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Letters and Resumes

It is difficult to imagine what it means having to browse through hundreds of resumes to find suitable applicants for a post. You may help both yourself and employers by preparing a good cover letter and resume. Learning to write good cover letters and good resumes needn’t always be a form of self promotion. It may be also about learning effective communication to others about yourself. Seen this way, it is a soul searching process indeed. Find out more about cover letters and resumes in this section.

 Resume Organization 

Work Experience

  • Collecting past work experience
  • Sorting them in temporal order

Resume Format

  • Planning-check out different formats on the internet
  • Trying out reversed chronological formats

Resume Organization

  • Organizing-how to order sections to display your strengths
  • Selecting-what information to include and what to leave
  • Writing and rewriting
  • Pruning-get rid of redundant information
  • Highlighting your achievements and relevant work experience

Personal Profile Statement

  • Good for accompanying resumes and interviews
  • Describe some aspects of your personality
  • Show positive attributes that help portray your character at its best
  • Use separate page
  • It is optional

 

 Resume Check List 

  • NOT sent as a Microsoft Word/other word-processing program
  • NOT using graphics or colours.
  • Uses a conservative font (i.e., Arial or Times New Roman) with a size between 11-12
  • Bold, italics, and underlining highlight key strengths but are not overused.
  • Margins are approximately half to one inch on all sides.
  • The amount of "white space" and text is balanced.
  • Different categories on your resume are separated with a space.
  • Resume is printed on professional, high quality paper (cotton bond, 24lb. minimum) in a neutral colour (white, off-white, beige).
  • Resume looks as if it fits comfortably within two pages.
  • Resume is kept to one page if the text covers less than half of the second page.
  • Your most relevant and significant accomplishments are listed near the beginning.
  • Resume uses a similar language to the job listing to which you are responding.
  • Bullets instead of paragraphs describe your experience and training.
  • Text consists of concise phrases, not sentences.
  • Experiences are described with an appropriate amount of detail.
  • GPA is not included if below a 3.0.
  • You and someone else have checked your resume for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

 

 Cover letter organization 

Opening Paragraph

  • State why are you writing
  • State how you learnt of the position
  • Basic information about yourself

Second Paragraph

  • State why are you interested in the post
  • Show that you have a good grasp of the job requirements
  • Convince the employer that you are the right person for the job

Final Paragraph

  • Indicate your wish for an interview
  • Indicate you want to learn more about the job
  • Show your willingness to visit the company
  • Show your readiness to provide additional information

 

 Purpose of Cover Letters 

The purpose of cover letter is to arouse the employer’s interest in you, to impress the employer, and to find out more about you. It also serves to persuade the employer to give you the opportunity of an interview or a meeting.

Job Specificity

  • Each cover letter should be independently written to address the requirements of a specific job.
  • Do not write generic cover letters — the same cover letter for different jobs that you apply for.

Preparing for Cover Letters

  • Find out what kind or COMPETENCIES or SKILLS are being sought in a job.
  • They are often referred to as Job Description, Responsibilities, or Job Duties in a job posting.
  • Write them down as a list.
  • Related to the above are Job Requirements. They usually refer to your academic and other job-related qualifications and language skills that are necessary for you to take up the position. They are usually more general and less ‘job-specific’ than Job Descriptions or Duties.
  • Write them down as a list.
  • Visualize how you can contribute to each of item on the list based on your Experience Training, or Characteristics of your personality.
  • Write these down too as a list.
  • Find out more about the employing company’s values and culture through company websites or people who work there.
  • Plan you cover letter based on the above.
  • It should not be longer than ONE page.

Employer Focus

  • A good cover letter should be focused on the needs of the employer.
  • Relate your achievements to the needs of the employer and descriptions of the job.
  • Unsolicited Cover Letters
  • You can write cover letters to make job requests even though there are no job postings by companies.

Links
Networking
Resume Key Phrases and Terms 1
Resume Key Phrases and Terms 2
Resume Sample
Cover Letter Sample