Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog

At a time when social media is becoming an increasingly important part of the job search, some observers are downplaying the role of the cover letter.

While it’s true that some hiring decision-makers don’t value cover letters, others find them vitally important. Lynn Franklyn, HR manager for Wegmans Food Markets, was recently quoted in Fortune on cover letters:

I usually go right for the cover letter, because resumes are all very similar. I look for a candidate to engage me and to really get a glimpse of who that person is. What do they know about the organization? Can they clearly define how their values and their skill set match up to what we offer as an organization?

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Continuing our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com:

Though you may share the same job title with many other people, your accomplishments and how you carry out your responsibilities are what distinguishes you from other qualified candidates. Focus your resume on not only what you did but also how well you did it. By design, what makes you interviewable are the same strengths you need to market on paper.

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Wrapping up our series on a survey on cover letters conducted by Robin Ryan, author of Winning Cover Letters. Ryan quotes Human Resource Manager Barbara Baker, who concisely summarizes the best cover-letter strategy to follow: “I’ve hired over 1,200 people. I’ve seen so many mistakes — too long, too short, general, non-specific content, some even state the reasons they were fired. A great cover letter boils down to this — a simple direct letter that mentions how their skills relate to performing the position applied for.”

“Many people write such a terrible cover letter they never get an interview, let alone land the job,” Ryan notes.” That’s one mistake you should never make.” The entire list of survey results and all 23 mistakes plus sample cover letters are published in the book Winning Cover Letters 2nd Edition by Robin Ryan.

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Continuing our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com:

Don’t try to become all things to all people. If you are a CEO, don’t add a statement that indicates that you are willing to be a Business Manager. If you are a Sales Manager, don’t indicate that you are willing to take on a position as a Customer Service Representative. Get the picture? Determine what you are selling (and looking for) before you put one word to paper.

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Continuing our series on a survey on cover letters conducted by Robin Ryan, author of Winning Cover Letters. Ryan notes, “A significant number of hiring managers said they were downright offended when no salary information was even requested and a job applicant still wrote, ‘I need $55,000 per year, plus full medical, dental and retirement benefits.’ One hiring manager revealed on most managers felt about this saying, ‘Some people send us a clear message that they are totally focused on their own needs and not on what they can do for our company, so we immediately delete them the competition. We continue to look to find a better team contributor to interview.’”

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Continuing our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com:

Sentence starters and appropriate use of action words all determine whether the resume is “interviewable.” Instead of using predictable phrases, think of ways to add punch to your resume. For example, instead of using “Increased sales by 250%…” write “Delivered a 250% increase in sales…”; instead of using “Ability to effectively…” write “Demonstrated ability to effectively…”; and instead of using “Reduced costs…” write “Slashed costs.”

When your resume doesn’t “sound” like all the others on the recruiter’s desk, he or she will take notice. You will be remembered when your resume breaks the monotony of the recruiter’s day. Guaranteed.

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Continuing our series on a survey on cover letters conducted by Robin Ryan, author of Winning Cover Letters. Ryan relates, “One human resource specialist sent along a cover letter that had no address or phone number on it. She sarcastically wrote, ‘Don’t you just love this? We couldn’t contact this person even if we wanted to.’ ALWAYS include your address, email, and home or cell telephone number on your letter. Be certain the numbers and email are legible.”

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With this entry, we begin a series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com:

Cast aside the belief that the resume is about you — because it isn’t. Though the resume is your “story,” the heart of it should focus on the needs of the employer. When developing your resume give thought to the person who will be reading it. What are his or her immediate concerns? How will you be able to solve that person’s problems?

Though it may be difficult to pin down a company’s immediate concerns before an interview, the reality is that organizations recruit candidates for one of the following reasons:

1. they need to replace an unproductive employee
2. a peak performer was promoted or left
3. a new position has been created.

A recruiter usually searches for a candidate who will produce certain results, one that is a skilled communicator and has a strong work ethic. If you are able to target your resume toward these key areas, you will, without a doubt, tap into the organization’s concerns.

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Continuing our series on a survey on cover letters conducted by Robin Ryan, author of Winning Cover Letters. Ryan notes, “Microscopic type is a bad choice! Every manager reiterated that letters must be easy to read, which means no small font type size. Keep the font clean — Arial is a good choice — at size 12 point — especially when faxing since the type often is blurred in the faxing process. Instead of shrinking the font size to squeeze too much onto one page, carefully edit so your letter is enticing to read.”

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Wrapping up our series by Mary Jeanne Vincent on preventing your resume from entering a “black hole:”

Problem: Your resume is difficult to read. It may be that it contains typos or poor grammar, or perhaps the type is too small or difficult to read.

Solution: Use the Spell check and Grammar check functions on your computer to check for obvious mistakes. Ask a friend with an eye for editing to review your resume. Ask for feedback on the readability of the size and style of type. The key is to make it easy on the reader’s eyes.

Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.