Whether you have a job or are prospecting one, its crucial in today's job market that your resume and cover letter are in ace shape, ready to go out the door at all times. Have you kept yours up-to-date? Is a new promotion or job omitted? Now's as good a time as any to polish it up.
Here's a few tips on developing a spectacular, attention-grabbing resume and cover letter:
1. Customize. Never spam send your resume to employers. Instead, read each job description and requirement carefully, fine-tuning and customizing your resume and cover letter to the job at hand.
2. Use Action Verbs. 'Managed an 11-person team.' 'Cut project expenses 33 percent.' Action verbs at the beginning of the sentence make a powerful impact on the reader. Get rid of 'Was responsible for', as this is passive language and sounds more like a chore than a thrilling activity you were excited to take part in.
3. Show Milestones. Everyone applying for the job will have basically the same credentials. So don't re-list your job description. Show what you accomplished above and beyond it, like streamlining processes, improving sales or creating manuals to assist people well into the future. This'll help you stand out from the crowd and shows you're a real go-getter - which is exactly what employers want.
4. Address Common Questions. Are you relocating to another state? Is the job in a different field of specialization than the ones you've previously held? Have you job-hopped extensively? Positively Spin or embellish this issue in your cover letter, so your prospective employer isn't left assuming the worst.
If you absolutely abhor writing and don't know where to start, get a friend, co-worker or relative to help you. See what questions or skill sets they come up with that you might've overlooked. You can also hire a professional resume writer. To find one, search 'professional resume writer' or 'freelance job board' on your favorite search engine.
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