Resumes and Cover Letters

What's the Purpose of a Cover Letter?

The purpose of a cover letter is to show the recruiter how well your skills match the job requirements.  One page maximum.  Identify the top five or six job requirements from the posting and then provide statements about how you meet and exceed those requirements.

What's the Purpose of a Resume?

The purpose of the resume is to get your talents noticed during the first culling phase by the recruiter and then to get you an interview.  The resume is not the place to tell your life employment history.  It is the place to show what you've done, and how well it matches up with the job requirements.  Your resume is your marketing document

Gathering the Data

If you haven't written a resume in a while, first assemble all of your information.  Start by listing each employer and each position you've held.  Remember, all this detail is not the resume, but will be used to write the resume.  Include job duties, skills, capabilities and accomplishments. Be sure to list all the various software and computer tools you have used. During this phase, don't worry about length.  Get dates, addresses, and job titles. This research will also come in handy when you have to fill out an employment application form.

Selecting a Resume Type:  Functional or Chronological

Resumes are usually organized as chronological resumes or functional resumes.

The chronological resume is the preferred type if your job history has been in the same industry with a steady progression of promotions and responsibilities. This format emphasizes the accomplishments for each position held. Never go back further than about 15 years unless there is some compelling prior experience.

Use the functional resume format if you have had frequent job changes, are considering a career change, have little related experience. In this format, you emphasize your abilities and accomplishments, and minimize your chronological history.  Break your experience into areas of expertise such as planning, research, and management.

Formatting a Resume

Keep your resume formatting simple and clean and remember the amount of white space is as important as the amount of information.  Use a simple sans-serif font such as Arial 11 point.  Make sure you have 1" margins on all sides.  For headings, use Arial 13 point bold. 

The resume should not exceed two pages. On the first page, at the very top, usually centered, include in your contact information (name, address, contact phone, and contact email). On the top of the second page, just your name in the header is required. The bottom footers should only contain the page number.

Your resume should be set out in sections starting with the position title, your skills summary, skills and capabilities, work experience, computer skills, and education. Your skills summary and skills and capabilities sections should include "key words."  These are the skills noted in the job posting or job description of the position for which you are applying.  Use bullets to highlight your skills and capabilities. Use whole years (not months) in the work history section and provide a brief description of your accomplishments under each position. Use white space above each major section to make the resume more readable.  Finally, leave out all dates in the education section and don't include high school.

Creating a Powerful Resume and Some Final Tips

There are many writing services that can produce a resume for you.  Before you choose one, be sure to get references from past clients. A professionally written resume will pay for itself if it gets you an interview, and ultimately a job, even one week earlier.

Here are some final tips about creating a powerful resume: