How to Write a Cover Letter

You don’t always need a cover letter — in fact, some recruiters request you do not send one.

But the cover letter is the best way to to play up the most important parts of your resume, while including information inappropriate for a resume. The letter also demonstrates your writing ability, and shows you were willing to take a little extra time with your application.

Here are some tips for writing a great cover letter:

Start by introducing yourself. Stick to what relates directly to the job. My name is Joseph Blow, and I have 10 years experience in Advanced Widget Management.

Mention the position for which you are applying. Forgetting this is a common error. Chances are excellent that the recruiter is working to fill several jobs. I am writing about the Senior Widget Manager position advertised on EmploymentCrossing.com.

Grab the reader’s attention. Cover letters are dull. If there is anything that sets you apart from other applicants (and which applies directly to the position), mention it right off the bat. Don’t bury the lede. I am the author of the best-selling book How to Manage Widgets.

Sell your qualifications. Don’t just recap your resume — the recruiter already has it. Imagine if had only three sentences to convince and attractive person to go out on a date with you. Now translate that to convincing a recruiter to hire you. I will use my training, plus years of technical and management experience at some of the best firms in the widget industry, to help make your firm the top-rated manufacturer of small-to-medium-sized widgets.

Be specific about the position. Read the job description carefully, and refer directly to the specific qualifications listed. I am fluent in Microsoft Widgetware, but I have plenty of experience with WidgetPro, the software used by your team.

Assume you will be contacted. I have attached a copy of my resume, and you may find samples of my work at widgetmanagerblog.com. I look forward to having the opportunity to speak to you about my qualifications in person.

Make sure your name, address, and contact information are on your cover letter. Yes, all that is on your resume. Be redundant. Make it easy to contact you.

Only list your salary history or your salary requirements if you are specifically asked to do so. Let the firm get to know you, and get excited about you, before the topic of filthy lucre is raised. If you do list your past salaries, don’t lie.

Grammar, punctuation and sentence structure must be perfect. If you can’t write, find a friend who can.

Use the same paper and print quality you would use on a resume. Don’t go cheap — you’re trying to impress people.

Got any more advice? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: cover letters, job application advice, job search advice, resumes, writing

How to Put Together a Resume, Part Deux: Mistakes

Your resume gives the very first — and if not done properly, last — impression a prospective employer will get of you, as both a person and as an employee.

Here are some resume mistakes — don’t make them!

DON’T include every job you ever had on your resume. Once, long ago, I was interviewed for a position as assistant to a film producer. Being young and naive, I listed on my resume every job I had held since I started working at 16 — including that first job, with McDonalds. My reasoning was,  I wanted to show I had been constantly employed since I was a teenager.

Instead, the producer saw the McDonalds job, and spent the rest of the “interview” making fun of me. I didn’t get the position.

Not every employer is as much of a jerk as that guy. But prospective employers are only interested in jobs you have held that are related to the position for which they are hiring. Personalize your resume to your industry or career — and if that leaves gaps, be ready to explain them. For instance, I have a two-year gap in my career as a web designer and writer. I was teaching high school. I don’t include that on my resume, but when employers ask what I did for those two years my answer is ready.

DON’T make your resume a laundry list of job duties and skills. Don’t list every responsibility you had at a particular job. No employer wants to search through a long list of skills and experience, hoping to find what he or she needs. Distill each position down to a list of the three-to-five most important responsibilities. You’ll have a chance to discuss the job in greater detail at the interview.

DON’T list your skills and certifications at the bottom of the resume, or on the back. Make a concise list of your skills, especially computer skills, and put them at the top of your resume, right after “Objectives.” The key word here is “concise” — you can go into greater detail at the interview.  A resume is a brief précis of your career, not a lengthy autobiography.

Do you have a resume mistake to share? Let us know in the comments!

Read How to Put Together a Resume — Part 1

Tags: bad resumes, job application advice, job search advice, resume writing, resumes

How to Put Together a Resume

There are lots of sites out there with advice for how to snazz up your resume. Much of the advice contradicts itself. Should you print on colored paper, or not? Should you include your photo, or not?

