Writing a Perfect Resume and Cover Letter
When you plan to send your job application to a company that is looking to hire new employees, you should make sure that your resume and letter writing skills are excellent enough to give you a fighting chance to be called for interview.
Remember that your resume and cover letter go hand in hand. Your goal in writing the cover letter is to direct the employer's interest to your resume. Your resume, in turn, should be truthful to what you said on your letter. Both of them require certain skills and standard etiquette in order to be useful in representing you, the applicant.
In writing your resume, you must choose a format that will help you highlight your strengths. Either you choose the chronological format, which showcases your entire work history, or the functional format, which emphasizes your skills and accomplishments. You may also decide to combine the two for a more powerful presentation.
Include only your most important information and all the details that are related to the job you are applying for. For your resume, regardless of the format you choose, you may present your information in bullet points to allow for easy scanning. Divide everything into sections so the recruiter can absorb most of the information even in one glance.
As for your cover letter, you don't need to include all the information that you already have in your resume. The goal is get the recruiting manager's interest to read your resume. It should be enticing enough that he or she will be compelled to review your resume and call you for interview.
When you write your cover letter, use these questions as guide: * For what job position are you applying and how did you learn of the position or company? Your answer to this should appear in the first paragraph of the letter. If you've learned about the company from an ad posting, then say so. Mention where you saw the ad. * Why are you perfect for the position? In the second paragraph, state your qualifications and how do you think you can contribute to the company. * Who will contact who? Before you close your letter, ask for an interview. Mention if you plan to make follow up call and when.
Resume and letter writing is pretty similar in the sense that both must be composed in a way that catches the reader's attention as quick as possible. Employers do not have the luxury of time so you only have a few minutes, or even seconds, to make your mark. So both your resume and cover letter should be brief and simple.
Remember that your resume and cover letter go hand in hand. Your goal in writing the cover letter is to direct the employer's interest to your resume. Your resume, in turn, should be truthful to what you said on your letter. Both of them require certain skills and standard etiquette in order to be useful in representing you, the applicant.
In writing your resume, you must choose a format that will help you highlight your strengths. Either you choose the chronological format, which showcases your entire work history, or the functional format, which emphasizes your skills and accomplishments. You may also decide to combine the two for a more powerful presentation.
Include only your most important information and all the details that are related to the job you are applying for. For your resume, regardless of the format you choose, you may present your information in bullet points to allow for easy scanning. Divide everything into sections so the recruiter can absorb most of the information even in one glance.
As for your cover letter, you don't need to include all the information that you already have in your resume. The goal is get the recruiting manager's interest to read your resume. It should be enticing enough that he or she will be compelled to review your resume and call you for interview.
When you write your cover letter, use these questions as guide: * For what job position are you applying and how did you learn of the position or company? Your answer to this should appear in the first paragraph of the letter. If you've learned about the company from an ad posting, then say so. Mention where you saw the ad. * Why are you perfect for the position? In the second paragraph, state your qualifications and how do you think you can contribute to the company. * Who will contact who? Before you close your letter, ask for an interview. Mention if you plan to make follow up call and when.
Resume and letter writing is pretty similar in the sense that both must be composed in a way that catches the reader's attention as quick as possible. Employers do not have the luxury of time so you only have a few minutes, or even seconds, to make your mark. So both your resume and cover letter should be brief and simple.
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