Free Resume Cover Letter Articles : Why Resume Cover Letter is Crucial by Adam Boulton
A cover letter accompanies each resume and it is sensible to devote the needed time and effort to write effective cover letters because the cover letter may either assist in obtaining a job interview or result in having the resume rejected. A cover letter should complement the resume. Its main objective is to interpret the data-oriented details and add a personal touch. A cover letter creates the first impression, which is the earliest written contact with a potential employer.
Generally there are three types of cover letters. The application letter that responds to a known job opening, the prospecting letter that inquires about possible positions and the networking letter that requests information and help in job search.
The cover letter to be written should be drafted based on the purpose and also the position sought. A cover letter need not be sent to every potential employer. An ideal cover letter explains the reasons for the interest in the company and highlights the relevant skills or experience. Cover letters express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position.
In a cover letter the first paragraph should explain why a cover letter is written, middle paragraph should explain what the applicant has to offer and the concluding paragraph details how the candidate would follow up.
While writing about the purpose of writing a cover letter, the person who referred to the potential employer-the mutual contact needs to be mentioned. It is to be mentioned from where the title of the position was obtained and the enthusiasm and the credentials suited to the position have to be explained.
In the case of a prospective letter, which is an unsolicited letter, it is important to capture the attention of the reader and the objective of the job should be stated very clearly. In a networking letter, the request should be made very clearly.
The cover letter should be like a preview to the resume which is dynamic and attention grabbing. A cover letter is the summary of the most important and relevant information in the resume.
Since the cover letter should contain information in an accessible manner, it should be clear, concise and to the point, personalized, catching the attention at first sight, linking the skills and experience and call for an action.
One opportunity to make a good impression and enter the second round is the first glance at the cover letter. It is rather difficult to write a targeted cover letter to each position applied for cover letters pave the way to get a better access to the interview regardless of the qualifications.
About the Author
Visit http://www.resumetips.info for useful tips on drafting a comprehensive resume outlining all your academic and career achievements.
Source: Free Resume Cover Letter articles at GoArticles.com
09 July 2008
Why Resume Cover Letter is Crucial
Useful Tips to Draft a Convincing Resume
Free Resume Examples Articles : Useful Tips to Draft a Convincing Resume by Adam Boulton
A resume is a summary, which advertises the education and job experience of a jobseeker to gain an interview. But a resume will get the interview but not the job itself. So it is very vital that the resume produced represents the person and his or her achievements.
An ideal resume should set him apart from other applicants. Therefore it is advisable not to copy a standard resume template from the website or a book. It must be ensured that the resume is easily readable and the best to attract attention.
Before beginning to write a resume, it is necessary to get all the relevant information to hand because all the information given should be correct. The type of job applied for should also be taken into consideration. If it is a permanent one, the career development should be highlighted and if it is a temporary role or on a contract, the skills and the adaptability should be highlighted.
The important points to be included on the resume are the name, phone number, email address and also the residential address. Students should specify both their term and home addresses in the resume. Employers are interested in knowing what the applicant can achieve and so it is better to include the major achievements, which are relevant to the job. It is essential to give a concise history of the career in reverse chronological order with the most recent position coming first. If the application is for permanent roles, relevant training courses and awards must be included.
There are certain things that should not be included in a resume. The foremost point is not to write anything negative or critical about own self while writing a resume. Only the positive abilities must be highlighted. Poor grades or bad employment experiences can be avoided because it is impossible to lie in the resume. Another thing that should be avoided in a resume is the list of references. Strictly photographs on resumes must be avoided for two reasons. One obvious reason is that it is the experience and skills that count and not the appearance unless applying for a modeling or acting job. The second reason is employers use databases to store the resumes and a photo may not be scanned well and corrupt the application.
In majority of the cases listing the hobbies and interests is not needed. Regardless of the career there is no need to include the age, gender, date of birth, marital status and so on. There are certain common resume mistakes. A spelling mistake in a resume will cost an interview and the job and so spellchecker on the PC must be utilized. Too many fonts and font sizes on a resume reduces the chances of the employer reading the resume patiently. Normally it is better to confine the resume to two pages even if the career history is long. Bullet points are the best method to draw the attention of the reader and also to bring down the resume to two pages and word processed resumes are better since hand written resumes have become obsolete.
About the Author
Visit http://www.resumetips.info for useful tips on drafting a comprehensive resume outlining all your academic and career achievements.
Source: Free Resume Examples articles at GoArticles.com
Writing a Killer Resume to Attract Prospective Employers
Free Resume Examples Articles : Writing a Killer Resume to Attract Prospective Employers by Adam Boulton
Resume is a document containing a summary highlighting the experiences and credentials and education usually written for the purpose of gaining an interview while seeking an employment. Since resume is the first thing that a potential employer encounters regarding the applicant, it carries a great significance.
A resume may be limited to one or two pages and can be organized in several ways. A chronological resume highlights a candidate's job experience in reverse chronological order, that is, the main body of the document shows the professional experience beginning from the most recent experience going chronologically backwards through a succession of previous experience. The main aim of a chronological resume is to give an impact of credibility through experience gained. This type of resume is the most common resume in use.
A functional resume highlights work experience and skills classified by skill area or job function. The objective of a functional resume is to focus on the skills particular to the kind of position being sought which directly gives weightage to professional capabilities and experiences as a backup. In contrast to chronological resume, functional resume will highlight these competencies and is most suited for jobs that require a particular skill or clearly defined personality traits.
A combination resume balances both the chronological and functional resumes, which typically leads with a functional list of job skills and then the chronological list of employers.
A resume is quite short and therefore contains experience directly relevant to the position and many resumes use precise keywords and action words that the employer is seeking for. Increasing number of job seekers and employers are using Internet based jobs and therefore an ideal resume should be long enough to provide a concise, adequate and accurate description of an applicant's employment history and capabilities. Job seekers are now able to reach the employers through direct e-mail contact and resume blasting which is the mass distribution of resumes to increase personal visibility within the job market. The simplicity and complexity of the resume formats produce results varying from person to person, industry and occupation.
Since many employers find candidates through search engines, it is important to use appropriate keywords while writing a resume. And they must choose a file format to maintain their resume. Unlike regular two page resumes, which highlight only the recent work experience and education, Internet resumes highlight the candidate's skill development over his or her career.
While writing a resume, emphasis should be placed on accomplishments, effective organization and more importantly the appearance of the resume. To achieve this, proper care should be taken to see to it that the font is plain and easy to read written on a resume quality paper, formatting the resume with simple bullets, highlighting the accomplishments and not taking away the attention.
While organizing a resume it is very important to start with an active descriptive action word, include numbers and percentages and restrict the resume to one page. The resume is nothing but an advertisement with the main purpose of winning an interview and to be an effective resume, it should stand out from the crowd.
About the Author
Resume is a document containing a summary highlighting the experiences and credentials and education usually written for the purpose of gaining an interview while seeking an employment. This article helps draft a killer resume that will surely attract prospective employers to call the candidates for an interview.
Source: Free Resume Examples at GoArticles.com