Fortunately for you, I used to be an office manager. Part of my job was going through the stack of resumes, pulling the 5% that the human resources veep might want to see, and sending the rest to the round file. My advice is the right advice.

Here is what you need to remember when creating or updating your resume:

Only use white paper, or slightly off-white (beige, ivory, pearl, bone). Any other color is difficult to read, and looks unprofessional. Oh, and the 1980s called — they want their pastel colors back.

Use “fancy” paper. You know that extra-expensive “resume paper” they sell at the office supply store? Use it. Thick, textured ivory paper with a paper-maker’s imprint tells the employer I take this job application seriously, and took the time and effort to demonstrate it. A resume printed on cheap printer paper says I send out 20 of these a day, and if you call me for an interview, I won’t remember who you are.

But — do not send a resume on paper that is so thick, it feels like poster board. If you can’t easily fold a piece of “resume paper,” don’t use it.

If you are providing a separate cover letter, then use the same fancy paper.

Make sure your resume looks professionally printed. There’s an easy way to insure this — get your resumes professional printed. All the big box office supply stores now have printing departments; or if you enjoy waiting in long lines, go to Kinko’s.

But printing your resumes at home is fine — as long as your home printer does a good job. If you print a resume and the letters look irregular, or some areas are lighter than others, don’t use it. And don’t send in a resume if you’ve smeared it. Let your newly-printed resumes dry for a few minutes.

Don’t use unusual fonts. Allow me to introduce a friend of mine. His name is Times New Roman. Get to know him well, because unless you’re a professional graphic designer or advertising director, he is the ONLY FONT YOU SHOULD EVER USE on a resume. No, it’s not okay to use Arial (your resume is not a web site) or Courier (unless you actually typed out your resume on a manual typewriter).

And if you ever, ever use Comic Sans for any reason, you deserve to be unemployed.

Don’t attach anything to the resume unless specifically instructed to do so. Recruiters don’t need your photograph or business card. They won’t think it’s cute that you tied a lollipop to your resume with a bow. They just want your resume, hopefully without a staple or paperclip attached. Cute attachments get thrown out, along with the resume. Unless it’s candy — we eat the candy, and then throw the resume away.

Don’t fold your resume unless you are mailing it. Never hand anyone a resume that has been folded. Or crumpled. Or has a coffee stain on it. If you’re mailing in a resume, you can fold it into three to fit in the envelope. Do so very carefully. (And make sure the envelope is made of the same fancy paper as the resume.)

Got any additional advice for resume creators? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: bad resumes, job application advice, resumes, Times New Roman

Resume & Cover Letter Bloopers

Here is another web meme, found in the wilds of the Internet. It claims to have been published in Fortune magazine. Anyway, it’s funny.

These are (supposedly) real comments and notes culled from resumes and cover letters. All misspellings and typos are original.

“I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience.”

“I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreasheet progroms.”

“Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.”

“Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave.”

“Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions.”

“Failed bar exam with relatively high grades.”

“It’s best for employers that I not work with people.”

“Let’s meet, so you can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over my experience.”

“You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time.”

“Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.”

“I was working for my mom until she decided to move.”

“I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.”

“I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my
resume on my office voice mail.”

“I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and
absolutely nothing.”

“My goal is to be a meterologist. But since I possess no training in
meterology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.”

“I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.”

“Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.”

“As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.”

“Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store.”

“Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping’. I have never
quit a job.”

“Marital status: often. Children: various.”

“Reason for leaving my last job: They insisted that all employees get to
work by 8:45 am every morning. I couldn’t work under thos conditions.”

“The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers.”

“Finished eighth in my class of ten.”

“References: none. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”

Got any good ones? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: bad resumes, cover letters, humor, resume writing, resumes

The Five Top Resume Lies

Don’t lie on your resume.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: don’t lie or mislead during the interview process. Besides the fact that it’s wrong, you’ll always be in the precarious position of fearing you’ll be found out.

