Customising Resumes and Cover Letters
Writing resumes is no easy task when one is trying to impress an employer and is not sure what to put in, to leave out, to emphasise or to gloss over. Moreover, what is meat for one employer could be off putting for another. However, there are some important tips in customizing your resume and cover letter.
1. The Cover LetterAny cover letter should aim to give a clear overview of the whole application and should have a maximum of 4 paragraphs.
The first paragraph should have a brief introduction about which job you are applying for, quoting any reference given in the advert, and why you are personally interested. That should always be different with each application.
Second paragraph should concentrate, very briefly, on the main reasons why you would be suitable. As a rule, this part can remain the same, but with a little tweak here and there to match the job you are applying for and the specific skills it might require. Don't repeat what you have put in your resume in this section. Instead aim to summarise the key skills, experience and personality traits you would be bringing with you. For example, while your resume might show a clear progression, through your different jobs, from office junior to manager, all you need to say about that in the letter is something like: "I hope the fact that I became a manager after only two years as a trainee in my field demonstrates my innate ability, capacity to learn, desire to seek challenges to widen my experience and to enhance my development."
The third paragraph would mention why that particular company is so attractive to you and why you were prompted to apply. This part should always make specific reference to the company you are applying and so will need to be customized with every application. The final paragraph would conclude your letter formally, along with mentioning that your detailed resume is enclosed with the hope that you will be called for an interview and have a positive reply shortly. This part can be standardised, except where you might wish to say something which directly relates to the company.
2. The ResumeAll resumes can be standardised too, except the parts which would directly be relevant to the company itself. Your resume should not be more than TWO A4 sides long, or, at the most, three pages. No busy employer wants to read reams and reams of stuff when they have tons of applications to look at.
Most resumes have key headings like:
Educational qualifications,
Current job (if any)
Reasons you are particularly suitable for this job
Past relevant experience
Skills and responsibilities
Personal qualities
Awards and Honours
These main headings tend to give an employer a full flavour of where you are coming from and what you have acquired along the way which might be of value to them. The qualifications section would always be standard, as well as your experience, listed in reverse order from current to past. However, skills and responsibilities, and the main reasons why you are particularly suitable, should always be customized to match the job and company you are applying to. Certain attributes would be emphasised depending on the nature of the job.
For example, if you are applying to stack shelves in a supermarket you might point out your organising skills, ability to follow instructions and reliability. However, if you were applying for a trainee management position you would be drawing attention to your ability to lead, to work as part of a team and to interact with others productively.
After all that advice, the best letters and resumes speak from the heart, address the actual job on offer and are as brief and concise as possible. As long as they are updated regularly and the information can be customised in key sections to suit each job, there should be positive responses
