Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog

Cover Letter Can Offer In-depth Picture of You

2008-09-05T13:48:18Z

Cover letters can do more than simply introduce you, writes Deborah Brown-Volkman, president of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a career, life, and mentor coaching company. “They can give an employer a more in-depth view of who you are and what you will bring to the table.”

Employers Disdain Weak Objective Statements on Resumes

2008-09-04T14:39:50Z

Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book, Top Notch Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves: Resume contains a weak objective statement. Most people in hiring positions do not read Objective statements. “Omit objective statements [because] the applicant, as a matter of principle, has no objective; the company has the objective,” advised John Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan. “Whatever you write, your objective is to get a job,” said Alison, a corporate recruiter for a specialized information provider.

“I can never figure out why people think employers are breathlessly waiting to provide them with opportunities. I am especially puzzled when it is in an executive resume,” noted Joy Montgomery, owner of Structural Integrity in California, citing a typically poor objective statement:

Objective: A challenging position where I am able to use my considerable something or other skills in a fulfilling opportunity …

Similarly, Weaver offered this self-serving and slightly exaggerated objective statement as a typically weak example:

Objective: Seeking to obtain a position within a growing company where my existing skills will benefit my employer, and be part of an environment where I will be challenged so that I may gain even more experience.

See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.

Addressing Relocation in a Cover Letter

2008-09-03T14:26:04Z

In a cover letter, how do you address relocation for personal reasons? Easy. You simply need to say you are relocating for personal reasons. People move all the time, so changing geographic locations should not be an issue. What may be more difficult is your strategy for finding a new job before you relocate. Start contacting those in your network, especially in your new location, and let them know you are relocating and looking for a new job there. Then, get on the Web and do some research on the types of jobs, companies, industries where you want to work. Check out our Job-Seeker Relocation Resources.

Beware of Risky Resume Disclosures That Could Screen You Out

2008-09-02T14:07:14Z

Any disclosure on your resume — such as religion, church affiliations, or political affiliations — that could get you screened out as a candidate is risky. You may take the stance that you don’t want to work for an employer that would eliminate you because a hiring manager didn’t like your political beliefs or religious affiliation. But given that, for most candidates, religion, politics, and any other controversial affiliations are not relevant to your next job, it’s wise to leave them out. Read more in our Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ.

In Cover Letter, Be Innovative, Not Imitative

2008-09-01T13:12:47Z

Do your legwork before sending any cold-contact letter, exhorts Teena Rose in her article for Quint Careers, Optimizing Your Cold-Contact Cover Letter. Every job-seeker finds himself or herself sending this type of letter from time to time, so do yourself a favor by cultivating the info you’ll need to design a letter that outshines those used by others. A good rule of thumb is “be innovative, not imitative.” To see an explanation of cold-contact letters and two other types of cover letter, see The Basics of a Dynamic Cover Letter.

Your Resume Makes Your First Impression on Employers

2008-08-31T14:24:42Z

“First impressions count more than ever in today’s virtual world where face-to-face meetings are becoming an endangered species,” writes Peggy Klaus in her article for Quint Careers, Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?. “When your resume formatting is messy or your follow-up note demonstrates poor writing skills, spelling errors, and incorrect word usage, you will be demonstrating your soft skills, or lack thereof, loud and clear!”

Think of Cover Letter as Sales Letter

2008-08-30T15:00:29Z

Think of your cover letter as a sales letter, advises Jimmy Sweeney in his article for Quint Careers, the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter. The only purpose of your job-search cover letter is to land you job interviews. That’s the bottom line. By using proven marketing strategies, you will land a greater number of quality job interviews than your competition.

On Resume, Highlight Key Areas of Expertise

2008-08-29T14:37:06Z

Highlighting your key areas of expertise once on your resume is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi writes about in her article for Quint Careers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes. Guiseppi advises that instead of taking up precious space repeating obvious lists of responsibilities for each position you’ve held, consolidate them in the top part of the first page. For best impact, position them in nicely formatted columns or a shaded graphic box.

Cover Letter Should Entice the Reader

2008-08-28T14:24:33Z

Cover letters play a vital role in the job-search process when done correctly, says the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD. Cover letters should entice the reader, draw him/her into your story — enough so to turn the page and review your resume. Is that all, you may ask? Yes, that’s the function of a cover letter — to get your resume reviewed a little more carefully than without it, which in turn, ideally, leads to an invitation to a job interview. For the complete lowdown on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.

Avoid Using "I" on Your Resume

2008-08-27T14:36:39Z

Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book, Top Notch Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves: Resume contains the personal pronoun “I.” It might seem like a silly protocol to omit “I” when the understood subject of resume bullet points is, in fact, “I.” But eliminating personal pronouns (I, me, my) is simply an accepted style, and not following that style, recuiter Alice Hanson noted, makes the candidate seem “amateurish.”
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.

Strive for "Happy Medium" in Cover Letter Appearance

2008-08-26T14:35:50Z

Don’t design your cover letter to have a heavy or light appearance. You’re shooting for something that is within a “happy medium,” advises Teena Rose in her article for Quint Careers, Optimizing Your Cold-Contact Cover Letter. When you’re finished writing, sit back and examine your words. Let it sit overnight, if necessary. Always analyze every fragment and sentence you’re using to determine if there’s a better or more effective way of presenting yourself. It sounds a bit obsessive-compulsive, but unfortunately, you REALLY DO have just one chance to make a great first impression.

The Most Important Aspects of a Resume

2008-08-25T15:07:52Z

The most important things to remember about writing an effective resume can be encapsulated in a six-letter acronym, FAKTSA, in which the letters stand for:

Focus
Appearance
Keywords
Transferrable Skills
Accomplishments

Get more details about these elements in our article, FAKTSA: An Easy Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers.

End Your Cover Letter with Enthusiasm

2008-08-24T13:28:52Z

End your cover letter with enthusiastic and telling verbiage, such as, “I look forward to being interviewed at your earliest convenience. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Sincerely, Jane Jobseeker,” suggests Jimmy Sweeney in his article for Quint Careers, the 7 Elements of a Highly Effective Cover Letter. (Notice how Jane assumes she’ll land the interview? This approach is clever, smart, and it works like a charm).

Don't Have a One-Size-Fits All Resume and Cover Letter

2008-08-23T14:55:32Z

In her article for Quint Careers, Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?, Peggy Klaus tells this story: One hiring manager — who echoed the sentiments of many others — says she can spot what she calls a soft-skills impostor in seconds. “In our executive-level job postings, we purposely ask candidates to explain how their experience will translate into helping grow our organization. You would not believe the number of responses we get from very senior executives who fail to address our question, much less even mention the name of our organization in their letter!” Translation: The job candidate is taking the “throw spaghetti against the wall and see if it sticks” approach by using one-size-fits-all- communication. As for those applicants who don’t follow the instructions in her postings, “If they ignore me, I ignore them.” The hiring manager also noted, “Would you want this person leading your organization and presenting to clients? Communicating, listening, critical thinking — even at the most basic level — these are all very important soft skills.” A loud message is sent when an applicant fails to highlight details most relevant to the position, follow simple directions, or show signs of having bothered to visit the company’s website.

Writing a Great Cover Letter Is Worth the Effort

2008-08-22T15:07:36Z

Writing a winning cover letter isn’t the easiest task, but it’s well worth the effort, especially when you know that it can make the difference between a good first impression and a bad one, notes Elizabeth Freedman in her article for Quint Careers, Cover Letters That Count. After all, taking the time to write a great letter ensures you’ll impress a prospective employer and practically guarantees a wince-free moment.