how about if i made a bunch of declarative sentences about myself, then edited them—in some cases into multiple sentences—until they were perfect gems of sentences?  it would be straight-forward, to-the-point, and dense.  and if i've objectively evaluated the quality of my sentences with any competence, i believe that i will know before i relinquish said document that it either is or isn't a good work (and representation of me).  also, if i can create sentences (or small groups of 2-3 sentences) which can be cherry-picked, depending on the cover letter i need to compose, maybe it won't seem so intimidating that i could potentially have to create quite a number of them before i actually find a job (let alone one i like).

ok, some sentence starters:

• the skill i possess that i value the most is _
• the reason i'm most interested in _[ job ]_ is that _
• the best influence that studying philosophy has had on me is  _
• i have studied intensely language and linguistics because _
• i have trouble categorizing my specific career goals because _
• studying computer science changed the way i think _[ in the following way ]_
• i believe my understanding of tools & materials makes me a good candidate for the work i want to do because _

[ : : then i brainstormed : : ]
i need to think of ways to describe & legitimize my very broad base of knowledge & skills, and in a way that makes people want to hire me.  i cannot get myself to start a cover letter no matter how i try.  i feel like, at this point, i'm still brainstorming concepts and descriptive perspectives and what tone to convey, and what sort of sentences sound confident (vs. cocky, self-righteous, self-absorbed, or arrogant), and which are just background noise, or blather.  this bit came to mind tonight, on this saturday evening (when my constant procrastination during the week forces me to continue working on the task of finding work), especially with only about two weeks left 'til the start of a semester, when i am certain to cease all job-seeking productivity. obvious is that i don't, by default, produce concise expressions.  as i'm quite self-aware of this shortcoming, motivation to work on the cover letter doesn't come easy.

the text below is left unedited b/c it is simply the jottings-down of brainstorming:
because of the nature of  my studies, i have learned that not all of the roles that society must rise to fill—for our health, safety, and survival (and that includes the eco-system that we subsist on)—can be learned in the manner of obtaining a trade.  there is no academic subject which is established, tested, and tried, where an individual can apprentice or intern with the masters of the discipline.  the discipline is just emerging, and it is a comprehensive approach to education that insists a wide variety of skills and competencies (and the ability to draw meaningful connections between these areas) be obtained.  of equal importance is establishing a rational filter as your constant frame of reference, with the ability to critically analyze information received on a wide variety of topics, along with an astute (? shrewd ?) sense of its credibility & relevance. training oneself in this way is crucial for helping to generate new ideas.  and we will need new ideas not only to answer the hardest questions we face in the context of urbanization and the built environment, but many new questions which haven't even come up yet.  this used to be what a liberal arts education was, right?  teaching people how to think, reason, and take action toward their strengths and greater potential.  although we all must learn and become proficient in our trade(s), i believe that everyone, in all these roles, needs to be at least educated enough to draw reasonable conclusions, and assist in the greater consciousness that must be put forth—in all sectors—in the consumption cycle which is currently so inefficient and currently claims so many unnecessary victims.  and why can't we move past this archaic divide in the legitimacy and honor of professions?  learning a craft, a trade, and devoting yourself until you are considered a master, is honorable in many cultures around the world.  americans speak frequently about the lack of manufacturing jobs that were decent, blue-collar, middle-class jobs.  how much of that is because when production volumes balloon to accommodate a wide audience across a wide geographical area, the work becomes exceedingly monotonous, and often move production to countries with lower operating costs?  (not to mention that distributing goods across wide geographic areas increases carbon consumption, simply due to transportation needs.)  if everyone involved in these cycles and the eventual disposal, treatment/reuse, or recycling of materials had a broader understanding of the cycle they're part of, i think it's reasonable to expect that a wider range of creative solutions would surface, enabling all of us to work together toward what must be our common goal if we enjoy living on this planet—and supported, free of charge, by a tenuously balanced ecosystem.  if the wood carver understands why and how the type of scrap she produces influences not only the forests, but the quality of the composite product it will later become—and if she not only favors the continued survival of our species, but also understands how her actions affect that outcome, and is thus unable to be ignorantly indifferent—she will make better choices for our collective welfare without having to be asked.  if her mode is the norm, and not the exception, across a wide range of professions, perhaps we would find the regulatory commissions less busy.  of course, this sounds like some utopian fantasy.  but just because the best possible outcome is unlikely doesn't mean that those who realize the good it can do (to bring this mindset into the world) shouldn't pursue their best attempts at bringing logic, compassion, and reasoning skills into whatever way they engage the world.