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Cover letter

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• 1. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Your cover letter should be addressed to: "To Whom it May Concern" The company's name A specific person (ex. Mr. Smith, Director of Marketing) The company's president
• 2. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt True or False: A cover letter can be handwritten. True False
• 3. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt How many typos are permitted in a cover letter? 0 1-4 5-10 10+
• 4. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt What must be included in a cover letter? Recipient information Return address Date All of the above
• 5. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt When writing your cover letter, you should: Simply copy and paste the same letter over and over. Create an original letter for each job application. Copy and paste the first and last paragraphs, but tailor the rest to the employer.
• 6. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt The ___________ paragraph should create interest and explain why you are writing. It should state the type of position you are applying for. Closing Introduction Body
• 7. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Cover letters are typically divided into _________ categories? 4 3 2 1
• 8. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt A cover letter serves to __________________ Create a favourable first impression. Demonstrate your professionalism. Illustrate your communication skills. All of them
• 9. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt Cover letters are generally _____ page at most in length. Four Three Two One
• 10. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt What is a very important tip you should do before submitting your cover letter? Spell Check Have someone else read it Make it all bold None of these
• 11. Multiple Choice Edit 30 seconds 1 pt What will a good cover letter get you?  a document to go with your CV  a job lots of praise  an interview

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Cover Letter Quiz

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Your Cover Letter page in our Business English section on Resumes and Cover Letters.

1. A cover letter or covering letter can also be called

2. Job applicants must send a cover letter _______ sending their resume.

3. A cover letter should be

4. If a cover letter is poorly-written, most employers will _______ the applicant.

5. Which date format is best for a cover letter?

6. Your name should be _______ of the letter.

7. Which topic isn't normally mentioned in a cover letter?

8. Your cover letter should explain how much you will _______ the company.

9. Cover letters often begin with the applicant explaining how they

10. Your cover letter can summarize a key selling point such as your

Your score is:

Correct answers:

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How to write a great cover letter in 2024: tips and structure

A cover letter is a personalized letter that introduces you to a potential employer, highlights your qualifications, and explains why you're a strong fit for a specific job.

Hate or love them, these brief documents allow job seekers to make an impression and stand out from the pile of other applications. Penning a thoughtful cover letter shows the hiring team you care about earning the position.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a cover letter — and a great one, at that.

What is a cover letter and why does it matter?

A professional cover letter is a one-page document you submit alongside your CV or resume as part of a job application. Typically, they’re about half a page or around 150–300 words.

An effective cover letter doesn’t just rehash your CV; it’s your chance to highlight your proudest moments, explain why you want the job, and state plainly what you bring to the table.

Show the reviewer you’re likable, talented, and will add to the company’s culture . You can refer to previous jobs and other information from your CV, but only if it helps tell a story about you and your career choices .

What 3 things should you include in a cover letter?

A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out to potential employers. To make your cover letter shine, here are three key elements to include:

1. Personalization

Address the hiring manager or recruiter by name whenever possible. If the job posting doesn't include a name, research to find out who will be reviewing applications. Personalizing your cover letter shows that you've taken the time to tailor your application to the specific company and role.

2. Highlight relevant achievements and skills

Emphasize your most relevant skills , experiences, and accomplishments that directly relate to the job you're applying for. Provide specific examples of how your skills have benefited previous employers and how they can contribute to the prospective employer's success. Use quantifiable achievements , such as improved efficiency, cost savings, or project success, to demonstrate your impact.

3. Show enthusiasm and fit

Express your enthusiasm for the company and the position you're applying for. Explain why you are interested in this role and believe you are a good fit for the organization. Mention how your values, goals, and skills align with the company's mission and culture. Demonstrating that you've done your research can make a significant impression.

What do hiring managers look for in a cover letter?

Employers look for several key elements in a cover letter. These include:

Employers want to see that your cover letter is specifically tailored to the position you are applying for. It should demonstrate how your skills, experiences, and qualifications align with the job requirements.

Clear and concise writing

A well-written cover letter is concise, easy to read, and error-free. Employers appreciate clear and effective communication skills , so make sure your cover letter showcases your ability to express yourself effectively.

Demonstrated knowledge of the company

Employers want to see that you are genuinely interested in their organization. Mention specific details about the company, such as recent achievements or projects, to show that you are enthusiastic about joining their team.

Achievements and accomplishments

Highlight your relevant achievements and accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Use specific examples to showcase your skills and show how they can benefit the employer.

