Following the 5 pointers that I have provided on resume writing, I also have 3 pointers for a solid cover letter.
(1) Keep it concise - Remember that recruiters only typically spend a minute or two with your application package. That includes time to read both your cover letter and resume. Do yourself a favour and keep your cover letter to less than a page. Mine are often 65% to 85% of a page long including my signature, and the address at the top. Try to pick 2 to 4 main themes to cover in your letter and describe each in a paragraph. Don't go explaining away your whole career worth of details.
(2) Use Keywords - Try to repeat the language from a job posting if you are applying to one. If the posting asks for "financial analysis skills" then use the term "financial analysis" in your letter when describing your skills. Don't lie, of course, but try to phrase your experience and skills the way that the recruiter wants to hear it. Job descriptions are often bulleted with required skills and experience for the role. Try to respond to the bulleted points directly, rather than just generally describing your credentials.
(3) Use the letter to complement the resume - Remember that the recruiter ALSO has your resume. Try not to repeat yourself in the cover letter. Instead, use the cover letter to expand on the materials on the resume. If the resume clearly states that you have 4 years of experience in marketing, then you need not say so again, unless it really warrants repeating. I like to use the cover letter to talk about certain soft skills that are not on the resume like teamwork, negotiation, leadership, and the desire to work hard and learn on the job.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Good Resume
Let's begin by discussing what constitutes a good resume/CV. I have created a memorable 5 elements of a good resume that will be relevant to you no matter who you are or what employment you're looking for.
(1) Be current - Don't include everything you have ever achieved on your resume. If you are a postsecondary graduate, don't bother listing your high school details. If you have at least 3 to 5 years of work experience, don't be listing your summer jobs unless the skills used there were truly relevant to the job you desire now.
(2) Less is often More - Recruiters and hiring managers only have a limited time with each resume. Think about it... if they spent 5 minutes with each resume, and they received 60 resumes, it would take them five hours to pore over the candidates' details. The reality is that each application package (including cover letter) often has only 1 minute to impress. Make the best of your minute by including only your most relevant experience you have. If you have more than 5 bullet points beneath a particular job role, that's too many. I recommend keeping your best 3 bullet points under each job, stretching to 5 bullet points for your previous role with the most relevance to the desired job.
(3) Be Clear - Say what you mean and say it briefly. Try not to use lots of industry jargon on your resume, especially if you are changing job function or industry. Even within the same industry and function, it may not be a hiring manager reading your resume, but an HR rep with no knowledge of your job. Also try to limit the use of acronyms that are not widely used. If the audience doesn't know what TPS reports are, they cannot give you any credit for writing them.
(4) Use Results - Many job seekers describe their experience by the actions they performed but not by the results they achieved. Don't be afraid to brag a little bit on your resume by telling the employer that you were successful in your efforts. "Responsible for selling industrial ink cartridges to print businesses" could be re-written as "Sold over 50,000 units of industrial ink cartridges, and added over 50 new accounts". Results can come from a variety of sources - did you meet any personal or corporate goals? did you impress managers or clients? did you contribute to growing the business or making money for the business?
(5) Be Well Rounded - I can't say that being well rounded is a make-or-break quality for your resume, but I can say that most professionals (especially the most successful ones) desire this quality in their employees and in themselves. Make sure to fill out your resume with at least a couple of volunteer or extra curricular activities - preferrably charitable - and anything you do outside of your work that is related to work. If you're a journalist and you keep a blog about pet care, share it. If you sit on a charity's board of directors, share it. Don't however, tell the employer that your interests are "watching movies. mountain biking, and computer programming" unless you are going to be a web developer for a studio that makes cycling movies. Don't let your extra curriculars sound like they came from your Facebook profile.
(1) Be current - Don't include everything you have ever achieved on your resume. If you are a postsecondary graduate, don't bother listing your high school details. If you have at least 3 to 5 years of work experience, don't be listing your summer jobs unless the skills used there were truly relevant to the job you desire now.
