Profession Comm. 7

Unit VII

Lesson 1: Resumes and Cover Letters

Introduction

Resumes help employers decide whether a potential employee has the experiences, talents, and

accomplishments that they believe are needed to complete specific jobs successfully. While

some organizations have application forms, the majority will still require a resume.

In this unit, we will learn about communicating at work, focusing primarily on three critical

components:

 how to write resumes,

 how to write cover letters, and

 what to do in an interview.

Resumes

Think of a resume as a very personal marketing tool, one that sets an individual and his or her

accomplishments apart from those of the competition. When writing a resume, choose every

word carefully, and present 1) education, 2) work experience, and 3) anything else relevant to the

position that is being sought.

For example, instead of writing Performed administrative duties and handled customer

questions, write Scheduled more than 20 appointments daily for the assistant manager, and

helped customers to select products. Arranged staff meetings weekly. Was commended for

maintaining office databases and filing systems, electronic and paper.

A resume should always be kept up-to-date. It should contain sufficient detail to show why the

individual submitting the resume is the best candidate for the job being sought.

A resume usually contains all relevant contact information, educational achievements, work

experiences, and any other skills that apply to the particular job. For example, when applying for

a job as an accounting manager, include financial achievements, knowledge of the law, and

experience preparing financial information. If the applicant has CPA certification and is

currently working as an accounting assistant, such information is critical to a resume. Every

resume should always communicate that the applicant has strong communication skills.

Writing a Resume

Every resume must be structured professionally. Set all pages with a 1” margin on both sides,

and use Times New Roman or Arial font, 12 point. Use bold font and italics only when

necessary, perhaps for headings to particular sections of a resume. Try to keep the resume below

800 words. Always ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors throughout the resume. A

careless resume is a formal document testifying that the applicant is not qualified for the job. Use

the proofreading skills learned in a previous unit, and reach certainty that every resume is

flawless before submitting it. For example, take the time to set aside the resume for a few hours,

and then check it again for errors.

One error in particular that can doom a resume and that must be avoided is having run-on

sentences. Do not keep using the word and to join ideas together that should be set out in

separate sentences. Be careful also with confusing words such as its, there, or to. Determine

whether you really want to say it is or the possessive adjective its as well as the correct usage of

every word deployed in a resume.

Also, try to write in one tense throughout the resume. Always use the present tense for current

jobs, but not for past jobs, and do not go from past tense to present tense and back again. This

usually happens when one updates a resume. By not paying attention to every detail,

grammatical errors will certainly be noted when the employer is selecting interviewees. Do not

count on being selected for an interview if the submitted documents are not flawless.

Every resume must be tailored for a specific job. For instance, the resume used for an accounting

manager’s job will differ organizationally from the resume for a job as a treasury analyst. In fact,

no one resume can ever be a “fit all” document with which to apply for all jobs. Unless the

applicant works the resume around the specific criteria in the job advertisement, that individual’s

career will continue to be that of a job seeker. A resume that is always well-written, formatted

correctly, and error-free will set one individual apart as the best professional candidate.

Types of Resumes

There are three types of traditional resumes. Carefully decide which resume best suits the job

being applied for. If an applicant has been out of work for some time or has just graduated from

school and has little work experience, then he or she should consider using a functional resume.

However, if the applicant has a lot of work experience, a better choice might be to use the

chronological resume. The third traditional option, the combination resume, could be used to

emphasize experience and skills, particularly if there are gaps in work history.

Chronological resume: This type of resume is the most frequently used format and provides a

chronological list of job experiences in the business world with the most recent job experience

placed first. This resume also provides all educational experience with the highest level first.

Functional resume: This resume is recommended for people who have little work experience or

who have periods when they did not work. To get past the fact that there are gaps in job

experience, this format provides an opportunity to highlight one’s talents and skills in the

resume. Although job experiences will be included, they will not be placed first in this resume.

Here, the jobs do not have to be listed chronologically.

Combination resume: A job applicant with excellent skills and currently active and doing well

in a career, even though there may be gaps in the work history, should consider using a

combination resume. Because gaps and switching jobs recently automatically raises questions

with an interviewer, a combination resume effectively highlights skills and achievements to

minimize the attention given to those gaps and recent moves in employment. One potential

disadvantage of using a combination resume is that it is often longer than the other two types.

Using this type of resume requires careful and strategic planning so that a person reading the

resume will be presented first with the qualities that are most likely to appeal to the specific job

qualifications as advertised.

Nontraditional resumes: Use a nontraditional resume to help present yourself online. Not all

companies accept nontraditional resumes, so be certain to know when to use one. Although an

applicant should certainly create a nontraditional resume for a particular job application, always

be sure to have a traditional resume available.

Nontraditional resumes are structured differently than traditional resumes. For instance, this

resume can include infographics and portfolios.

With infographics, structure the resume using a timeline to convey previous work experience,

talents, skills, and contact information. You can find some interesting visuals of this creative

resume at the following link: http://infographicworld.com/blogs/15-amazing-infographic-

resumes-to-inspire-you/. Be sure to find out if this type of nontraditional resume would be

considered where you are applying.