Enthusiasm and motivation

Employers want to hire candidates who are excited about the opportunity and motivated to contribute to the company's success. Express your enthusiasm and passion for the role and explain why you are interested in working for the company.

Professionalism

A cover letter should be professional in tone and presentation. Use formal language, address the hiring manager appropriately, and follow standard business letter formatting.

How do you structure a cover letter?

A well-structured cover letter follows a specific format that makes it easy for the reader to understand your qualifications and enthusiasm for the position. Here's a typical structure for a cover letter:

Contact information

Include your name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the letter. Place your contact information at the beginning so that it's easy for the employer to reach you.

Employer's contact information

Opening paragraph, middle paragraph(s), closing paragraph, complimentary close, additional contact information.

Repeat your contact information (name, phone number, and email) at the end of the letter, just in case the employer needs it for quick reference.

Remember to keep your cover letter concise and focused. It should typically be no more than one page in length. Proofread your letter carefully to ensure it is free from spelling and grammatical errors. Tailor each cover letter to the specific job application to make it as relevant and impactful as possible.

How to write a good cover letter (with examples)

The best letters are unique, tailored to the job description, and written in your voice — but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a job cover letter template.

Great cover letters contain the same basic elements and flow a certain way. Take a look at this cover letter structure for ref erence while you construct your own.

1. Add a header and contact information

While reading your cover letter, the recruiter shouldn’t have to look far to find who wrote it. Your document should include a basic heading with the following information:

• Pronouns (optional)
• Location (optional)
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Relevant links, such as your LinkedIn profile , portfolio, or personal website (optional)

You can pull this information directly from your CV. Put it together, and it will look something like this:

Christopher Pike

San Francisco, California

[email protected]

Alternatively, if the posting asks you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can include this information in your signature. For example:

Warm regards,

Catherine Janeway

Bloomington, Indiana

[email protected]

(555) 999 - 2222

2. Include a personal greeting

Always begin your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager — preferably by name. You can use the person’s first and last name. Make sure to include a relevant title, like Dr., Mr., or Ms. For example, “Dear Mr. John Doe.”

Avoid generic openings like “To whom it may concern,” “Dear sir or madam,” or “Dear hiring manager.” These introductions sound impersonal — like you’re copy-pasting cover letters — and can work against you in the hiring process.

Be careful, though. When using someone’s name, you don’t want to use the wrong title or accidentally misgender someone. If in doubt, using only their name is enough. You could also opt for a gender-neutral title, like Mx.

Make sure you’re addressing the right person in your letter — ideally, the person who’s making the final hiring decision. This isn’t always specified in the job posting, so you may have to do some research to learn the name of the hiring manager.

3. Draw them in with an opening story

The opening paragraph of your cover letter should hook the reader. You want it to be memorable, conversational, and extremely relevant to the job you’re pursuing. 

There’s no need for a personal introduction — you’ve already included your name in the heading. But you should make reference to the job you’re applying for. A simple “Thank you for considering my application for the role of [job title] at [company],” will suffice.

Then you can get into the “Why” of your job application. Drive home what makes this specific job and this company so appealing to you. Perhaps you’re a fan of their products, you’re passionate about their mission, or you love their brand voice. Whatever the case, this section is where you share your enthusiasm for the role.

Here’s an example opening paragraph. In this scenario, you’re applying for a digital marketing role at a bicycle company:

“Dear Mr. John Doe,

Thank you for considering my application for the role of Marketing Coordinator at Bits n’ Bikes.

My parents bought my first bike at one of your stores. I’ll never forget the freedom I felt when I learned to ride it. My father removed my training wheels, and my mom sent me barrelling down the street. You provide joy to families across the country — and I want to be part of that.”

4. Emphasize why you’re best for the job

Your next paragraphs should be focused on the role you’re applying to. Highlight your skill set and why you’re a good fit for the needs and expectations associated with the position. Hiring managers want to know what you’ll bring to the job, not just any role.

Start by studying the job description for hints. What problem are they trying to solve with this hire? What skills and qualifications do they mention first or more than once? These are indicators of what’s important to the hiring manager.

Search for details that match your experience and interests. For example, if you’re excited about a fast-paced job in public relations, you might look for these elements in a posting:

• They want someone who can write social media posts and blog content on tight deadlines
• They value collaboration and input from every team member
• They need a planner who can come up with strong PR strategies

Highlight how you fulfill these requirements:

“I’ve always been a strong writer. From blog posts to social media, my content pulls in readers and drives traffic to product pages. For example, when I worked at Bits n’ Bikes, I developed a strategic blog series about bike maintenance that increased our sales of spare parts and tools by 50% — we could see it in our web metrics.

