ExecMagazine

Discussing the Cover Letter and Resume is part one of our six part series.  So lets cut the junk and get down to the info…

The Cover Letter

Look, obviously there are many scenarios that you will need a cover letter.  I can’t help everyone because some of you are college graduates seeking your first job and others are experienced professionals trying to go from a 300k/yr. job to a 400k/yr. job.  Obviously there will be differences in the level of communication inside the cover letter.  I am going to try to provide SOME info and help for most of you.  You can make adjustments accordingly.

If you are a college graduate, you are going to probably lack work experience.  In your cover letter, highlight internships, coursework, and amateur experience.  Make sure to also point out the volunteer positions or work you have performed.  Relevant hobbies are also valuable to the cover letter at this level.

For everyone else, think of the cover letter as a way to market yourself.  Use this “pre-resume” opportunity to tell the employer about yourself and the type of position you are applying for.  Make sure to emphasize why you are the person who can get the job done, and done right.  Choose a few relevant items from your resume and highlight how they apply to the job you want.

A simple google search on “Cover Letter Examples” has yielded some great results.

If you are a recent college graduate, check out this great example.

If you have been referred to the job by someone known to the employer, here is the perfect example for you.

If you haven’t made any contact with the company up to the point of application, here is an example for you.

Often times, you run into a recruiter.  This happens when you apply to jobs online.  Essentially you must still apply and market yourself to the recruiter before they begin to invest time and money…  to help you get the job.  Here is an example cover letter if you are in contact with a recruiter, head hunter, or whatever you want to call them.

The Resume

The resume is very dynamic.  Each resume should be individually unique.  The most common mistake when creating a resume, in my opinion, is using the simple and way too common templates provided by Microsoft Word, Works, or any other popular piece of software.  Do you really want to send a resume that looks like a million other resumes?  The HR lady will shove it aside before she even gets past your name.

A resume outlines your skills, experience, education, and gives the employer the information they need to move to an interview stage.  Unlike an application, your resume is designed by YOU and shows the employer your strengths and achievements.  In addition to looking good on paper, a resume can help you through a face to face or over-the-phone interview and serve as an outline.

Times are changing.  I read somewhere recently that size matters when creating a resume.  I agree.  In the past, it was thought that a single page resume served its purpose as well as a multi-page resume.  Resumes longer than one page are usually because people have experience in multiple fields.  If your experience is in one area, try to condense it to a single page.  If you are one of those overly talented people with experience in more than one field and you require a second page for your resume, then BE SURE TO FILL THE SECOND PAGE.  I cannot stress this enough people!!  If I get resumes with half a page of content, I usually hand it back to the applicant and make a joke about how they killed a tree or something.  No, just kidding, but it does trick the human mind into saying “there should be more”.  So the moral of this is… Stick to one page.  In the case that you must use a second page, you should make sure to use the whole page.  Otherwise, figure out ways to condense your content and use just a single page.

This is an example of a resume for someone involved in a senior management position.  The website it is located on has a left-sidebar FULL of other examples.  It appears they have scanned these in, so I assume they are actual resumes.  Great resource!  Check them out here.

ExampleResumes.org has a great selection of resumes for multiple categories.  Check them out.

The best site I could find so far is the same site I used on the Cover Letters.  This site offers resume examples based on career levels.  Click here.

Hopefully this is enough information to get you started.  We will come back in the near future to cover a lot of the things in this section more thoroughly.  This is just one of many great reasons to keep checking back with us at ExecMagazine.com!

Be here tomorrow for Part Two of our Career Help Series.