Top 10 Resume and Cover Letter Tips
Before you can start to job search, you need a resume. A resume is a summary of your work-related history - a written compilation of your education, work experience, credentials, and accomplishments. Writing a resume, especially the first time or if you haven't updated yours in a while, can be complicated because your resume is going to be reviewed by software as well as by hiring managers. You need to write it for both audiences.
Review these top resume tips for choosing a type of resume, selecting a resume font, customizing your resume, using resume keywords, explaining employment gaps, reviewing resume examples, and more tips for writing interview winning resumes.
I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but writing a cover letter to send or post with your resume isn't easy either. That's especially true in a competitive job market, like this one. When you need to write a cover letter, it can be the small things that can knock you out of contention, and as importantly, how you present yourself in your letter that gets you an interview.
Review these cover letter tips and techniques for writing top notch cover letters to send with your resume, including cover letter format and presentation, choosing a type of cover letter, writing custom cover letters, and cover letter examples and templates.
Next, take a look at these 10 job search tips that will help your hunt for a new job go smoothly.
Resume and Cover Letter Tips
Image Copyright Pali Rao
Resumes only became customary after World War II, as a means for employers to eliminate unqualified candidates among scores of GIs looking for new jobs. Not much has changed. Nowadays, nearly every individual, starting a job search, begins by developing a resume, but decision makers only spend and average of ten seconds scanning them. A resume cannot do the heavy lifting in a job search. Its purpose is strictly to function, in conjunction with a follow-up call, as a marketing tool to initiate a conversation with the decision maker. Your goal should be to present your background and accomplishments in a visually appealing, reverse chronological order, with dates, succinctly and honestly. Stay away from functional resumes, extensive formatting and leaving dates off to hide age.