Unit 2: Key Components of a Resume and Cover Letter
Now, let's focus on the key components your resume should contain. Consider the categories you wish to include to highlight your significant 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 will examine common design elements and simple techniques to format and style your resume. After all the effort you have put into your resume, you want your target audience to read it! You should include an effective cover letter to accompany your resume. This unit provides helpful information to formulate this vital marketing tool.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify and describe the components of a resume;
- incorporate best practices in resume 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 and format of a portfolio; and
- explain the purpose and format of a digital or e-portfolio.
2.1: Anatomy of a Resume
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 discussed in Section 1.1, your resume 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 resume has a function, and its effect on the reader should be informative and positive. As you study the resources below, keep your audience in mind. Is your resume descriptive and targeted appropriately to the needs of your selected potential employers?
Making a good first impression is critical. This text spells out the information in the header and the objective of your resume. 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. In the business world, as in many professional areas, time is money! For example, many recruiters only scan the top half of the first page of your resume, "above the fold". They do not spend time reading your entire resume. So, it is vital to provide clear and minimal contact information. Since contact will probably be by phone, text, or email, list the phone you use most often. Consider creating a separate email account for your job search: use a professional username with your last name.
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 job candidates who lack 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 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 offers suggestions on how to present your educational qualifications.
This article continues the discussion on presenting your education credentials in your resume. We learn that resume 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 relevant field to the position opening, you may want to place this information before your work experience. Pay attention to the "miscellaneous rules" that cover a variety of scenarios and how they affect education placement on your resume.
What is the best way to present your work experience to your reader? This section is arguably the most critical component of your resume since employers want to see if you have the skills and experience to perform the responsibilities listed in the job description.
Read this article for suggestions on presenting 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 lengthy descriptions of your greatness. Use bullets and quantify your accomplishments and responsibilities using percentages, the number of dollars saved, the number of people managed, etc.
This article offers a treasure trove of information about job skills. O-Net Online describes six categories of skill groups. Select multiple skills that relate to your current status or ones you plan to obtain to learn about the types of jobs that require these 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 performing well on the job. Again, remember to match your skills with what the employer values. Pay particular 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 interviewing.
Should you include your hobbies in your resume or CV? In the article, Dara Sheahan offers tips and examples on describing relevant skills and experience you obtained through this type of work.
This article describes how you can offset a lack of paid work history and attract positive attention from a recruiter or employer. For example, most recruiters say candidates with international volunteering experience stand out and will probably get the job!
2.2: Cover Letters
You should always include a cover letter with your resume to help you stand out among the other candidates. The cover letter is another marketing tool to attract attention and entice the reader to look at your resume. The cover letter provides an introduction, a glimmer into your personality, and invites the reader to explore your resume further.
This article will help you decide what to 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 you are applying for? The article 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.
This article explains the parts of the cover letter and how it can convince the reader to learn more about you. There are no standards for an effective cover letter; the only convention is to use the same font and margins as in your resume. However, 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.
Take a look at several sample cover letters in this resource in case it sparks some helpful ideas you could use for your letter.
Watch this video. Pay as much attention to the phrases you should NOT use in addition to those you should. For example, emphasize what you have done, not what you have not, or areas where you fell short. Stay positive! Be as accurate as possible and use action words like implemented, prioritized, and streamlined.
In your cover letter, you are making a first impression on the hiring manager. However, for an entry-level position, the cover letter should not be longer than one page.
Watch this video. Before you write your cover letter, research the company and the role you are applying for to get a general understanding of what the company does, its products and services, the competition, and the company culture. Most hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit the company's culture.
Address your cover letter to the person listed in the position opening or find the hiring manager's name (with the correct spelling of their name and their exact title). You may need to call the front office if you cannot find their name, title, or email address online.
Why do you want to work for the company? Frame your cover letter so it is about your understanding of the company and how hiring you will solve their problems or shortfalls. Identify keywords so you can use the company's vernacular, words, or language to describe how your skill set will help it achieve one or more of its strategic goals.
Many use ChatGPT to learn about the issues the industry where they want to work is grappling with. However, do not rely on ChatGPT to write a cover letter tailored to a specific job. ChatGPT will provide a basic outline and key points or words to include, but you must still personalize the letter. Your cover letter should display your personality and enthusiasm for the job and the company. ChatGPT can help research the position, company, and industry. But it will never replace your personal voice or story, which showcases your strengths and skill sets. ChatGPT cannot give specific examples of your work experience or the value you will bring to the company. ChatGPT can also help you identify keywords hiring managers in the industry will search for when they review your cover letter and resume. Remember, your cover letter should introduce you and showcase your personality, skills, and enthusiasm. It should sound like you and something you would normally say during an interview.
This video explains how ChatGPT works and why you must always check for accuracy and proofread the outcome. ChatGPT uses a large language model to generate responses – always proofread for context and spelling errors.
2.3: What Is a Digital or ePortfolio?
Many job candidates create a digital portfolio (or ePortfolio) to highlight their work experience and abilities more visually, such as with examples of photographs, images, architectural design work, or other visual material they have created. While a traditional portfolio allows the interviewer to see, touch, or hold the results of your creativity, an effective digital portfolio can set your CV apart from others.
Artists use their resumes or CVs as a platform to highlight their creativity and design skills and help make their job applications stand out, especially for positions that require artistic and design capabilities.Read this article to learn how to 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, videographer, photographer, website designer, or journalist? This article offers five tips for creating a compelling ePortfolio. Remember that job seekers from nearly every profession create ePortfolios to highlight their accomplishments and make themselves stand out among other applicants, even if they are not graphic designers or multi-media professionals. Keep your information current: your projects may have earned high marks several years ago, but your target employers want to see that you stay current in your field.
Watch this tutorial on creating an ePortfolio using Mahara (https://mahara.org) or a similar free platform to organize your achievements. Mention how your actions and efforts impacted the company and its objectives. Include numbers and percentages where you can. For example, you created a comprehensive social media marketing campaign that increased inquiries by 30 percent and overall sales by 10 percent during the past 18 months.
Watch this video on what hiring managers look for when reviewing a job candidate's design portfolio.
2.4: Video Resumes
A video resume is a 1–2 minute recording you send to a prospective employer that includes your professional experience, qualifications, and interests. It is an opportunity for employers to see and hear how you present yourself in a professional manner.
Use the keywords of the industry where you are applying. For example, "curiosity" and "lifelong learning" appear in lists of the top five soft skills employers desire. Your enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and ability to fit into the company culture may be enough to secure you an interview, even if you lack the technical skills the position requires. Consider finding a way to display these attributes in your video resume.
Watch this video, which gives instructions on what to include in a digital resume. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, most employers prefer to see a video resume, even in fields that did not previously require them, such as fashion, communications, etc. This is an opportunity to create a lasting first impression. Hiring managers spend an average of 90 seconds watching a video resume instead of 20 seconds reading or scanning a traditional resume.