Thanks to the input of all of our team members, including our bike mechanics, my content delivered results.”

5. End with a strong closing paragraph and sign off gracefully

Your closing paragraph is your final chance to hammer home your enthusiasm about the role and your unique ability to fill it. Reiterate the main points you explained in the body paragraphs and remind the reader of what you bring to the table.

You can also use the end of your letter to relay other important details, like whether you’re willing to relocate for the job.

When choosing a sign-off, opt for a phrase that sounds professional and genuine. Reliable options include “Sincerely” and “Kind regards.”

Here’s a strong closing statement for you to consider:

“I believe my enthusiasm, skills, and work experience as a PR professional will serve Bits n’ Bikes very well. I would love to meet to further discuss my value-add as your next Director of Public Relations. Thank you for your consideration. I hope we speak soon.

Tips to write a great cover letter that compliments your resume

When writing your own letter, try not to copy the example excerpts word-for-word. Instead, use this cover letter structure as a baseline to organize your ideas. Then, as you’re writing, use these extra cover letter tips to add your personal touch:

• Keep your cover letter different from your resume : Your cover letter should not duplicate the information on your resume. Instead, it should provide context and explanations for key points in your resume, emphasizing how your qualifications match the specific job you're applying for.
• Customize your cover letter . Tailor your cover letter for each job application. Address the specific needs of the company and the job posting, demonstrating that you've done your homework and understand their requirements.
• Show enthusiasm and fit . Express your enthusiasm for the company and position in the cover letter. Explain why you are interested in working for this company and how your values, goals, and skills align with their mission and culture.
• Use keywords . Incorporate keywords from the job description and industry terms in your cover letter. This can help your application pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and demonstrate that you're well-versed in the field.
• Keep it concise . Your cover letter should be succinct and to the point, typically no more than one page. Focus on the most compelling qualifications and experiences that directly support your application.
• Be professional . Maintain a professional tone and structure in your cover letter. Proofread it carefully to ensure there are no errors.
• Address any gaps or concerns . If there are gaps or concerns in your resume, such as employment gaps or a change in career direction, briefly address them in your cover letter. Explain any relevant circumstances and how they have shaped your qualifications and determination.
• Provide a call to action . Conclude your cover letter with a call to action, inviting the employer to contact you for further discussion. Mention that you've attached your resume for their reference.
• Follow the correct format . Use a standard cover letter format like the one above, including your contact information, a formal salutation, introductory and closing paragraphs, and your signature. Ensure that it complements your resume without redundancy.
• Pick the right voice and tone . Try to write like yourself, but adapt to the tone and voice of the company. Look at the job listing, company website, and social media posts. Do they sound fun and quirky, stoic and professional, or somewhere in-between? This guides your writing style.
• Tell your story . You’re an individual with unique expertise, motivators, and years of experience. Tie the pieces together with a great story. Introduce how you arrived at this point in your career, where you hope to go , and how this prospective company fits in your journey. You can also explain any career changes in your resume.
• Show, don’t tell . Anyone can say they’re a problem solver. Why should a recruiter take their word for it if they don’t back it up with examples? Instead of naming your skills, show them in action. Describe situations where you rose to the task, and quantify your success when you can.
• Be honest . Avoid highlighting skills you don’t have. This will backfire if they ask you about them in an interview. Instead, shift focus to the ways in which you stand out.
• Avoid clichés and bullet points . These are signs of lazy writing. Do your best to be original from the first paragraph to the final one. This highlights your individuality and demonstrates the care you put into the letter.
• Proofread . Always spellcheck your cover letter. Look for typos, grammatical errors, and proper flow. We suggest reading it out loud. If it sounds natural rolling off the tongue, it will read naturally as well.

Common cover letter writing FAQs

How long should a cover letter be.

A cover letter should generally be concise and to the point. It is recommended to keep it to one page or less, focusing on the most relevant information that highlights your qualifications and fits the job requirements.

Should I include personal information in a cover letter?

While it's important to introduce yourself and provide your contact information, avoid including personal details such as your age, marital status, or unrelated hobbies. Instead, focus on presenting your professional qualifications and aligning them with the job requirements.

Can I use the same cover letter for multiple job applications?

While it may be tempting to reuse a cover letter, it is best to tailor each cover letter to the specific job you are applying for. This allows you to highlight why you are a good fit for that particular role and show genuine interest in the company.

