or just indifferent, because the document is full of spelling mistakes and meaningless information. We asked HR managers how they viewed the application and whether they might still have recognized the genius of the tech legend. Experts tell what they think.

“In the recruiting process, I think the cover letter in particular is completely outdated. To be honest, they have never played a major role for me in the selection of applicants. Your CV and profiles on professional networks determine whether you will be invited for an interview. There it is important to tell your personal story. This is important and, by the way, weighs much more than a small spelling mistake like in Steve Jobs’ application.”

Diana Styles, Chief People Officer at N26

“I’d like to say otherwise and pretend I saw his brilliance through the CV of the time, but I’m afraid I probably wouldn’t have invited him. The shape doesn’t even bother me. Rather the missing content. A CV is, so to speak, an applicant’s business card, with which he or she introduces himself or herself to a future employer. You should try to market your skills and abilities accordingly in order to make it clear to the other person that you are the perfect fit for this position.”

Jan Helwerth, HR Manager at Robert Bosch Tools

“I want to feel passion and that means that applicants make an effort. A small blemish like a spelling mistake is certainly not a KO argument. In Jobs’ case, we would all have wished we could find a diamond in the rough under such a cover letter, but it would be a lie to claim that it was clearly noticeable here. However, one thing would have taken me aback: he didn’t stick to the range of skills offered, but – ahead of his time – introduced design and tech.”

Carolin Lessoued, CEO and co-founder of Openers

“Cover letters are a thing of the past for most positions with us. The CV becomes the central figurehead of the candidate. Spelling mistakes are not an absolute no-go, but the right form should be there. An attractive design including a well thought-out structure increases the chances. Social networks also serve as business cards. We probably would have found Steve Jobs directly on Xing today and he wouldn’t have had to send us such an unmotivated cover letter in the first place.”

Tim Wiedemann, Senior Manager Human Resources at New Work SE

“Spelling mistakes aren’t a no-no – we’re all human. It is worse if another company name appears in the text. I have experienced everything. However, applying for jobs would not have been meaningful enough for me. Direct contact is a real must for me. Today, but also looking back, I would have wished for at least one address to send an invitation to. Because of that alone, he would not have made it into the next round. I wouldn’t have reached him at all.

Juliane Lange, HR Manager at yeebase Media

“Honestly, based on those five lines alone, I probably wouldn’t have invited Steve Jobs. He has a lot of potential to introduce himself, let it lie. But I also have to say: For me, letters of application are only an addition to my CV and not the basis of the application. A spelling mistake is not a broken leg either. It is more important to give the CV a personal touch, to give practical examples from previous projects or to keep the profile on professional networks up to date.”

Katrin Nikolova, Team Lead Tech Recruiting at About You