Your R

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Your Résumé
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• The importance of a well written cover letter and
  résumé are priceless.

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Cover Letter Etiquette

• by Kim IsaacsMonster Résumé Expert

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Say No to the Cover Letter Cop-Out

• The first rule of cover letter etiquette is to
  send a cover letter -- always. It doesn't matter
  if the hiring manager didn't ask for it or you're
  too busy to write one. It's proper business
  etiquette to accompany a résumé with a cover
  letter, and it gives you the opportunity to help
  sell yourself for the position.

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Be Concise

• Busy hiring managers don't have time to wade
  through letters that could pass for
  dissertations. Get to the point as expeditiously
  as possible, and break any paragraphs seven lines
  or longer into short, easily digestible ones.

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• When emailing your cover letter, brevity is even
  more important. The nature of email calls for
  concise communication, in part because it's
  harder to read on screen than on paper. However,
  don't fall prey to the one-line cover letter that
  some job seekers try to pass off. It goes
  something like this "Please see attached résumé
  , and thank you for your time and consideration."
  You should be able to write a convincing cover
  letter in a few brief paragraphs.

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Keep It Professional But Friendly

• While a résumé is generally a formal document,
  cover letters give you a chance to reveal your
  personality. Not only do you want to show that
  you're a good fit for the position, but you also
  want the reader to like you. Appropriate use of
  humor, combined with a friendly and professional
  tone, can help endear you to the hiring manager.

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Get Personal

• Whenever possible, address your letter to a
  specific person. If a job posting doesn't include
  a person's name, do some research to find out who
  the correct person is. Try calling the employer
  (but do respect ads that state "no phone calls"),
  and ask a receptionist for the hiring manager's
  name. Keep the salutation professional by using
  "Dear Mr. Jones," not "Dear Jim."

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Focus on the Employer's Needs

• If every other sentence of your letter begins
  with "I" or "my," you need to change the focus.
  Research the employer and find out what types of
  problems managers there are facing, qualities
  they look for in employees and their future
  goals. Then use your letter to prove that you are
  the answer to their problems. The most compelling
  letters demonstrate what you can do for the
  employer, not what the employer can do for you.

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Be Original

• Your cover letter will stand out if you employ
  some creativity. For example, you could include a
  brief summary of your toughest sale or most
  challenging project.
• You could incorporate excerpts of performance
  reviews to highlight your record of success. Or,
  you could create two columns in your letter to
  demonstrate precisely how you meet the employer's
  requirements
• Your ad specifies Five years' experience in IT.
• And I deliver Six years of superior-rated
  performance in network design and administration.

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Proofread

• Cover letters should be free of errors, so
  thoroughly proofread them before sending. If
  proofreading is not your strong suit, get help
  from someone with meticulous proofreading skills.
  If you're customizing a cover letter that you use
  for many positions, remove any placeholders this
  will prevent embarrassing errors such as "I would
  be delighted to be your next ." And one last tip
  whatever you do, please spell the hiring
  manager's name correctly.

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• Following cover letter etiquette can be time
  intensive, but the reward is worth it More calls
  for interviews and a greater chance of securing a
  new position.

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Cover Letters
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Should My Résumé Be One Page or Two?

• If you read enough books or talk to enough people
  who "know" about résumé , you'll come across a
  rule stating your resume should be only one page
  long.
• It's great if you can do this. But if you end up
  leaving out so much good material that you
  destroy your interview chances, what good have
  you done?

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Should My Résumé Be One Page or Two? (cont)

• Remember A professional will read your résumé .
  Some readers demand your résumé be one page.
  Others will read a two-pager without hesitation.
  You don't know who's who, but the point still
  remains - a one-page rule simply doesn't exist.

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Prepare yourself

• Keep up with any awards/certificates
• Organize special projects in a portfolio
• Keep articles, newsletters, papers that have been
  published
• Learn new skills while in college

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Stay connected

• Network (professors, other students)
• Attend career fairs, study abroad fairs

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Should the Education Section Go First or Last?

• In most cases, it makes sense to put the
  Education section at the beginning of your résumé
  , since you're a college student or recent grad.
  But if you've got a lot of great internship,
  co-op or work experience closely related to your
  chosen field, position your Experience section
  ahead of Education.

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Should the Education Section Go First or Last?
(cont)

• Here's another résumé area where there's no rule
  Put it where it makes the most sense for you and
  your particular skills and experiences.

