Cover Letter Is So Popular That LinkedIn Had to Shut It Down

Making your cover letter stand out can be a tough task, but Ryan Lowry managed to do just that during his job search. Per CNN, the 20-year-old from Leesburg, Va., recently posted a handwritten open letter on LinkedIn seeking an opportunity in IT or animation, noting his "unique sense of humor," math and tech skills, and ability to learn quickly. He also wrote that he hoped potential employers would give him a second look. "I have autism," Lowry posted. "I realize that someone like you will have to take a chance on me, I don't learn like typical people do." He wrote that he'd need a mentor to help him learn the ropes, but he stressed that once he's up to speed, "I get it." "I promise that if you hire me and teach me, you'll be glad that you did," added Lowry, who now works at a coffee shop, a job that will end when he graduates his current program, which addresses the functional needs of children with disabilities. "I will show up every day, do what you tell me to do, and work really hard."

As of Tuesday, his letter had been viewed almost 7 million times and received more than 175,000 likes, and the thousands of comments on his post were overwhelmingly supportive, offering cheers, advice, and job leads. Per Today, he's also been swamped with calls from companies with neurodiversity programs, including Amazon and Microsoft. "Every person on LinkedIn has been hired by at least one person that took a chance on him or her," one person wrote on LinkedIn. "I love your letter, attitude, and self-awareness. Your experiences and talents will make you uniquely qualified for the right opportunity." Lowry's dad, Rob, tells Today that his son's post got so many responses that LinkedIn temporarily took his profile offline to figure out what was going on. "I cry reading the messages" in bed at night, says mom Tracy, who tells WJLA that her son has already had two Zoom meetings with prospective employers. (More uplifting news stories.)