Do I need to address my cover letter to a specific person?

Whenever possible, it is advisable to address your cover letter to a specific person, such as the hiring manager or recruiter. If the job posting does not provide this information, try to research and find the appropriate contact. If all else fails, you can use a generic salutation such as "Dear Hiring Manager."

Should I include references in my cover letter?

It is generally not necessary to include references in your cover letter. Save this information for when the employer explicitly requests it. Instead, focus on showcasing your qualifications and achievements that make you a strong candidate for the position.

It’s time to start writing your stand-out cover letter

The hardest part of writing is getting started. 

Hopefully, our tips gave you some jumping-off points and confidence . But if you’re really stuck, looking at cover letter examples and resume templates will help you decide where to get started. 

There are numerous sample cover letters available online. Just remember that you’re a unique, well-rounded person, and your cover letter should reflect that. Using our structure, you can tell your story while highlighting your passion for the role. 

Doing your research, including strong examples of your skills, and being courteous is how to write a strong cover letter. Take a breath , flex your fingers, and get typing. Before you know it, your job search will lead to a job interview.

If you want more personalized guidance, a specialized career coach can help review, edit, and guide you through creating a great cover letter that sticks.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Cover Letter to LucasArts

Ashley Campion

Created on December 19, 2023

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Lesson Standards

8.1(A), 8.1(D), 8.2(B), 8.5(E), 8.5(F), 8.5(G), 8.5(I), 8.6(A), 8.6(C), 8.6(E), 8.6(G), 8.6(H), 8.6(I), 8.8(E)(iii), 8.10(C)

What will our lesson look like?

Language Objective

I will articulate my observations and insights regarding Schafer's Cover Letter through written and verbal communication.

Learning Intention

To understand and apply persuasive techniques and rhetorical strategies by analyzing Tim Schafer's Cover Letter to LucasArts.

Success Criteria

• Identify at least three persuasive techniques used in Tim Schafer's Cover Letter.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of each persuasive technique used in the cover letter.
• Think about a time when you had to communicate persuasively.
• What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
• Share your experience in a few sentences in the chat!

Introduction

Tim Schafer (b. 1967) is a computer game designer who is known for his work on Full Throttle and The Secret of Monkey Island. He applied for a job at Lucasfilm in 1989 (the company was rebranded as LucasArts the following year) but failed to impress the company in an initial phone interview. Instead of giving up, Schafer applied to another job within the company and wrote a text adventure game as his cover letter. His cover letter won Tim Schafer a job at LucasArts, where he worked until the year 2000.*Watch StudySync Video

Genre & Purpose

A cover letter is a persuasive text that gives a job applicant’s qualifications. Schafer designed his cover letter as a text adventure game to showcase his skills. A text adventure game is a kind of computer game that requires players to make choices to continue game play.

• While the primary purpose of a cover letter is to tell an employer why the writer is qualified for a job, this cover letter also shows Schafer’s creativity and understanding of games.
• This unique cover letter includes graphics as well as text to communicate its message.

noun a trip between two destinations

adjective causing someone happiness or satisfaction because of a development of their character or abilities

adverb in a reasonable manner

noun a quality or an ability that has not yet developed; a possibility

noun a long or difficult search

career center

nounAn office dedicated to helping people find jobs and develop professional skills.

nouna small book or magazine containing pictures and information about a product or service.

[job] description

nouna formal account of an employee's responsibilities.

In 1989, after being rejected for a job at Lucasfilm, Tim Schafer applied for another position at the company using a less conventional method. Instead of submitting a cover letter and résumé, Schafer sent a text-based choose-your-own-adventure game. Mimicking the style of video games, the text of Schafer’s letter addresses “you,” the player in search of an ideal career. After speaking to the local career center, you are handed various brochures of companies that are hiring. Out of three, you choose Lucasfilm and discover that they are looking for imaginative team players, just like you. You submit your résumé, get the job, and go to work, which you find interesting and challenging. Over time, you become personally fulfilled and earn a high score. Schafer’s imaginative approach landed him the job, and he proceeded to work at Lucasfilm for the next decade.