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Should I Include My GPA on My Résumé ?

• Yes -- if it's above a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). If
  not, try to make it look better by highlighting
  your major GPA instead of your cumulative one or
  calculating your GPA for the last three or four
  semesters, for example.
• Dont Lie

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Should I List My School Address, Permanent
Address or Both?

• If in doubt, list both -- as long as you can
  actually be reached at both. If not, use the
  address where an employer will actually be able
  to reach you for the next few months.

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What Can I Put on My Résumé If I Don't Have Much
Experience?

• For starters, don't overlook or ignore the skills
  you've gained from jobs you've taken simply to
  get through school.

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You've also gained valuable experience from

• Your foreign-language study
• Alternative learning experiences, like studying
  abroad or conducting research
• Your computer and Internet use
• Extracurricular activities
• Highlight projects where you received hands on
  experience

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Should My Résumé Include Only Paid Experience?

• Employers are interested in your skills, not
  whether or not you've been paid to learn them. So
  don't hesitate to highlight nonpaying work and
  volunteer experiences if they've given you
  bragging rights.

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Should I Include Precollege Information on My
Résumé ?

• Generally, no -- employers aren't likely to care
  about it much. There are exceptions, of course.
  Suppose you won a national award in high school,
  or you accomplished something extraordinary. Then
  you should highlight it, especially if it's
  connected to your chosen field.

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Remember

• Résumé writing is much more art than science, so
  just as you would with an art project, express
  yourself the way that works best for you and the
  information you're trying to portray.

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Four Critical Résumé Self-Marketing Elements

• When your résumé is focused, you hold your
  reader. And when you offer clear benefits to your
  next employer, your resume becomes a true selling
  document. Check your résumé to see if you've
  included these four critical marketing elements
  that can help motivate the reader to call you for
  an interview.
• by Joe Turner

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Focused Objective

• Does your résumé include a clear, focused
  objective? Does it identify one clear job title
  youre seeking? Leave out all that nonsense about
  wanting a "challenging opportunity with a dynamic
  company." Try this Simply lead with a clear
  statement of your desired positions title under
  the Objective heading, e.g., Chief Financial
  Officer.

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Your Resumes Keyword Section

• Everyone pays lip service to having keywords in
  the résumé , but few act on it. If you don't,
  you're missing the boat in two major ways

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Your Résumé Needs to Be Able to Be Flagged by a
Computer

• To better your odds, you need every potential
  keyword working for you. Make sure to add all
  your appropriate industry buzzwords as well as
  your biggest soft skills. Did you know that some
  of the most-searched keywords include terms we
  often overlook, such as "problem-solving,"
  "leadership" and "oral/written communication"?

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You Need to Appeal to the Professional Who Reads
Your Résumé

• A reader will scan a great keyword summary
  section within the first 20 seconds of looking at
  your résumé . When added to your personal
  branding statement, you increase your chances of
  hooking the reader and getting a more in-depth
  reading.

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Personal Branding Statement

• What makes you a unique applicant? Don't think
  great skill sets or years of experience alone
  will give you an edge. Many other candidates have
  the same or better skills. The solution is to
  create a brand for yourself. Review your résumé
  . Does it have a clear statement that describes
  who you are and what you offer? This is called a
  branding statement, also known as a value add or
  unique selling proposition. Don't confuse this
  with the Summary of Qualifications sections many
  candidates include. These are merely laundry
  lists of core competencies and do nothing to make
  you stand out.

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• A true branding statement is a one-sentence
  description of who you are and what critical
  benefits you offer. It should describe your
  biggest strength and the resulting benefit to
  your previous employer. The best branding
  statements usually incorporate figures in dollars
  or percentages of money or time that was gained
  or saved over a specific time period.  

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Here is an example for a CFO

• Seasoned Chief Financial Officer strong in
  optimizing organizations to achieve maximum
  growth and market share who has produced new
  revenues or savings of over 65 million for my
  employers over the past eight years.

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What you should know. . .

• Print your cover letter and résumé on résumé
  paper
• Place your résumé in an envelope that matches you
  cover letter and résumé when mailing.
• Always send a thank you letter after an
  interview. It makes your résumé standout more.

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SSS Resources

• Sample Cover Letter
• Sample Résumé
• Counselor to review
• Mock interview sessions
• Informational interviews
• Keep your résumé updated

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The End!