A portfolio gives the applicant the option of using drawings to emphasize particular skills,

education, and experiences. Choose the most relevant experiences that demonstrate and

emphasize personality, knowledge, and work ethic. Portfolio resumes are quite common in

certain professions such as architecture and interior design. Also, portfolios have made the move

to the online world, especially for jobs that are performed online.

LinkedIn is an excellent place to post a resume because it keeps the applicant visible to others in

the field. Some also choose to use Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. An applicant can never

know when someone will be impressed with a posted resume and call for an interview. More and

more, the Internet is used by both job seekers and those trying to fill particular positions. The

fact that someone has the skill and knowledge to post a resume to particular sites on the Internet

speaks for itself with many contemporary employers.

Cover Letters

Always attach a cover letter with a resume, traditional or nontraditional, even if it is not requested

in the job posting. A well-written cover letter provides additional information about why the

applicant is best suited for the position and provides a forum to highlight the applicant’s skills.

Begin with the employer’s contact information and applicant contact information followed by the

date. If writing an e-mail, place the contact information after the close. If responding to an

Internet job posting, such as one from Craigslist, the contact information may not be available.

Address the cover letter to, “Dear Hiring Manager,” or even the traditional, “To Whom It May

Concern.”

Begin the body of the letter with an introduction to the employer and a statement of the job that

is being applied for. Stimulate the employer’s interest by briefly explaining an interest in the

organization. Briefly explain relevant job qualifications, education, or experience but in a

consciously abbreviated context.

Move on to another paragraph emphasizing one or two specific skills that will benefit the

organization. Clearly explain how you will be advantageous to the organization. Choose every

word carefully because the communication itself is showcasing your expertise and

professionalism.

In the final paragraph, make a direct appeal for the opportunity to discuss experience,

knowledge, and skills. Close by sincerely thanking the employer for considering you for the job.

A cover letter is not a second resume and does not replace a resume. However, it enhances the

resume and emphasizes experience and skills in such a way that stimulates the employer’s

interest and attempts to ensure that he or she reads the entire resume.

When using a downloaded cover letter template from the Internet, always ensure that the

completed letter contains very specific and relevant information as explained above.

Writing Cover Letters

Cover letters must be structured professionally, and the fundamental and traditional basics are

simple: Use 1” or 1.5” margins. Choose 12-point font. Ensure that the cover letter has between

200 and 300 words.

All paragraphs should be left-aligned, and the first line of each paragraph should be indented.

Paragraphs should not contain more than eight sentences.

As with every document, proofread meticulously to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical

errors and that the ideas flow logically. This communication is calling attention to your best

features and skills; therefore, you certainly do not want to call attention to deficiencies that

would eliminate the possibility of securing the job that is being pursued.

Every person who seeks employment will have to be proficient in dealing with resumes, cover

letters, and interviews. Regardless of a potential employee’s skills, education, and experience,

unless the resume and cover letter are carefully organized, and unless the interview is successful,

there will be no employment. Every person seeking a job must see the resume and cover as the

first steps toward a job, which, if successful, will lead to the interview. The final step to a job, in

many cases, is a successful interview that concludes with a job offer. Only the proper handling of

these three items and a great and sincere effort will secure the job that an applicant wants or

needs. Never underestimate the importance of either the resume, the cover letter, or the

interview.

Check for Understanding

(Answer Key found below the Review.)

1. At some point, perhaps after college, every person should create a resume for the future that remains permanent and unchanged.

a) True b) False

2. Experiment with your resume using different fonts, font sizes, and colors. a) True

b) False

3. There is one standard type of resume everyone should use regardless of the job they are seeking, work experience, or anything else.

a) True b) False

4. Today, a cover letter is considered optional for job seekers and those submitting a resume.

a) True b) False

5. Unless one has a particular strategy in mind, the choice of a chronological resume is most common.

a) True b) False

Review

1. Resumes help employers decide whether someone has the experience, talent, and accomplishments that are needed to complete specific jobs successfully.

2. A resume must contain sufficient detail to demonstrate why you are the best possible candidate for the job.

3. All resumes should be carefully proofread for any spelling or grammatical errors. 4. The three types of resumes are chronological resume, functional resume, and

combination resume.

5. When applying for a job, always send a cover letter and a resume.

Answer Key

1. B – False: Everyone should maintain a resume that is constantly upgraded relative to changing work experience, education, and other factors.

2. B – False: A prospective employer looks for consistency and uniformity in a resume. 3. B – False: Most people are too conservative with their resumes, do not adjust for factors

like lack of experience, gaps in employment, or other factors that a slightly different

format for the resume could minimize.

4. B – False: Just as much as ever before, a well-designed cover letter is critical to a job seeker and a necessary part of every application package and must be seen as an

opportunity to grab the attention that might secure a closer look at a resume or even an

interview.

5. A – True: Yes, although the functional resume and the combination resume serve very

specific needs with regard to aspects of the presentation of credentials to a potential

employer, unless there is a specific reason for using one of those formats, the majority of

employment seekers traditionally use a chronological resume.