The truth is harsh, but you need to know the truth.

I've posted several job openings in the past. In these job openings, I've specified what I needed in an employee/freelancer together with what the job's tasks would be.

I've had lots of different people apply to these job openings, but this post is addressed to the majority of applicants that apply with the following 'cover letters':

1. I'm a hard worker, therefore you should hire me
2. I really really really REALLY need this job, so please hire me (usually with a sad story of why they need the job)
3. If you're not a scammer, contact me

This post does not only apply to me as an employer/client, but to almost all clients and jobs that you'll be applying to.

Note: I'm using the terms freelancer/employee and employer/client interchangeably in this post. Sorry for any confusion this may cause.

Let me address these one by one.

I'm a hard worker, therefore you should hire me

Let me make this clear: you saying that you're a hard worker means nothing to clients. Anyone can say that they're a hard worker, that they're the best in the world. Anyone can make promises. I've had many freelancers and employees make promise after promise only to never fulfill them. I've seen employees say that they're extremely hard-working, yet be the laziest people in the office.

What you claim and what you promise doesn't mean ANYTHING.

I really really really REALLY need this job, so please hire me (usually with a sad story of why they need the job)

There are millions of people around the world that need jobs. Just because you need a job, does that mean you're better than them? Will you be more valuable to a company because you're begging them for a job?

You're talking to companies, not charities. Companies don't care about you or your story. They care about what whether you can do the job and what you can do for them. The more you plead and beg to be hired, the more employers will NOT hire you.

Employers don't want desperate employees, they want qualified ones.

How? OR Please send me information.

This is just laziness when people ask this. If you really wanted to find out how, you'd actually read the job listing. If you can't even bother to read the job listing or find out information by yourself, companies won't depend on you to take initiative or get the job done.

There are lots of other people who take initiative and read. If you can't even do that, you won't get hired.

Keep doing these things and you will get scammed.

Think about this: real business owners will not contact people who don't prove themselves, who are desperate, or who are lazy.

If you keep doing the things above, the only kind of 'employers' who will hire you or even contact you at all are either one of the following:

1. Scammers
2. MLM companies that want to use your desperation
3. Offering low quality, low paying work that even 7 year olds can do

If you're wondering why companies aren't giving you a chance, yet they're hiring other people then maybe you should take a step back and think if you're doing any of the above.

What you should do to get hired

So what should you do?

Be patient

Well, first of all, it isn't easy. If you're looking for a fast way to make lots of money, that doesn't exist. You will get scammed.

Improve yourself

So many people feel that they deserve to get hired. Yet they do nothing to make themselves valuable to companies.

Don't have skills or qualifications? Then learn. Get experience and take courses. If you don't improve yourself, no one else will.

Learn how to read

I'm not saying you don't know the alphabet, but learn how to read job listings and descriptions. If you can read those properly, then you can move on to the next step:

Prove yourself

When applying to a job, tell the company you're applying to how you can help them specifically and what you bring to the table. Do you have the skills that the job requires? Can you do the tasks specified? Then tell the company. Do you have work to show? Then show it. Companies won't believe anything you say until you actually prove yourself.