(And, a note to employers: don’t lie or mislead during the interview process. It’s actually worse when you do it, as you’re in the position of power. Also, you’re the deep pocket in the case of a lawsuit.)

Everyone words their resume so as to magnify their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. That’s not lying — it’s marketing. But every single fact on your resume must be correct.

Here are some common resume lies:

Lying about your education: After all, who checks with your college to confirm your degree? Employers do. All the time. And when you’re caught, your employer will take it very seriously. Usually, this lie gets people fired — even if they’ve been with a firm for years.

Don’t mislead about training either. If you finished a course, you can list it. But if you haven’t used the skills from the course since you took it ten years ago, be prepared to explain why it’s on your resume at all. (A good answer: you’ve maintained a familiarity with the topic.)

Fudging your age: Employers aren’t allowed to ask your age (except to confirm you’re old enough to work). But some people like to play with dates in order to appear younger (if they’re old) or older (if they’re young). I graduated college in 1994; and I rarely mention that I graduated high school in 1984. This makes me appear younger, which has been beneficial. But it’s not a lie. No one ever asks me when I graduated high school — if they did, I would tell the truth.

But don’t change dates — for your college graduation, or for previous employment. It’s the kind of silly, tiny lie that can get you canned when you’re caught. And it’s very important not to alter employment dates to cover up a period of unemployment or a job you don’t want to list. Employers do check with your previous firms. Lying will lose you a job offer.

Lying about salaries: Sure, you want to try to get as much filthy lucre as you can from your new employer. But don’t lie to do it — your previous employers will confirm salaries. If you want to make more money, sell your interviewer on why you’re worth it. But don’t lie about facts that can be easily confirmed.

Inflating your job title: Otherwise truthful people have been known to fudge a title, for the simple reason that they were in fact performing that position for their former employer. If that’s the case, then tell the truth — you were assistant regional manager, but in fact performed all the functions of regional manager without the title or salary. This is impressive. Lying is not.

Claiming skills you don’t possess: If you have used Photoshop to resize images, that does not make you a “Photoshop Expert.” If you took one year of college Japanese, you are not “Fluent in Japanese.” If you have a familiarity with something, then say “familiar with….” But don’t claim expertise unless you are a stone cold expert. Every HR manager has faced the horror of bringing on a new hire, and learning on day one that the person can’t really take dictation, write PHP or speak Tagalog. This person will be FIRED.

Tags: education, ethics, job titles, negotiating salaries, qualifications, resume writing, resumes, skills

Still Employed? Don’t Make Job Search Mistakes

If you’re like me, an oxygen-breathing hominid, then searching for a new job while you are still employed causes you a lot of stress. It shouldn’t — especially in this economy, workers need a job in which they can feel secure. Many of today’s job searchers aren’t looking for a better wage or title. They want greater job security.

But certain mistakes can reduce your current job security, or even get you fired. While employers should take an employee’s job search in stride, most don’t. And many managers will fire you if they find out you’re looking, even if you’re only passively searching.

So keep your job search secret at work. And here are some things you should not do.

Don’t discuss your job search with your “friends” at work — even the trustworthy ones. Remember the young woman who admitted an affair with her boss to a co-worker “friend?” What was her name? Monica Lebowski? Feel free to discuss your job search with your work buddies — after you get a new job.

Don’t conduct your job search on your computer at work. As I’ve mentioned before, your employer has the legal right to monitor everything you do on your work computer, even if it’s personal business or your personal web email. Conduct your job search at home.

Don’t mention your job search on social networking sites. Believe it or not, some employers actually know that Facebook and LinkedIn exist. Use these sites to network — but get a hold of possible job contacts via your personal email, from home.

Don’t talk to your current employer’s clients or competitors. I know, this can make it very hard to find a new job. But there’s a very good chance these people will contact your boss and report that you are job hunting. You can never know who your boss hung out with at the national convention last year.

Don’t go to job fairs. There’s too a high chance that one of your boss’ friends, or someone representing your own company, will see you there.

