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Resume
Help Question:
Do I Need a Cover Letter?
Employers and human resources departments
expect everyone to accompany their resume with a cover letter,
and for good reason! Your resume's cover letter is the perfect
opportunity to multiply the 5 seconds of human attention
that most resumes receive, and ask for an interview.
Cover letters are just that - a letter.
A letter should be addresses to an individual and customized
for each person who receives it. Human resource departments
are quirky, and many HR managers regarded the lack of a
cover letter (or the lack of a personalized cover letter)
as a sign of laziness.
Your cover letter is the personable
component of your resume. It is a marketing piece to "soften
up" the employer and open their mind to what you have
to contribute to their company. Use your cover letter to
give a brief (brief as in quick!) glimpse into the softer
qualities you could bring to the workplace. Do not use your
cover letter as an opportunity to rehash your resume.
Because your resume's cover letter
is supposed to be personable, you should avoid using 5 million
dollar words. If the HR manager needs a dictionary to read
your cover letter, it will not be read. Try to write as
you would speak, but pay close attention to sentence structure,
spelling and grammar. Your resume and cover letter are marketing
pieces, and in marketing repetition counts. If you are personable
in your cover letter, qualified in your resume, and your
demeanor in person matches the two, you have a great chance
at getting the job!
Know
your Resume's Audience
Pick the Right Resume Paper for the Job!
One of the most common (and controversial)
questions abut submitting a resume is not what you print
on your resume, but what you print your resume on.
60% of employers report they do
not like resumes printed on strange parchment. 80% of
human resource managers prefer a normal 8.5 x 11 inch
sheet over a trifold brochure resume or other such gimmick.
With this said, it would be safe
to say that the plain paper resume will probably carry
the day. However, there are some important exceptions
to this steadfast resume rule.
In one example, a radio disc jockey
was applying for a morning show position on a top-40 radio
station. He had his resume delivered via FedEx next day
priority to the station's human resources department in
a pizza box. This novel approach made his resume stand
out and earned him the job. (Note: This approach is not
appropriate for every job application. If you decide to
attempt this, please use a new pizza box.)
While there are some general resume
help rules you should typically follow, the object of
the game is to get your resume noticed and obtain that
ever-so-coveted interview.
Paper Resume Help Tips:
• Do not fold your resume
so the crease is on a line of text
• Address your resume to a specific person if possible
• Don't select paper that makes your print hard
to read
• Type your address on your resume envelope
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2009
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