“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”- Will Rogers

A well-crafted resume and cover letter are essential for creating a strong first impression. Share the ideas below with job seekers or use them to make an impressive presentation to a potential employer.

 

The Resume

1. Sell Your Skills: Begin with a power-packed professional summary highlighting your job skills. Keep it short – about three to four sentences – but fill those sentences with details about your fantastic work experience.

2. Choose Action-Packed Verbs: Use action verb lists to enhance your resume and prevent the repetition of words. If achievements are listed under each job, use the verb’s past tense for previously held roles and the present tense for the current role.

3. Develop a Skill Set List: A bulleted list of six to eight skills, including hard (technical or task-related) and soft skills (interpersonal traits), provides a complete picture. You want to show a prospective employer what you can bring to a company.

4. Tailor the Resume for the Job: The employer seeks candidates who fit the job description. Select key skills from the job description that match your skills and use those phrases in your resume. The employer will notice you have paid attention to the position’s requirements and possess the required job skills.

Remember the Basics

• Contact Information: Include your name, phone number, professional email address, city, state, and zip code at the top of the resume. Social media addresses are sometimes listed as well.
• Education: List your education in order, placing the most recent first. Note any diplomas/certifications, including the date they were obtained (month and year at minimum), along with the name of the institution and its city and state. If no degree was obtained, list dates of attendance in the month and year format.
• Experience: Record each job, the employer’s address, and dates of employment. For a current job, the ending date can be listed as ‘present.’ Those who have changed careers frequently may consider omitting dates of employment and may want their jobs listed near the end of the resume. Start by showcasing your skills and accomplishments.
• Formatting: Choose an easy-to-read font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in the size 10 or 12 with no less than 0.5 inch margins. Try to keep it to one page, and if sending it electronically, use PDF format unless stated otherwise. Decide what type of resume – chronological (highlighting employment first), functional (highlighting skills first), or hybrid (highlighting both, like a split format on the page) – will look best. Scrolling through these samples may help you decide how you want your resume to look. Keep any bolding, underlining, bulleting, tabbing, and spacing consistent throughout the document.

The Cover Letter

A good cover letter expands your resume and tailors your skills to the job posting. Cover letters typically follow the following format:

• Contact Information: Start with a professional letterhead. This should include your full name, phone number, and email address.
• Date: Include the date you are sending the letter.
• Prospective Employer’s Contact Information: Below the date, list the company name, address, email, and phone number.
• Personalized Greeting: Try to address your letter to a specific individual. Use “Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]” or “Dear [First Name] [Last Name].” If you can’t find a name, “Dear Hiring Manager” is acceptable. Avoid “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam.” Conclude your greeting with a colon.
• Introductory Paragraph: This paragraph hooks the reader, explains how the applicant discovered the available position, and states why the applicant is the ideal candidate for the position.
• Body Paragraph: This section is where candidates connect unique experiences and skills to the job requirements. Instead of merely repeating the resume, a candidate can provide specific examples of abilities, problems solved, and achieved results. This demonstrates how serious an individual is about the application.
• Closing Paragraph: This paragraph should reiterate a strong interest in the position and summarize key qualifications in the letter. Conclude by politely requesting an interview to discuss the application and job opportunity further.
• Professional Closing: End your letter with a formal closing such as “Sincerely” or “Regards.” Below this, type your name and sign in ink or with an electronic signature.

Remember the Basics

You should include one-inch margins along all sides, have single-spacing, and left-aligning text with a space between each paragraph. At the end, leave at least three spaces between the closing paragraph and the typed name, so there is room for a signature. Limit the letter to one page. If a letter is too long, you may lose an employer’s interest and get passed over. Review the sample cover letters to gather ideas for professional-looking cover letters.

Using the suggestions above, you and your job seekers can create a strong first impression that will impress employers. It may seem overwhelming, but putting together documents that stand out above all the others is well worth it when you hear, “You’re hired!”