Your quest for the ideal career begins, logically enough, at the Ideal Career Center. Upon entering, you see a helpful looking woman sitting behind a desk. She smiles and says, "May I help you?" >SAY YES I NEED A JOB "Ah," she replies, "and where would you like to work, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, or San Rafael?" >SAY SAN RAFAEL "Good choice," she says, "Here are some jobs you might be interested in," and gives you three brochures. >EXAMINE BROCHURES The titles of the three brochures are as follows: "HAL Computers: We've Got a Number For You," "Yoyodine Defense Technologies: Help Us Reach Our Destructive Potential," and "Lucasfilm, Ltd: Games, Games, Games!" >OPEN LUCASFILM BROCHURE

The brochure says that Lucasfilm is looking for an imaginative, good-humored team player who has excellent communication skills, programming experience, and loves games. Under that description, oddly enough, is a picture of you.>SEND RESUMEYou get the job! Congratulations! You start right away! >GO TO WORK You drive the short commute to the Lucasfilm building and find it full of friendly people who show you the way to your desk. >EXAMINE DESK Your desk has on it a powerful computer, a telephone, some personal nicknacks, and some work to do.>EXAMINE WORK It is challenging and personally fulfilling to perform. >DO WORK As you become personally fulfilled, your score reaches 100, and this quest comes to an end. The adventure, however, is just beginning and so are your days at Lucasfilm. THE END

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How Tim Schafer Got His Job At LucasArts

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7 responses to “How Tim Schafer Got His Job At LucasArts”

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That is a lie.

lol thats really creative and quite awesome!

Very cool. Probably didn’t also hurt that he is TIM FREAKING SCHAFER and therefore his resume was presumably printed on flattened unicorns and awesome 🙂

As a side note to the story, he thought he wasn’t going to get the job because he mentioned loving BallBlitzer during the interview, which was the pirated version of LucasArts’ earlier game BallBlazer.

Quite the faux pas.

He almost Ballsed that up now didn’t he.

He actually didn’t get the job after that interview. He sent the letter as a secondary effort. Obviously it worked!

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Inside The Mind of Tim Schafer

Tim Schafer likes Star Wars . But as far as he’s concerned, Lucasfilm’s video games were the company’s greatest creative output. In the early ’80s, George Lucas’ burgeoning computer division explored a few forms of entertainment outside of the movie industry. In 1984, the company released a sci-fi-inspired sports game called Ballblazer as well as a primordial first-person shooter set in space called Rescue on Fractalus! To Schafer, these games were a revelation. The video game industry, on the whole, seemed almost magical.

“I was there at the beginning,” Schafer says. “I remember my dad bringing home a Magnavox Odyssey, the first home arcade console ever and just being so fascinated with it. Sometimes it feels funny to explain to people why it’s exciting to see things moving on a screen. I’m trying to talk to my daughter about it. She’s grown up with smartphones, and I’m like, ‘No, you don’t understand. TV was controlled by other people, and then you could make dots move on it!’ It was so fascinating.”

Schafer quickly became a video game fan. He devoured text adventures such as Zork, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Scott Adams’ Savage Island series. After his dad brought home a few Atari consoles as well as an Atari Computer, Schafer began experimenting with designing his own games, but he didn’t initially think about pursuing a job in the video game industry. In college, Schafer studied computer science, however, he was most passionate about creative writing. Authors like Kurt Vonnegut ( Slaughterhouse-Five , Breakfast of Champions ) were his icons, and he dreamed of being a writer.

“I thought I would write short stories and get a job at a database programming [company],” Schafer says. “All the jobs back then were database programmers … I loved video games, but, in my head, they were made by companies. I would think of Atari as, ‘Oh, it’s this big, monolithic building full of scientists and robots and some big, massive brain.’ But I realized later, ‘Woah, they were just young kids. They were young programmers all by themselves making these games.’”

One day, a friend told Schafer that Lucasfilm Games (rebranded to LucasArts in 1990) was looking for developers who could program and write. Schafer felt that he had unknowingly been preparing for a dream job his entire life. He thought back to the days he spent playing LucasArts games on his Atari, and he knew he didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. He just had to nail the interview.

“I had a bad phone interview with David Fox [the designer and programmer behind Rescue on Fractalus! and Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders],” Schafer says. “He was really nice, but he asked me what Lucasfilm Games I had played, and I told him I really liked the games I had played on my Atari 800, like Ballblaster. He was like, ‘Ballblaster, huh? That’s what Ballblazer was called when it was pirated.’ [laughs] I was like, ‘Oh, God. He got me there because I had a disc of all their pirated games. Piracy’s bad, kids. Don’t do it. You’ll end up like me and have your own company and stuff.”

