A sock with a hole in the heel.

It arrived with a resume and cover letter some years ago, when the newspaper where I worked was seeking a reporter. The applicant was creatively making the point that he would tirelessly investigate leads and news tips, wearing out his shoes and more to get a story. That gimmick made a lasting impression — as old socks often do — but as I recall the person did not get the job.

Recently, the Register posted an ad for a newsroom position, and as always it was fascinating to see who was interested and how they approached their cover letters, their big chance to stand out from their rivals.

It is difficult, and probably unfair, to size people up on paper, but we must make the first cut by reading the resumes.

That was particularly true in this case, as more than 100 people applied for a single reporter position.

As usual, there were a few applicants whose backgrounds would seem to make them unlikely fits for Napa Valley Register world headquarters.

Writing a couple of novels or interning at the United Nations is impressive, but the fact of the matter is we need someone who will be engaged by covering little old Napa and its intrigues.

Knowledge of the Gaza Strip or years as a technical writer might not help when we’re ramping up for Auction Napa Valley or the debate over the Angwin eco-village.

So we try to weed out the nomads of pen and paper from those who will likely fit in to our loose-knit team of people who work independently and together at the same time to cover Napa County as it truly is.

Over the years, I’ve inevitably seen cover letters and resumes with typos.

If a woman claims to have graduated from Sarcamento State University or a man has always expired to work in journalism, what might happen when that person confronts a story about Andre Tchelistcheff?

Sometimes a cover letter states the applicant always has wanted to work for the Petaluma Argus-Courier or the Cape May Times.

That person forgot to tailor his or her cover letter for the opportunity at hand. Simple mistake, or sign of a scattered mind?

When circumstances force you to judge a book by its cover, you may never know.

So what do we look for? People who appear to be dedicated to daily journalism, whose resume or experience suggests stability and the ability under pressure to spell Tchelistcheff correctly. And someone who will keep his socks on.