(2) Less is often More - Recruiters and hiring managers only have a limited time with each resume. Think about it... if they spent 5 minutes with each resume, and they received 60 resumes, it would take them five hours to pore over the candidates' details. The reality is that each application package (including cover letter) often has only 1 minute to impress. Make the best of your minute by including only your most relevant experience you have. If you have more than 5 bullet points beneath a particular job role, that's too many. I recommend keeping your best 3 bullet points under each job, stretching to 5 bullet points for your previous role with the most relevance to the desired job.
(3) Be Clear - Say what you mean and say it briefly. Try not to use lots of industry jargon on your resume, especially if you are changing job function or industry. Even within the same industry and function, it may not be a hiring manager reading your resume, but an HR rep with no knowledge of your job. Also try to limit the use of acronyms that are not widely used. If the audience doesn't know what TPS reports are, they cannot give you any credit for writing them.
(4) Use Results - Many job seekers describe their experience by the actions they performed but not by the results they achieved. Don't be afraid to brag a little bit on your resume by telling the employer that you were successful in your efforts. "Responsible for selling industrial ink cartridges to print businesses" could be re-written as "Sold over 50,000 units of industrial ink cartridges, and added over 50 new accounts". Results can come from a variety of sources - did you meet any personal or corporate goals? did you impress managers or clients? did you contribute to growing the business or making money for the business?
(5) Be Well Rounded - I can't say that being well rounded is a make-or-break quality for your resume, but I can say that most professionals (especially the most successful ones) desire this quality in their employees and in themselves. Make sure to fill out your resume with at least a couple of volunteer or extra curricular activities - preferrably charitable - and anything you do outside of your work that is related to work. If you're a journalist and you keep a blog about pet care, share it. If you sit on a charity's board of directors, share it. Don't however, tell the employer that your interests are "watching movies. mountain biking, and computer programming" unless you are going to be a web developer for a studio that makes cycling movies. Don't let your extra curriculars sound like they came from your Facebook profile.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Get Help with Your Career From The Unemployment Guru!
Unemployment pretty much sucks.
Looking for job openings is a cumbersome task, never mind putting your applications together and actually applying. Assessing and planning your career is an even more universally challenging task.
No one ever really teaches you how to be unemployed. I'm not saying that anyone would need tips on becoming unemployed - which I can help you with if you really want me to. Rather, I'm saying that managing your life while searching for employment from the position of being unemployed is a set of skills that most people are never taught.
After graduating from my masters degree during a tough economic period, I faced unemployment for the third time in my life, this time concurrent with large group of peers from my graduating class. Luckily, I have accrued plenty of wisdom worthy of sharing with others from previous career transitions and a desire to teach this wisdom to others. The lessons and tips I will share in this blog are not only my own inventions, but those of the many professionals I have consulted with about topics like:
Looking for job openings is a cumbersome task, never mind putting your applications together and actually applying. Assessing and planning your career is an even more universally challenging task.
No one ever really teaches you how to be unemployed. I'm not saying that anyone would need tips on becoming unemployed - which I can help you with if you really want me to. Rather, I'm saying that managing your life while searching for employment from the position of being unemployed is a set of skills that most people are never taught.
After graduating from my masters degree during a tough economic period, I faced unemployment for the third time in my life, this time concurrent with large group of peers from my graduating class. Luckily, I have accrued plenty of wisdom worthy of sharing with others from previous career transitions and a desire to teach this wisdom to others. The lessons and tips I will share in this blog are not only my own inventions, but those of the many professionals I have consulted with about topics like:
- Creating a great resume
- Complementing a resume with a great cover letter
- Performing well in interviews
- Choosing a job that's right for your skills
- Setting career goals
- Networking
Dealing with unemployment isn't just about job search and career development however, and so I will also be discussing topics such as:
- Unemployment money matters
- Time management
- Dealing with emotional and mental health issues
- Motivation
- Maintaining a healthy quality of life socially, physically and otherwise
I only wish that I knew earlier on in my life what I know now about handling unemployment. I also wish that all the lessons I had to learn from unemployment had been taught to me beforehand. That's why I have decided to share my insights with others, to make their career transitions easier and to make them better more effective captains of their own careers. That's why I became the Unemployment Guru.
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