This is a brief, informative summary of your abilities, education and experience.
It should highlight your strongest assets and skills relevant to the job for which you are applying and differentiate you from other candidates seeking similar positions.
An important element towards getting you an interview.
Tailor your resume to the type of poisition you are applying for. should reflect skills employer would value.
Resume language:
specific rather than general
active rather than passive
written to express rather than impress
articulate rather than flowery
fact-based(quantify and qualify)
written for people who can scan quickly
Resume mistakes
spelling and grammar errors
missing email and phone information
using passive language rather than action words.
not well organized, concise or easy to skim.
not tailored for the position or industry.
Don't
Use personal pronouns
Abbreviate
Use a narrative style
Number or letter categories
use slang
include a picture, age or sex.
list references
start each sentence with a date.
Do
Be consistent in format ad content
Make it easy to read and follow, balancing white space.
Use consistent spacing, bold and capitalization for emphasis
List heading such as experience in order of importance.
within headings list information in reverse chronological order.
Avoid information gaps such as a missing summer.
Be sure formatting translated properly.
Cover Letter
A good way to create a response-producing cover letter is to highlight your skills and experience that are most applicable to the job or industry and to tailor the
letter to the specific organization you are applying to
Specific rules
Tailor your letter to a specific person if you can.
Tailor your letter to specific situations or organisations by doing research before writing a letter.
Keep letter concise and factual, no more than a single page, avoid flowery language.
Give examples that support your skills and qualifications
Put yourself in the reader's shoe, what can you write that will convince reader that you are ready and able to do the job?
Dont overuse pronoun "I".
Remember it is a marketing tool, use alot of actions words.
Have an OCS advisor provide feedback, when possible.
Reference skills or experience from the job description and draw connections to your credentials.
Resume and cover letter same font type and size.
Format
Opening paragraph
Clearly state why you are writing, name the position and type of work your are exploring and where applicable where you heard about the person or organization.
Mention the key skills and expertise that qualify you for this role.
Middle paragraph
Provide supporting examples that demonstrate you have the key skills and expertise needed for that role, which you have mentioned in first paragraph, not entire resume though.
Explain why your are interested in this employer and your reasons for desiring this type of work.
Be sure to do it in a confident manner as reader will also be evaluating your writing skills.
Closing paragraph
Reiterate your interest in the position and enthusiasm for using your skills to contribute to the work of the organization.
Thank the reader for their consideration of your application and end by providing your email and phone number for any questions to arrange an interview.