Be careful where you post your updated resume. It’s okay to have the latest version of your resume on LinkedIn or a resume hosting site. But you don’t want your boss to see your resume on Craigslist or some other classified ad site — it implies you are actively looking.

Don’t forget to ask anyone you interview with to PLEASE not call your current employer. I’ve never personally known a potential employer to call a current employer without express permission. But mistakes happen, so make sure the recruiter or potential employer understands they should not call your boss. Provide three alternate references, at least one a former supervisor.

Tags: boss, Craigslist, currently employed, Facebook, job application advice, job fairs, job search advice, job security, LinkedIn, networking, resumes

Ten Ways to Ensure You Don’t Get Hired

Want to help out total strangers by letting them have that job for which you applied? Do you enjoy living in your mom’s basement eating Hot Pockets? Have you decided to move to Berkeley and live in a van down by the river?

Then here are ten ways to assure you don’t get hired.

Send a resume that gets noticed! No, not by clearly laying out your qualifications, silly. Print it on thick pink paper, with a piece of candy tied with a ribbon in one corner. And clip a photo of yourself to it, maybe that great Halloween costume shot from last year. Human resources managers love that kind of thing. They’ll eat the candy, show to photo around the office for mockery, and then file your resume — in the round file.

Ignore directions. The company may ask for your resume in a certain file format, or ask that your cover letter be a separate file. They may instruct you to send a writing sample, or just a link to your online portfolio. Whatever they ask you to do — they don’t mean it. Just do what’s convenient for you. You can be certain they’ll interview people who know how to follow instructions. And not you.

Call the employer every day. There’s nothing a human resources manager enjoys more than a job applicant who won’t leave them alone. Calling every day, even when asked to not call, tells the employer you are (1) motivated, (2) annoying and (3) possibly a psychopath.

Lie about your education and qualifications. Of course you’ve been through Harvard — by car! Yes, Denzel Washington is one of your references — you got his autograph back when he was on St. Elsewhere! Sure, you can operate 80-ton capacity rail crane with 5000kg chain hoists — how hard could it be? And there’s no way to check these things, right? Right?

Be late for the interview. The employer gets it — bad traffic, car trouble, bus was late, your water broke. No problem! Why should you be constrained by a repressive white male idea of linear time, anyway? You made yourself look bad next to all the employees who arrived punctually, but I’m sure that won’t hurt your chances.

Dress like a teenager for the interview. It tells the employer you’re fun! And I’m sure “fun” is eaxctly what they’re looking for in a new employee.

Go into details about your personal life and hobbies. Seriously, it’s an all new Klan nowadays. It’s like the Rotary Club, but with hoods. We even have black members! Well… members named “Black.”

Learn nothing about the company. That way you’re a fresh slate, a tabula rasa if you will. Employment is like being on a jury — the less you know, the better.

Badmouth your old company. Everyone enjoys humorous stories about how terrible your old job was. I’m sure the new employer won’t assume you’d badmouth their firm behind their back.

And if you do somehow manage to get hired, call in sick your first day. Just let them know you were feeling a bit woozy and decided to stay in bed. Don’t call in sick too early — around 11 or 11:30am should be fine.

Good luck not getting hired! See you in the dole queue!

Tags: bad advice, interview mistakes, job search advice, resumes

The Cover Letter: First Impressions Are Everything!

Some people think they can get away with submitting a resume, without including a cover letter.

These people are usually referred to as “unemployed.”

Of course you need a cover letter, even if a job ad doesn’t specifically ask for one. (On the rare occasion when you are asked not to send one, then don’t!) Including a cover letter that has clearly been personalized for the specific company and position tells the employer you care enough to take the time.

Also, the cover letter is the first thing an employer sees. It’s your introduction. Don’t mess it up!

Never send a generic cover letter. Sure, you may have some basic text you always include. But be sure to mention the company and the position by name in the body of the cover letter. And tweak the description of your experience and skills to match the requirements of the particular position. Use the same wording as the job ad.

Mention how you learned about the job. If it was passed along by a person at the firm, then name that person.