While Schafer was convinced he’d blown the initial interview, he wasn’t deterred, and spent several nights crafting a perfect cover letter/resume. In a cheeky nod to the job he hoped to one day attain, Schafer designed his letter to look like an early-’80s graphical adventure game complete with ASCII art depicting the Lucasfilm campus. Interview be damned, Schafer got the job.

Life On The Ranch

After the success of Star Wars , George Lucas built Skywalker Ranch near Nicasio, Calif., to function as his personal movie development workshop. The grounds contained an animal barn, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, vineyard, and gardens full of fruits and vegetables for the onsite gourmet restaurant to use. When Schafer joined Lucasfilm in 1989, the campus also housed a motion picture mixing facility and served as the corporate offices for the studio’s many accountants and lawyers.

“It was amazing!” Schafer says. “I mean, right out of college, to go to work at Skywalker Ranch, you know? This was before Episode 1 was even imagined, so this was Star Wars in the magic times … there were a lot of celebrities around Skywalker Ranch. Jack Nicholson stopped by. Pearl Jam would record records there. At one point, Michael Jackson was at the Fourth of July picnic. You had to get used to like, ‘Don’t go up to people. Don’t bother them. Be cool around celebrities.’”

Lucasfilm’s computer and game division was tucked into the back of the Ranch’s facilities, but Schafer still found it to be a near-idyllic workspace. Over coffee breaks, he could walk out on the balcony and watch deer graze in the field. When he returned to his desk, he and his cohorts would joke around and talk about their favorite computer games. “It had a really well-funded startup kind of vibe, and then at lunch, you’d walk down to the main house, this beautiful Victorian, where there was gourmet food for $3 a day,” Schafer says.

However, Schafer’s time at the Ranch didn’t last long as some of the higher-ups at Lucasfilm eventually got fed up with the rowdy antics coming from the games team. “They kicked us out because games people do things that they don’t like at the Ranch, like ordering pizza at midnight and being a little bit rowdier,” Schafer says, laughing.

Schafer and the rest of the LucasArts team moved into the Kerner Complex in San Rafael, Calif. The building was also home to the movie special effects giant Industrial Light & Magic. At the time, ILM was working on films such as The Hunt for Red October , Back to the Future Part III , and Total Recall . The practical effects for many of these films required a lot of model work, and Schafer remembers watching scale figures of World War II bombers exploding outside his office windows.

“Fun things would happen,” Schafer says. “They’d be like, ‘Hey, anyone wanna be an extra? It pays 50 bucks. You’ll be an extra in Die Hard 2 .’ We ran out there [at] 11 at night to 3 in the morning and just walked around this field with fake snow. They filmed us walking in different directions and put potato flakes on our shoulders.”

Schafer’s time at LucasArts was unforgettable, but it wasn’t all fun and games. He had been hired to complete some serious work … work that also involved a lot of fun and games. As it would turn out, Schafer’s creative output over the next several years would result in some of the most beloved adventure games of all time.

Monkeying Around

Before Schafer joined LucasArts, George Lucas had licensed the Star Wars video games to companies like Atari. This meant Lucas’ own employees couldn’t produce games connected to the company’s massive blockbuster franchise. “They’re like, ‘You guys have to just make up stuff; we can’t do Star Wars,’” Schafer says. “It was this golden age of having access to a big chunk of George’s money and just being told to make up stuff from scratch.”

Star Wars games may have been off the table, but that suited Schafer just fine; he was more excited by the prospect of working on strange, original ideas. As soon as Schafer started, he met a brilliant young designer named Ron Gilbert who was already working on a point-and-click adventure game called Mutiny on Monkey Island – later retitled The Secret of Monkey Island. Schafer joined the team, spending days researching serious pirate lore and reading books like Treasure Island to get into the right headspace. However, when Gilbert asked Schafer to write dialogue for the game, Schafer hesitated. Instead, he wrote a couple of jokes about a three-headed monkey, which got a laugh out of fellow game designer Dave Grossman.

“I was like, ‘Later, Ron will come up and he’ll write the real dialogue, which will be serious pirate lore,’” Schafer says. “And then Ron came up and he played it, he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s funny.’ I was like, ‘I’ll put something serious in there later.’ And he [goes], ‘No, that’s the dialogue. That’s the dialogue for the game.’ I was like, ‘You’re gonna leave the three-headed monkey line in there?’ He goes, ‘Yeah. And you know what? We should get [LucasArts artist] Steve Purcell to draw a three-headed monkey and put it back there.’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ I was terrified that this raw, silly joke was going in there.

