Resumes and Cover Letters
Updated 23 October 2019
A resume is a one-page summary of who a person is
and what that person
has done. It is also the single-most important marketing
document
a person can produce. Therefore, its content and appearance
will
say volumes about that person to a potential employer.
There is no one preferred format. There is no magical
formula. The advice given here may differ from advice others
may
give. In the final analysis, do what you feel is best for
you.
Some general advice:
- Spelling and grammar are absolutely
critical. If you are
not careful in the preparation of your most-important
marketing
document, what does that tell a potential employer?
- Resumes should include your name, address(es),
telephone
number(s), education, occupational and volunteer experience,
and a list
of relevant honors and/or awards. A listing of your
hobbies/interests, professional objective, grade point
average, and/or
other personal information (age, martial status) is
optional.
However, remember that you want to keep the resume to one
page.
- Don't be afraid to list past employment that,
on the surface,
doesn't appear to be relevant to the position you are
seeking.
Although there may be little in common with slinging
hamburgers at
McDonald's and working in a corporate public relations office,
the fact
that you exhibited the initiative and responsibility
associated with
working and going to school may impress a potential employer.
- Also do not discount volunteer
experiences. Just because
you may not have been paid for doing something in the field of
public
relations doesn't make that experience any less relevant.
- If you wish to include references, place them
under a separate
heading on a separate page. Some employers want your
references. Others may not. This approach gives
you
flexibility. If you do provide references, use a variety
of
professional and academic references. You should get the
permission of a potential reference prior to listing his or
her
name. Do not list family members as references.
- Appearance can be as important as
content. For that reason,
do not try to jam too much information on that one page.
You may
not be able to list everything you want. It is up to you
to
choose what is most important. Have your resume typeset
or laser
printed. Although you are not limited to printing your
resume on
white paper, don't be too wild. When in doubt, it is
best to err
on the side of being conservative.
Just as important as the resume is the cover letter. It,
too,
must be free of spelling and grammatical errors. It is in
your
best interests to be direct. Don't beat around the
bush.
Tell a potential employer why you are writing him or her in the
first
paragraph. By including some research you have done on the
company to which you are applying, you can differentiate your
letter
from the majority of letters that employer receives. That
may not
get you the job, but it usually gets you past that crucial
first-cut. Unless otherwise instructed, indicate that you
will
follow-up the letter and resume with a telephone call or
visit.
However, the worst thing you can do is to say you will follow-up
and
then fail to do so.