Resumes and Cover Letters

Amber McAllister      Chancelvie Louzolo-Nkindou     Joseph Albers

Our topic is "Write to get a job" We chose this topic because after graduation, we all are looking for jobs. In this case, is it very important to know the right way of writing when they will be looking for a job. Therefore,we will be talking about how to write the resume and cover letters.

A resume is written document used to highlight your background and your skill set. You want your resume to grab the employers’ attention, in order to secure a future interview. In order to do this, your resume should be appealing to the eye and informative. Some ways to make your resume appealing to the eye, it should have an effective format. Invest time into the format and make it clear, concise, and to the point. Another way to make your resume appealing to the eye is using a readable typeface. This includes the size and font of the resumes. The three main resume styles are chronological, functional and hybrid. The resume should also be informative, by using your identification, career, education, honors, and your references. In addition to a resume, you also need a cover letter.

Cover letters are a very important piece to writing a resume. They cover many things. The main reason for a cover letter is to explain why you are sending the resume. With your cover letter you need to be very specific. Make it clear to the employer what you are looking to get out of the opportunity they are offering. Let them know that you have also done your research on the company. You do not want to go in for an interview with no knowledge what so ever. Also let them know how you found out about the opportunity. The cover letter will be read first, so make it count. Give them some knowledge about your background; show them you are qualified for what they are looking for. Show them your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills. Make sure that you cover everything that was on the application that was not included in your resume. Cover letters should be roughly three paragraphs long. In the first one indicate why you are applying, and tell them about yourself. In the second one explain to them why you are interested and why they should consider you. And in the final paragraph make it known that you would like an interview or to speak to someone about the position. Also you need to make sure that you have your signature on the hard copy. Cover letters usually fall into two categories, applying for a specific job or to see if there are any openings. If you receive a follow up, make sure you send them a letter back saying thank and explaining why you would be a god candidate for the open position.

In conclusion, it is very important for students to know how to write a resume and cover letters. Because after graduation we will all be seeking for jobs. Put in your mind that an employer receives many applications but when your resume and cover letters are well done, you will have a chance to get a job interview. Hopefully, this information will be beneficial for you all when applying for a job.

 

Sources

 

http://www.career.vt.edu/JobSearchGuide/CoverLetterSamples.html (9/17/12)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sum%C3%A9 (09/17/12)

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/index.html (09/17/12)