“I still had that image in my head of the big building full of scientists and robots that made games, like some super smart brain that knows what they’re doing. And then you get in it and you realize everyone’s just like you. People are smarter than you, for sure, but not like a different species of smart. So yeah, I didn’t think the game would be super serious, but I thought it would be, I don’t know, I thought some adult was going to come along and write the real dialogue.”

Later, when the team was designing combat for Monkey Island, Schafer felt like they hit a wall. Early concepts were based on Jordan Mechner’s fighting game Karateka and featured high, low, and medium attacks that players could counter using high, low, and medium blocks. The team even spent time watching several classic Errol Flynn films for inspiration. However, the group never felt like the sword-fighting mechanics were a good fit for their adventure game. Gilbert eventually had the revelation that the dueling mechanic should be based on a war of words where players chose snappy comebacks and insults as a way of attacking their opponent.

“I was like, ‘You can’t – people want to swordfight! They’re gonna be so mad,’” Schafer says. “I was so scared by this crazy idea, and then, of course, it turned out to be that the insult sword fighting is some people’s favorite part of Monkey Island, and it’s this classic thing. That was another example of just how afraid you are sometimes of ideas that don’t fit. Learning to run with them was an important lesson.”

After working on The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, Schafer moved into the role of co-director, alongside Dave Grossman. The two created Day of the Tentacle, a bizarre adventure game about a group of young friends and their time-traveling adventure to stop a sentient, disembodied tentacle from taking over the world.

“I used to talk about Day of the Tentacle as being the last fun game to work on,” Schafer says. “I always liked the games after, but that was the last time it felt easy because we didn’t have 3D and we didn’t do voice … The brainstorming sessions were so fun because we’d just spend all afternoon in a room eating candy and telling jokes and accidentally designing a couple puzzles a day. Those were really fun.”

Schafer became the lone director on his next project, Full Throttle. LucasArts hoped Full Throttle would revolutionize the adventure game genre, and Schafer had the freedom to craft a more serious story about near-future biker gangs and corporate espionage. Schafer and his team moved into the offices that once housed Pixar and got to work modernizing their traditionally convoluted mechanics into a streamlined point-and-click interface. At one point, Schafer designed an interactive sequence where Full Throttle’s protagonist underwent a peyote-induced hallucination. This sequence was cut from the game, but some of its concepts eventually took shape in the Psychonauts series.

Around this time, Schafer also continued to refine his writing style and prove himself as more than just a humorist. Where The Secret of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle were off-the-wall cartoons, games like Full Throttle featured unique, detailed worlds full of compelling characters. Schafer began to understand that he could tell funny stories that still had heart and said something meaningful. Of course, as any artist will tell you, creating anything of value is hard.

“There are lot of writers that have shot themselves; I think I know why,” Schafer says. “And that’s probably something I should learn [to deal with] better, because [writing] can be really isolating … When you do something creative, it’s one thing to just output your own creative ideas, but to be able to explain them, why you’re doing it – I’m not even clear why I’m doing half the stuff I’m doing. It’s hard to sit in a room and be like, ‘I think the reason I’m making this joke here is that three-headed monkeys are funny.’ And what if someone was like, ‘I think it should be a four-headed monkey!’ Being able to have that conversation is a skill that people have to learn.”

After Full Throttle, Schafer worked on a film noir-inspired adventure called Grim Fandango, which followed a travel agent for the dead named Manny Calavera on a multi-year journey across the underworld. Like Full Throttle, Schafer hoped to expand the definition of an adventure game. Grim Fandango combined Aztec beliefs of the afterlife with a 1930s Art Deco aesthetic to produce an incredibly striking visual style. The game’s environments were built using a mix of pre-rendered 2D backgrounds and 3D character models, which allowed the team to design new kinds of puzzles that encouraged players to explore the world. When Grim Fandango launched in October 1998, it received rave reviews and a few “Game of the Year” nods. Schafer didn’t know it at the time, but it would be his last project with LucasArts.

Under The Shadow Of Star Wars

In the mid-’90s, the rights to Star Wars games had reverted to LucasArts, and by the turn of the millennium the company was ramping up production on a series of games to support the release of the Star Wars prequel films. Schafer watched the tide at Lucasfilm turn from supporting original ideas to focusing on expanding a singular science-fantasy universe. While Full Throttle and Grim Fandango had been critical darlings, their market value couldn’t compete with one of the biggest media franchises on the planet.

