Posts Tagged ‘resumes’

Resume Cover Letters: Writing The Smoking Hot Snapshot

It’s pretty much common knowledge employers are clumsy and sometimes bungling when it comes to selecting the right employee. They go through a stack of resumes and they kid themselves into thinking this is the right way to go about getting at who to call in for the face-to-face first-time interview based upon a person’s job history, education, skills, interests, special awards, and other types of things that generally are included on a resume. The HR guy or gal (or hiring manager) likely enjoys plowing through the resumes about as much as he or she likes being kicked in the eye. It’s about equal to how much you enjoyed regurgitating the boring facts onto the piece of paper(s) we call a resume in the first place.

Enter the resume cover letter. Resume cover letters are like a wonderful breath of fresh air. They have spirit, or should have at least. They are your key to the future. They get the job done. They get the job, period. These sometimes ingnored pieces of artwork are the sauce of who you are and what you represent as a person. They are the flexing of your resume muscle, as it were. Without actually promising to meet you in person yet, the hiring manager and boss can scrutinize a resume cover letter document and either attach your name in their brain with something favorable or something not so favorable. This is completely at the other end of the spectrum as it relates to what a resume can pull off sitting there all by itself with no hand to hold.

Resume cover letters are your saving grace because you can be the attention-getter—you can point out all of your great virtues to the employer without feeling self-conscious. You can hook the employer like you never knew, and you are about to learn how.

It’s your turn to get in on a resume cover letter writing “secret”, a an effective route to get you in the door. This is the whole point of the resume cover letter—yes, you get the resume read, but more significantly to get your hiney in front of the person who does the hiring. So, first remember that you will be meeting a person. That person has feelings, likes, dislikes, and you guessed it—a personality like you do. Rewind. Understanding that the hiring manager has a much in common with you, you can capitalize on that by—here’s the first part of the “secret”—discovering these things in advance. Face it, by and large networking is what lands jobs. This is your chance to do some resume “under”cover letter research to find out some interesting facts about the hiring manager and/or the potential future boss. You will see a bit later how this all ties into resume cover letters.

Do you know an employee that works at the establishment you want to be a part of? Does he or she know the HR guy or enough about him or the boss to spill some beans? These beans aren’t confidential beans, just beans that give you a better idea of who you will be dealing with and work habits and things like hobbies, interests, traits, etc. If you don’t know someone who works there, that’s okay. You can meet one of the employees casually at the place you want to work at if you have to. It’s about doing what it takes to know more than the next guy. “Bump” into an unintimidating employee on their way out of work on a Friday, and after you chat with them a very short while, find out if the CEO is a good boss to work for and some other relevant details about him. What is the corporate culture? What else can you think of to find out comfortably by asking or just looking around at the setting? You’re not doing anything wrong here, you are just being practical. Alter the detail-gathering to your comfort level. What do you find that is rare in the environment that the personnel would probably pride themselves on?

After your little visit you are all set to jot down some awesome spotlights in your resume cover letter. How will you fit in at the place you want to work? Imagine that you already work there (you have some knowledge already from conversations and observation). Huh? That is, what can you articulate in your cover letter that makes it sound like you will be the right choice for the job. What is it about you that particularly demonstrates that you are the perfect one for the job?

You have an advantage at this point. Now at the very beginning of the resume cover letter, and right before the final period of the cover letter, you can note something that will make the hiring manager all warm and fuzzy, and think, “This guy (or gal) will be great to meet. Sounds like the perfect fit.” Don’t overdo things, but in the very beginning of the cover letter point out a peculiarity/uniqueness that from your stopover shows you can “gel” with what the company has going for them. Independently, at the very conclusion, insert another smoking hot piece of information about why you could be just who they are looking for, based upon your field trip or observation/conversation(s). Impress them at the outset, and impress them after everything else. Everything else in the middle is icing about pertinent details found in your resume. Voila! Your chances just improved exceedingly by employing just a single little smoking hot snapshot “secret”.

Quick Resume Writing Tips: Evaluating Your Resume

Putting together a resume is not an easy feat, and many job seekers are so relieved to be done with this arduous task that they can’t wait to be done with it. Recall though, that your resume is a marketing tool and is the first impression an employer gets of you. A great resume will entice an employer to invite you in for a personal interview, while a fair to average resume will get pushed aside and ignored. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make your resume as strong as possible.

To help you in this task, review your resume against the following resume writing quick tips. These guidelines will help you evaluate your resume and identify those areas that may need more work.

- Overall Resume Review:

Is your resume well laid out? Is it pleasing to the eye?

Is your resume less than one page if you are a student or new to the workforce? Is it less than three pages if you are an experienced professional?

Have you chosen legible fonts throughout your resume or do the fonts detract from the context of the resume?

Have you used spell check and/or dictionary to ensure that there are no spelling errors?

Has someone else (outside of yourself) read your resume for grammatical errors?

Does your resume use proper English?

Is your resume memorable? Does it stand out in a crowd (but in a positive way)?

Is your resume tailored to the type of position you are seeking?

How do you come across when your resume is read? What will an employee think of you?

Are you pleased with your resume? Does it do a good job of telling an employer who you are and why you are a good candidate?

- Introduction:

Do you have your name, address, and contact information clearly displayed at the top of your resume?

- Objective (if included):

Did you limit your objective to just one or two short sentences?

Is your objective clear and concise? Or is it ambiguous?

Is your objective focused? Does it make sense given the position you are targeting?

- Education:

If you have a college degree, have you placed the details of your Education at the top of your resume? If you do not have a degree, have you placed the Education section after your Professional Experience?

Is it clear from your resume that you have obtained a college degree, if you graduated?

If you did not graduate, is it clear that you do not yet have a degree?

Are details of your college major and minors (if applicable) included in the Education section?

- Professional Experience:

Is your work experience presented logically (either by date or by subject area)?

Have you limited your work experience to no more than 4-5 previous positions?

Have you accounted for any gaps in your work history that an employer might question?

Do the name of the company, your job title, and dates of employment for each position stand out for easy identification?

Does each position support the resume and your objective?

Could an employer quickly scanning your professional experience easily identify a number of key words and action verbs that will identify you as a solid candidate?

Have you limited the information in each position to those that are the most relevant to the position to which you are applying?

Does your experience seem to flow together or is there a lot of jumping around between positions, companies, and industries?

If you worked for a lesser known employer, is each company’s business and industry clear from the company’s name? Have you supplied a quick identifier for each lesser known employer?

Is your professional experience accurately and honestly conveyed?

- Skills:

Are the skills you have listed relevant to the position to which you are applying?

Do the skills listed accurately convey your experience and knowledge in each area?

- Other Sections:

Do any other sections included in your resume enhance your presentation? Are they relevant to the position to which you are applying?

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