Describe the most important aspects of your skills and experience that pertain to this position. This is how you convince the employer to take a real look at your resume. Also, resumes are very formally structured — here’s your chance to lay out, in plain English, exactly why you’re right for the job.

Reflect your attitude. If you’re excited about the position, then tell them! The cover letter is also your opportunity to demonstrate that you are a professional person — by writing a very professional cover letter. Typos, misspellings, bad grammar, and a casual tone will not help you.

Provide anything else mentioned in the job ad. This may include a salary history, or a writing sample, or a link to your web site. (You don’t have your own web site? Hey, they also have this new thing called a “horseless carriage,” you should look into it. Also, did you know they cured polio?) Be sure to explicitly follow every instruction in the job ad.

If attaching files to an email as documents, keep your resume.doc and your coverletter.doc separate. Don’t combine them. This goes for uploads to company job sites as well.

Got any cover letter advice of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: cover letter, Job Search, job search advice, resumes, writing

Advice for the Unemployed

New to unemployment? Don’t beat yourself up, with the economy the way it is, it’s happening to everyone.

Here are some tips to think about:

Don’t waste any time responding to your new situation. Don’t take a week off to mope or to give in to depression — the week will turn into a month, then six months. Sign up for unemployment benefits immediately, the same day if possible. Start your job search at once. Rewrite your resume at once.

Learn everything you can about the unemployment benefits for which you qualify. Employment Development Departments offer many services, often for free, and you may qualify for those even if for some reason you don’t qualify for payments. You may be able to get high-quality, free training in your own field or a new profession. You may qualify for partial benefit payments if you work part-time. And your EDD may have job placement services. Your taxes pay for these benefits — use them!

Work hard on your resume. Is it complete? Easy to read? Printed on nice quality, white or off-white paper? One page, both sides? No images or wacky fonts? Do you tweak your resume for each position for which you apply? Do you include a cover letter every time?

Don’t try to use your “free” time for other pursuits. Everyone says they’ll use their time while unemployed to write that novel, or build an addon to the house, or learn to play bass guitar. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. You’re just avoiding what you need to be doing — searching for a new job. You need to work on your job search every day. Finding a job is your new job.

Sign up for a temp agency. Even if you don’t want to do temp work, it’s a great way to find a permanent job. But don’t sign up, and just sit back and wait to hear from them. Call the temp agency every weekday.

Good luck with your job search!

Tags: Advice, EDD, resumes, temp agencies, temp jobs, unemployment, unemployment benefits

How to Use Bullet Points in Your Resume

For my entire career, I’ve broken down the job descriptions on my resumes into bullet points. I had no idea I was starting a trend.

Today, job search consultants are really pushing the bullet-point resume. The main advantage is that it makes your resume easier to read, and it’s much easier to get across the most important points across to the reader. No one facing a stack of resumes to read wants to have to dig for the pertinent information.

So if your resume looks like this:

President of the United States
Washington, DC
1/2001 - 1/2009

Served as chief executive for world’s most powerful country. Presided over two foreign wars, and was Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Served two terms. Spearheaded use of executive signing orders; ordered the curtailing of civil liberties. Misplaced a city in Louisiana.  Imprisoned thousands in foreign jails without trials or due process. Supported financial deregulation that led to worst financial disaster since the Great Depression. Enjoys clearing brush, reading to children.

.. then it’s time to change it up. Don’t list everything you did on the job — just list the most important and impressive accomplishments, starting with the best:

President of the United States
Washington, DC
1/2001 - 1/2009

• Elected twice to highest office in land
• Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces in two wars
• Appointed two Supreme Court justices
• 90% approval rating after 9/11 attacks

As you can see, no negatives are listed. And there are only four bullet points — include too many, and it’s just as hard to read as if it didn’t use bullet points.

If a potential employer wants to know everything you did at a previous job, they will call you or bring you in. The resume is your opportunity to just get across the most important points. Besides, if someone is looking at your resume for a job you’ve previously held, then they already know what that job entails.

The resume is your first and best chance to impress. Use it!

Tags: bullet points, George W. Bush, job hunting, resume writing, resumes