Resume and Cover Letter Tips

Resume Tips

Content

1. Keep it Recent – when applying to a job make sure to submit the most updated version and emphasize the most recent parts. If you are applying to a job out of college and still taking about things you did in high school, an employer will not be interested.

2. Show Direction – In your list of job and activities show a clear direction, customize the resume for each employer so that it seems that you are clearly qualified and that their job is clearly next in step.

3. Make it Concise – A non-executive resume should be no more than 1 page. You should leave enough room to describe each job, including responsibilities and deliverables.

It is not important to have strange FONTS, colors, bold, underline, and italics. It is important to keep the resume as clean as possible. It should be easy to follow with categories including education, work experience, volunteer experience, travel (if you are well traveled) and languages.

The cover letter is as important as the resume itself and should be crafted for each job. Like the resume, the cover letter gives special emphasis both to what you can provide to the job and how it fits well into your career plans. Make the job a natural progression in the story and highlight all of the skills that you have that make you a special candidate.