Posted By Amanda Collins on May 27, 2009

Truly, there is an art to writing a résumé. Too many people think of it as a glorified employment application that is all about the applicant’s past. In actuality, a résumé is a marketing document showcasing the accomplishments, skills, and education you have to offer to provide value to a potential employer. A well-written résumé will include:

Title
Tell the employer who you are for them. Unlike the old objective, a title is clear, concise, and is not about you.

Summary
Like the trailer to your movie, this is your “commercial” to highlight all the reasons the employer needs to (A) read more about you, and (B) call you in for an interview. It is the answer to the question, “Why should I hire you?” Focus on demonstrable traits as opposed to soft skills. Everyone will say they’re nice and easy to work with, but only a few will talk about their consistent ability to deliver results.

Core Competencies
Keywords are a huge component of a résumé, primarily because that is how employers will search for you among their database of scanned résumés. Make sure you’re including the words mentioned in the job description / want ad, which should definitely be reflected elsewhere on the resume.

Professional Experience
Employers want to know where you’ve worked, a little about the company, the dates, the location, your job title, an overall job scope, and accomplishments. When looking at your accomplishments, consider times you’ve had to overcome obstacles to reap a reward. Think about increasing revenue, decreasing spend, improving customer service, or bettering employee morale. If your paid experience is minimal, incorporate volunteer opportunities.

Education
If you’re a new graduate with limited work experience, this should follow the “core competencies” section. If you’re re-careering or a professional, this can go to the bottom, although it will depend on the individual person. Include the degree, major area, school, and location of school. If you’re basing most of your “saleability” on your education, it’s a good idea to list relevant classes or school groups in which you’ve been involved. If you have a college degree (or are working on one), there’s no need to include your high school. If you’ve not yet graduated, list the expected date of graduation.

Additional Information
Some new grads will include professional memberships, community involvement, or other sections that support the career goal.

Remember that everything on your resume should support what you want to be when you grow up. If it doesn’t, it’s not a good use of important real estate!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on May 13, 2009

What are the components needed in a cover letter? Wait, before we get that far, do you even NEED a cover letter? So many people have heard that hiring authorities never even read the cover letter, so they think that they needn’t bother to spend the time to write one. I beg to differ. Would you just walk up to someone and start telling them about yourself without an introduction? If you think of your cover letter as a handshake, it may make more sense to always include one.

Granted, some HR people and recruiters admit they don’t read cover letters, but I’ve heard some who don’t read the resume and only look at the letter! Cover your bases by making sure your cover letter is a great complement to your resume and gets the reader poised to learn more. While your resume really can’t be generic, a “template” for your cover letter is pretty easy and can be updated as needed. All you have to do is write three paragraphs!

First Paragraph
Cut part of this from your resume summary, which should explain why you’re a compelling candidate for the position. If you are applying for a certain job, cite what it is and how you heard of it.

Second Paragraph
Copy or reword accomplishments from your resume. I usually take three that represent a cross-section of abilities. Another great way to highlight your qualifications in this paragraph is with a table: on one side put the required skills and on the other put your attributes as they relate to them. Of course, that requires you know what they are, so that will be later in the process.

Third Paragraph
This is your call to action and thank you for considering you for the position. Many people get weak here, but the key is to stay strong and powerful, maintaining the tone and focus of the first paragraph.

Be brief, succinct, and targeted to get across the message that you are the one for the position. Who knows? Your cover letter may be THE reason you get an interview!

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