“Some people in management really didn’t like the adventure games because they were not huge money-makers,” Schafer says. “Especially once they started making Star Wars games … They were like, ‘Hey, Tim, after Grim, why don’t you just make a PS2 game?’ That was their code for some sort of actiony kind of game. And I kind of wanted to, too. ‘Yeah, sure. I’ll make a console game. I’ll take all of the things we know from adventure games – the dialogue and story and characters and stuff – but it’ll just be easier to use and interact with.’”

Throughout the ’90s, Schafer played Super Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII, and the original Tomb Raider games. Those experiences awakened an excitement in him to explore fully-realized 3D worlds. Inspired by those titles, he began work on a spy-themed game that was a mix of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey , the ’70s spy thriller Three Days of the Condor , and the Hong Kong wire-fu movies of Jet Li. Schafer continued to play with the idea of letting players travel deeper into their minds to meditate on objects to progress the story – circling concepts that would finally see the light of day in Psychonauts years later.

However, after a year of prototyping this space-age spy game, Schafer felt like it was time to move on from the company that had given him a career. He wanted more flexibility over his company culture and the freedom to pursue any project that sparked his imagination. If he’d stayed much longer at LucasArts, he might have been asked to create a Star Wars or Indiana Jones game, which could have been fun, but he didn’t feel like he had the appropriate skills to play in someone else’s world.

“Making up a world from scratch is one set of skills, and working with someone else’s world is a different set of skills … Before [ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace ] shipped, licensing was like, ‘These characters can’t have lightsabers; they’re not Jedi.’ [That team] was like, ‘What? We made all these characters have lightsabers!’ They ended up having billy clubs or something. At the last minute, they had to turn off the lights on the lightsabers. If I licensed Psychonauts to someone else, I’d be the same way. I’d be like, ‘That’s a psychic power, you can’t have magic! The difference between psychic powers and magic is rah rah rah rah.’ I’d be exactly the same way because when you make a world you want it to be consistent.”

In the summer of 2000, Schafer left LucasArts and founded Double Fine Productions which has achieved its own measure of fame over the years. Still, many fans look back with reverence at the work Schafer produced during the first decade of his career. Titles like The Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, and Grim Fandango are still considered some of the best adventure games of all time. Even so, Schafer recognizes that the most important thing he developed during his time at LucasArts wasn’t an impressive gameography, it was the formative experiences that shaped him into a designer who could lead a team.

“Something I learned at Lucas was that you don’t really place your bets on ideas, you place your bets on people,” Schafer says. “It’s not the strength of the game idea that makes the game successful, it’s the people who are going to push it, make it work, and change the idea.”

This article originally appeared in Issue 336 of Game Informer.

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Cover Letters: Cover Letters Quiz

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Resume And Cover Letter Quiz Questions With Answers

Get ready for resume and cover letter quiz with informative questions with answers? Getting the job of your dream may be dependent on the first impression you make and this is not on the date of the interview. The first contact that one makes with a prospective employer is through their resume and cover letter, these two documents are almost enough for an organization to range your capabilities. How good are you at the resume and cover letter writing? Try playing this resume and cover letter quiz and assess your understanding of the key elements and formats of a cover Read more letter.

_____________ is a letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document such as a résumé or employment application; as a way of introducing themselves to potential employers and explaining their suitability for the desired position.

Résumé

Job Application

Cover Letter

Reference Letter

Rate this question:

It is important to remember that cover letters are ________ letters, and you are the product. Cover letters serve to introduce you to an employer, and resume tells about you.

Recommendation

Resignation

A cover letter serves to ________________________________.

Create a favorable first impression.

Introduce yourself.

Demonstrate your professionalism.

Illustrate your communication skills.

All of them

None of them

Cover letters are typically divided into _________ categories.

Cover letters are generally _____ page at most in length, divided into a header, introduction, body, and closing., the ___________ paragraph should create interest and explain why you are writing. it should state the type of position you are applying for, as well as how you heard about the company. also in your first paragraph, refer to your enclosed or attached resume..

Introduction

The ________ paragraph highlights or amplifies on the material in the resume or job application, and explains why the job seeker is interested in the job and would be of value to the employer.

In the __________ paragraph you request action, such as an appointment, an  interview, or some other definite action, what format do write a cover letter in.

Business Formal

Business Informal

___________ is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets.

Business letter

What is a very important tip you should do before submitting your résumé?

Spell Check

Have someone else read it

Make it all bold

None of these

In many contexts, a resumé is short (usually ______ to _____ pages), and directs a reader's attention to the aspects of a person's background that are directly relevant to a particular position.

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