Welcome to Resume Writing
Resume Building Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing
from: Heather Eagar
Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing. The cover letter accompanies the resume at all times as the primary support document. Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or another type of electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume. There are, of course, other tools you’ll use when job seeking. Your cover letter and resume come first of course, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters for after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters. If you have good cover letter writing skills, and good resume writing skills, the other written tools should be a snap to compose.
Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different however. Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.
Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The old adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.
As an example, let’s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position. In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….
• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.
• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.
The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews. With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
About The Author
Heather Eagar
Are you guilty of sabotaging your own job search along with the opportunity to earn more money? Heather Eagar, a former professional resume writer and creator of ResumeLines.com, provides reviews of the top resume writing services (www.resumelines.com) that put you in charge of your career so you can get the job you deserve. Sign-up for your free Job Search Tips E-Course (www.resumelines.com/ecourse).
Resume Building News
The Beatdown: Resume building for Bisping, Davis - NBCSports.com
 NBCSports.com | The Beatdown: Resume building for Bisping, Davis NBCSports.com Their resume highlights are respectable, but thin. Both Bisping and Davis will have a chance to prove their critics and doubters wrong. Bisping will have the opportunity to prove he can beat the elite rather than just be one of the best ... |
CDI College Launches Optimal Resume Service - PR Web (press release)
CDI College Launches Optimal Resume Service PR Web (press release) This tool will make it easier for our students and alumni to build a professional looking resume in less time. CDI College has teamed with Optimal Resume, an online resume building service, for student and alumni use free of charge. |
Tigers, Pioneers set to resume hostilities in the Gold Pan series - Denver Post
Tigers, Pioneers set to resume hostilities in the Gold Pan series Denver Post The Pioneers (16-6 before late game Thursday) get another chance for a résumé-builder Saturday when they host Middle Tennessee (20-3) on national TV. DU was second in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division to start the week, while Middle Tennessee ... |
Free Resume Building Class on February 8, 2012 - Houston Chronicle (blog)
Free Resume Building Class on February 8, 2012 Houston Chronicle (blog) Need help jazzing up your resume? Workforce Solutions is offering a free class called “Creating a Resume/Completing the Application” on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 1 to 3 pm at in room L-207 of the Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library, ... |
Live: At The Woolworth Building, Elijah Wood DJs While Bon Iver Stays In His ... - Village Voice (blog)
 Village Voice (blog) | Live: At The Woolworth Building, Elijah Wood DJs While Bon Iver Stays In His ... Village Voice (blog) If you haven't been on Twitter/Facebook/tumblr/Google+ in the past week, you may not know that Bon Iver has recently added "New Face of Bushmills Whiskey" next to "Hater of Grammys" on the confused Indie Branding section of his résumé. |
Casino construction to resume Wednesday - FOX19
 CTV.ca | Casino construction to resume Wednesday FOX19 Amit Ghosh, Deputy Director of Buildings and Inspections for the city addressed council concerns regarding the casino accident during a Major Transportation and Infrastructure Projects subcommittee meeting. He says work is expected to resume by the end ... Work To Resume At Casino Site Today Work At Casino Site To Resume Wednesday Contractor says work to resume at Cincinnati casino site where collapse ... |
After victory against Cal, Arizona has life - Arizona Desert Swarm
After victory against Cal, Arizona has life Arizona Desert Swarm by K_Zim on Feb 3, 2012 11:17 AM PST in Arizona Wildcats Basketball The Arizona Wildcats were in desperate need of a building block for a NCAA tournament resume lacking of anything substantial. They'd lost to ever-growing rival Washington last weekend ... |