Unit 2: Key Components of a Résumé and Cover Letter
Now, let's focus on the key components your résumé should contain in greater detail. What consider the categories do you wish to include to highlight your major accomplishments, professional skills, and other pertinent information? How should you organize these components to showcase your abilities to a potential employer? In this unit, we examine common design elements and simple techniques to format and style your résumé. After all the effort you have put into your résumé, you want your target audience to read it! You should include an effective cover letter to accompany your résumé. This unit provides helpful information to formulate this important marketing tool.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify and describe the components of a résumé;
- incorporate best practices in résumé and cover letter writing;
- explain the purpose of a cover letter;
- identify various cover letter types and formats and the function of each;
- explain the purpose of a portfolio; and
- explain the purpose of a digital or e-portfolio.
2.1: Anatomy of a Résumé
In this section, we discuss the information you will use to identify yourself to your reader and the specific purpose of your job search. As we discussed in the last unit, your résumé does more than summarize your work and educational history; it is a powerful marketing tool that can get you that interview. Each component of the résumé has a function, and its effect on the reader should be informative and positive. As you study, keep your audience in mind. Is your résumé targeted appropriately to meet the needs of your selected potential employers?
In this resource we learn the importance of making a good first impression. It spells out the information you should include in the header and objective of your résumé. An important tip is to have a professional voicemail recording that contributes to a positive first impression.
Read this article to learn how to grab the attention of busy recruiters and employers. Many recruiters only scan the top half of the first page of your resume, above-the-fold. Since they will not spend the time to read your entire résumé, you must provide clear and minimal contact information. List the phone number you use most often since contact will probably be by phone, text, or email. Consider creating a separate email account for your job search: use a professional username in which your last name is embedded.
In this article, we learn that an objective statement may be appropriate for college graduates, career changers, and those applying for a specific job. However, many job seekers have replaced an objective statement with a summary of their accomplishments – a one-sentence sales pitch for a particular job can indicate you are a can-do person for a busy recruiter or human resources professional.
Because some recruiters and hiring managers will not even consider hiring a job candidate who lacks certain education credentials, you need to highlight your academic achievements appropriately. Perhaps you recently graduated from college and have little work experience. In this case, you may choose to emphasize your education by placing it before any work history. Again, market yourself effectively by featuring your strongest asset first. Is it education or experience? This article gives suggestions on how to present your educational qualifications.
This article continues the discussion on how to present your education credentials in your résumé. Résumé writing is an art and a science. Whether you present your education before your experience depends on your situation and what you want to emphasize. For example, if you have just completed a degree in a field that is relevant to the position opening, you may want to place this information before your work experience. Pay attention to the section on miscellaneous rules, which covers a variety of scenarios and how they affect education placement on your résumé.
What is the best way to present your work experience to your reader? This section is arguably the most important component of your résumé since employers are looking to see if you have the skills and experience to perform the responsibilities listed in the job description. Read this article for suggestions on how to present your qualifications. For example, your work history should highlight how your experiences align directly with what the employers are looking for. Keep your reader in mind and avoid long descriptions. Use bullets and quantify your accomplishments and responsibilities by using percents, number of dollars saved, number of people managed, etc.
This article gives a treasure trove of information about job skills. O-Net Online describes six categories of skill groups. Go to their website to select skills that relate to your current status or ones you plan to obtain and to see jobs that require those skills and the experience and job training these jobs reflect.
This article describes how to highlight specific accomplishments and skills you possess to enhance your chances of getting hired and perform well on the job. Again, remember to match your skills with what the employer values. Pay attention to the discussion on how to present your references. An employer may ask for your references before, during, or after your interview. Learn how to format this information and follow etiquette rules to inform your references while you are interviewing.
Should you include your hobbies on your résumé or CV? This article gives tips and examples on how to describe the relevant skills and experience you obtained through this type of work.
This article describes how to offset a lack of paid work history and attract positive attention. For example, most recruiters say that candidates with international volunteering experience stand out and are more likely to get the job!
2.2: Cover Letters
You should always include a cover letter with your résumé to help you stand out among other job candidates who are applying for the job. Think of your cover letter as another marketing tool to get attention and entice the reader to look at your résumé. It provides an introduction, a glimmer into your personality, and invites the reader to explore your credentials further.This article discusses what you should include in your cover letter, such as matching your strengths with what appears in the job description. What strengths do you want to emphasize and how do they relate to the job for which you are applying? The author describes the three main sections of the cover letter, provides helpful examples, and explains how to create a portfolio to show examples of your work.
Your cover letter should convince the reader of their need to learn more about you. The only standard convention for your cover letter is to use the same font and margins as in your résumé. The author advises using STAR statements to market your strengths, such as your leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. Present all information clearly and concisely.
This article takes you one step closer to writing a professional cover letter. Keep your audience in mind as you market yourself. Some research is required since you need to know what the employer is interested in and how you may fit into the company’s plans. For example, visit the website, talk with others in the same industry, and read their annual reports.
Look at several sample cover letters in this resource to get ideas you might use in your own letter.
2.3: What is a Portfolio?
Many job candidates create a digital portfolio (or ePortfolio) to highlight their work experience and abilities in a more visual way, such as with examples of photographs, images, architectural design work, and other visual material they have created. An effective digital portfolio will set your CV apart from others.
For example, artists use their résumé or CV as a platform to highlight their creativity, design skills, and help make their job application stand out, especially for positions that require artistic and design capabilities.
Read this article to learn how you can create a "portfolio taster" with photographs, still images from film, and pieces created around and within the CV format to attract and impress the reader.
Are you a graphic artist, journalist or historian? This article gives five tips for creating a compelling ePortfolio. For example, keep your information up to date: your projects may have earned high marks several years ago, but your target employers want to see that you are staying current in your field.
Unit 2 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.