Looking to apply for a job or sprucing up your resume for future use? Crafting a compelling cover letter and resume are crucial steps in any job application process and offers a first-impression to future employers about your abilities and level of professionalism. A cover letter tells the employer who are, why you want the job, and what you have to offer should they hire you. A resume serves as a concise yet impactful summary of your skills, prior experience, and achievements. Both should be designed to capture the attention of potential employers. Strategic formatting, precise language, and aptly refined showcase of skills and key terms can really help so let’s walk through some ideas for best practices and available resources to build the best resume and cover letters for you.
RESUMES
There are many resume builders online and many of them advertise themselves as a free service only for you to discover you must pay to download your resume at the end. That’s why we like to recommend FlowCV. You will have to register and provide an email and password, but FlowCV will give you one free resume that you can print and download for future use. Plus it walks you through step by step to fill in the necessary information. They also offer advice and formats for cover letters. You can try it HERE.
Best Practice Tips for Resumes:
When submitting a resume it is crucial that you check for spelling and grammar. Many companies filter out resumes that include poor spelling and it would be a shame to put in all the work for nobody to even look at your resume.
- Make sure you capitalize proper nouns and the first letter of a new sentence.
- Use a uniform formatting throughout (such as consistent style for dates).
- Do not use fancy fonts or ALL-CAPS, make sure it is readable and not cluttered.
- Do not use exclamation points.
- Don’t just rely on spell-check, have someone proofread your resume if possible.
- Make sure to provide accurate contact information so the employer can reach you.
- Highlight your achievements. Emphasize them using bullet points.
- Do not exaggerate titles or misrepresent yourself.
Also, make sure to keep your list of achievements and skills relevant to the job you are applying for. It is good practice to customize your resume for each job you apply for, so move around the skills and achievements to put the most relevant near the top.
A lot of larger corporations use AI on a resume and are looking to only view candidates who match enough key terms. Think about the type of job you are applying for and what values the company is looking for and cater to this when compiling your list of skills and qualifications.
COVER LETTERS
A lot of employers require a cover letter and even if it isn’t explicitly stated it is always a good idea to include one as well. A cover letter is your best chance to catch the attention of HR or hiring management so make sure it is unique, properly formatted with correct spelling, capitalization, and grammar, and make sure it promotes you in an engaging and positive manner. A good cover letter should tell who you are, why you want the job, what skills you bring to the table, and how you will help the company achieve their goals with you on the team.
Best Practice Tips for Cover Letters:
- Keep a cover letter to one full page.
- Proper spelling, capitalization, and grammar.
- Use professional formatting. Don’t write it by hand, use a computer and print it.
- Use a standard font that is easy to read (typically font size 12 for Arial or Times New Roman).
- Align your text to the left.
- Focus on the future. While a cover letter highlights your past experiences and skills, it should focus on why you would be a good fit for the company and what you can offer them if given the opportunity.
- Be engaging but avoid attempts at humor. Keep it personable and easy to read.
- Be professional and sincere. Do not overdo it on flattery. They know they are a great place to work, they need to know you are a good fit so make sure to focus on yourself and why you are the best option to hire.
Lets step through the body of a cover letter and look at some best practice ideas:
Header
- Include your contact information, the date, and the recipient's contact information if you have it.
Salutations
- Address the recipient.
- If possible, do some research on the company and the hiring staff (this is often listed on their website) and address the letter to the person who will be doing the hiring. If you cannot find a name it is acceptable to address it as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Company Name] team” or something to the effect of “Dear [Company Name] Marketing Department” with the name of the department you are applying for.
Introductory Paragraph
- Introduce yourself and state the position you're applying for.
- Start STRONG. Your first sentence is your hook and you want to catch attention. Lead with succinct and relevant information about why YOU should be the person they hire.
A few examples of a good first sentence:
- “I’m a marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience looking for an opportunity to apply my artistic skills and engaging messaging in new ways, and I’d love to bring my expertise and enthusiasm to your team.”
- “Closing a sale is the key to success and 12 years of experience in the automotive sales field has helped me sharpen my skills to make any car sound like a great deal and I would love to bring my finesse to your staff.”
- “I have a long string of success in the retail management industry across multiple companies and I would greatly enjoy putting my skills and leadership to work within your store.”
Body Paragraph
- Highlight your relevant skills, experiences, and achievements.
- Each cover letter should be unique to the job you are applying for. Edit your personal cover letter to emphasize the details that would be most advantageous for each job you apply for.
- Analyze the job description and make sure your body speaks to the qualifications and why you are a great fit for them.
Closing Paragraph
- Reiterate why you want the job and what you have to offer if you are hired.
- Thank them for the consideration.
Sign-off
- Use a polite closing, such as “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” followed by your full name.
RESOURCES
Check out West Michigan Works for more tips and tricks as well as job opportunities, skill builders and more.
Also, you have FREE access with your library card to LinkedIn Learning and Learning Express Library, each with advice and tutorials on resumes, cover letters, job skills and other professional development topics. Check those out and more in the Digital Resources section of the website.
