By Alissa Lopez
Creating a striking resume and cover letter is essential in your job/internship search.
The following are some tips for making your resume and cover letter stand out:
Customize to fit each job description: You really shouldn't use one resume and one cover letter for various jobs unless you're attending a career fair. Firms know the difference between a general cover letter and a cover letter that was written for a specific role in their company. And the candidate that took the time to research their company is often the one that gets the job.
Use key words: Did you know that many employers are submitting resumes and cover letters to computer software that organizes the most relevant resumes for a job? This software picks relevant resumes by how many keywords the resume included. When applying for a position, be sure to use the key action and skills language the job posting listed in your resume and cover letter. You don't want to get disregarded by a computer, do you!?
Bulleted lists: And despite how long it took you to craft the perfect resume/cover letter, most employers will only look them for an average of 5 seconds! Employers are too busy to read through every letter that they come across. It's important that you make your resume/cover letter easy to scan by replacing lengthy paragraphs with bulleted lists of key skills.
Don’t just say it, Prove it: Everyone will say they're hardworking, but how many of them have the great work experience you have? Be sure to fill your resume with action verbs that illustrate the amazing work you've done and stray away from generic jargon.
Avoid templates: Again, you don't want to be generic. Create a resume and cover letter that perfectly describes you, not anyone else.
Spell check, format check, proofread: Ah, such an important factor of the job search. Remember, your resume and cover letter also double as writing samples. You don't want to miss an oportunity for misspelling opportunity.
Include blog link, Linked-In address, Twitter, etc.: Make sure to include your social media handles and relevant portfolio links in your resume. Employers will want these links to learn more about you as a candidate and to see if you fit in with their team. Therefore, maintaining a presence on these outlets is essential.
Save as FirstLastNameResume.doc: We all have different versions of our resume, but make sure that the one you're sending to an employer isn't called "My2016Resume" or anything else that isn't "FirstLastNameResume."
Find a name to address in your cover letter: Again, unless you're at a job fair, your cover letter shouldn't read "To whom it may concern" or any other generic address. Make it personal. Find out what individual is hiring and talk directly to them. There's a better chance they'll talk back.
This is a good example of a resume that you can use as a guideline, but remember, you're not Hanna M. Brown, you're amazing you!
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