week 5 portfolio

3

Assessment

Student’s name

Course name and code

Date

Preparing of a cover letter and Resume

A resume is a document written formally by a job applicant to list various qualifications for a particular position. A resume is often accompanied by a cover letter. Applicants use a cover letter to express their interests in a particular position in an organization. The cover letter thus gives attention to the relevant specifications of a resume. Resumes and cover letters are usually the first steps of hiring managers to identify candidates who might be invited for an interview for the applied position. For a resume or a cover letter to be successful, it should highlight accomplishments that applicants have made achievements on in their former positions. These accomplishments include; increasing profits to the organization, giving transcend of sales and thus the achievement of a goal, cutting costs, team building, and others. There are various considerations in the preparation of resumes and cover letters. This includes;

First is the development of a good strategy. For a resume and cover letter to be effective, it should present important information about the applicant as a professional most concisely and clearly (Epstein, 2018). First, one should understand the information they are trying to pass before going into the resume or cover letter (Thomson & Sternberg 2021). Doing this will develop a sound strategy that will pass the required information to the employer, thus increasing the chances of being selected for an interview.

Another factor is focusing on the thing that is important to the employer. Before coming up with a cover letter or resume, one should ask themselves what a reason for it is and try to think from the employer's point of view (Thomson & Sternberg 2021). One should try and know exactly what the employer needs from the applicant. Having this information will make one focus on relevant things to the employer (Thomson & Sternberg 2021). Focusing on this factor will draw the attention of the employer.

Apart from that, one should tailor a resume to a role. It is essential to make sure one tailors resume or cover letter to suit every job being applied for a particular given time, even if general requirements are being targeted (van et al., 2019). Qualifications should also be adjusted to match the job description. By doing this, one puts together what is essential to every employer. In some instances, one can try and match language to of job description (Epstein, 2018). Matching the language is done to shift the employer’s terminologies to the point that they can relate to you as the applicant (van et al., 2019). Tailoring of resume is thus of importance in creating a good atmosphere for the employer.

Additionally, one should ensure that the resume and cover letter are presented easy to read, short, and designed. Making a resume easy to read includes organizing the sections with a clear font, and the document should not be cramped (van et al., 2019). A resume and cover letters that are easy to read create a good impression and communicate important information being passed in a short period. On the other hand, simple design means that resume and cover letter should have been easily comprehended (van et al., 2019). Lastly, on length, a resume should be one page unless on cases where one has more than ten years of experience (van et al., 2019). Considering these factors will make a resume to be presentable for the employer.

Furthermore, one should get feedback, especially from people who know their work. Once one completes writing a resume or cover letter, they can get someone to proofread it (Ameri et al., 2018). Employers often discard resumes and cover letters with typos even if everything needed is provided (Ameri et al., 2018). One should try and ask a few people those trusted, especially those that are pretty familiar with the work and ask them to provide feedback. Feedback received from the person who proofread the resume or cover letter should be incorporated (Ameri et al., 2018). Asking for feedback and working on them will ensure a quality resume is built.

Lastly is that one should not over-optimize. This is a situation where one overwork on the resume. This includes overworking on systems, design, and others. Because of situations that one try’s to generate the best resume a cover letter, one goes ahead and overdo the required (Hussin, 2018). This is primarily on the design; one can put too many unnecessary requirements (Hussin, 2018). putting many designs will make the resume or cover letter look exaggerated. One should try as much as possible only to insert the requirements.

To summarize, resumes and cover letters are essential documents for employers and employees. They are working on them as required gives an employee a higher chance of being selected for an interview. Working on cover letters and resumes avoids pitfalls and joint problems. Resumes and cover letters are living documents, and revisions need to be made over time, depending on the feedback. As much as trying to be as perfect as possible, over-optimization should always be avoided. One should always try and focus on experience and skills. Apart from that, one should always present themselves in the best way possible and be optimistic by getting ready to get the role.

References

Ameri, M., Schur, L., Adya, M., Bentley, F. S., McKay, P., & Kruse, D. (2018). The disability employment puzzle: A field experiment on employer hiring behavior. ILR Review, 71(2), 329-364.

Epstein, H. A. B. (2018). Reach out yourself: Resumes, cover letters, and interviewing. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 18(1), 75-80.

Hussin, A. A. (2018). Education 4.0 made simple: Ideas for teaching. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(3), 92-98.

Thomson, T. J., & Sternberg, J. (2021). Journalism Employability in the Modern Newsroom: Insights From Applicant Resumes and Cover Letters. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 10776958211032856.

Van Esch, P., Black, J. S., & Ferolie, J. (2019). Marketing AI recruitment: The next phase in job application and selection. Computers in Human Behavior, 90, 215-222.