Cover Letters and Resumes

A special thanks to Dr. Pete Praetorius Associate Professor of Communication Matanuska-Susitna College for his collaboration on this assignment.

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: What are action verbs and why should they be used?

Action words, sometimes called "power words," are words that generally do not require a direct object to get the author's meaning across. Action verbs helps to grab the attention of the reader. Many of these words end in "ed" in a resume because they refer to something a person did in the past. Such as arranged, approved, advocated.

What information should I avoid including?

Irrelevant information includes: political affiliation, religion and sexual preference. Generally avoid listing the above unless it is relevant and important to the employer.

Are there problems with using a template for my resume?

Like a cover letter, a template can limit you. Better to get ideas from various templates and then create your own look. But keep the look relatively conservative. Don't create a look that is going to offend or be radically different than what your reader is expecting. Your goal with any writing project should be to meet the needs and expectations of your audience.

What if I had a terrible supervisor and hated my last job. How should I deal with this?

Mention your job title and duties in a positive light.

Should I include my hobbies?

Only if relevant.

If I'm required to email my resume and application, is there anything I should know before hand?

Send your resume and cover letter, as well as any other documents, in PDF format, and mention in the email what the attached files are and what job you're applying for.

I've heard that there are templates available to help me write a cover letter. Do you recommend a template? If so, where can I find one?

Templates are available (in MS Word) and other sources. But templates can make a resume or cover letter look canned. Also, it's hard to change a part of a template if you don't like it or it isn't working for what you want to do. Better to look at several examples of templates and come up with our own look. Again, having your own look is good, but you don't want to go over the top.

Should I use a specific font and font pitch?

Use an easy to read business font such as Times New Roman, or Calibri, or Verdana. Avoid Comic Sans or other funny or funky fonts. Don't go smaller than 10pt or larger than 12 pt. Keep in mind that an older person who doesn't see close up as well as you may be reading your resume

Should I list my responsibilities or my achievements?

Yes. You want to "show rather then tell." Mentioning what you did at a past job is better than saying what your attributes are—this goes for both the resume as well as the cover letter. For example, I often see student say in a cover letter say that they are "team players" or "hard workers." These statements may be true, but they need to be backed up with evidence. It is best to SHOW how one is a "team player." You can still use this term because a computer may be looking for it, but you also want to back it up with an example.

What information needs to be included in a cover letter?

a. Address a person—do not use "To whom it may concern." If you don't have a name to address the letter to, then address it to a title—such as "dear hiring committee" or "dear Human Resources director." b. Opening concise statement, which includes the exact title of job applying for c. Address each item that is in the ad announcement.

What are "no kidding" statements and why should they be avoided?

"No kidding" statements include "Available for interview" and "References available upon request." If you're not available for an interview, why apply for the job? References should be contacted prior to a job interview since you know you'll need them if you are considered for a position. You should avoid any question that makes a potential employer think "no kidding or dah!" People used to be told to put "References available upon request" at the end of a resume, and then they were told to put this statement if there was room. I think at this point if the statement is there it is considered by many to be an effort to adhere to a standard protocol, but it would be better to fill the limited space on a resume with something for reveling about your skill and attributes.

How can I avoid divulging my age on my resume?

Don't use dates—use what's called a "skills resume." Such resumes can be a red flag because employers will wonder why you didn't mention dates (was the applicant in jail?)

Approximately how many paragraphs should a cover letter contain and what information should be included in each paragraph?

Generally keep letters to a page, but often they will be longer for people with more experience or for higher level jobs. But shorter is better because those reading these letters want to finish them as soon as possible so they can get back to work. For HUMS 185 we will use three paragraphs. Review the cover letter slides for directions.

Do I need to list all of my work experience? If not, how far should I go back?

Mention relevant work experience. In fact, you can use a heading called "Relevant Work Experience." This will alert an employer to the fact that you've done more but not listed it. Sometimes you can make seemingly unrelated work experience relevant.

Should I include my career goals?

Including one's career goals may be appropriate in a resume, but this is more often seen in a cover letter. What you don't want to do is suggest that you want the job simply to gain experience. Your cover letter and resume should be about what you can do for your potential employer rather than what they can do for you—even with a job for an internship.

Are there specific formats that work better than others? Should my education be listed at the beginning or at the end?

It depends on what the reader expects and what they are looking for. If the reader expects to see that an applicant has a specific degree—and they are using the presence of that degree as a way to screen applicants—then make their job easy by mentioning it up front.

What are effective titles I can use in my resume?

It is very important to put your past job titles on your resume. Put these titles at the beginning of each job you list. Most jobs will have an actual title. For example, let's say you have a past job as a "Family Support Counselor." This could be a description of what you did, but it could also be the actual "job title." You would want to use this title and place it (along with the location and date) in bold at the beginning of the discussion of that job. Unfortunately, sometimes a person's job title does not accurately match what he or she is actually doing. For instance, a person may have been hired as an administrative assistant but found themselves doing the work of a Family Support Counselor. When this happens, it's best to ask to be reclassified (along with a raise if applicable). If it's the past, you're ethically stuck using your actual title (administrative assistant) but you can under your duties section say that you acted as a "Family Support Counselor."

How long should my resume be?

One page unless you have a lot of experience; then it could be two pages. If you're going for a college teaching position or high-level executive job, then you might be expected to provide a curriculum vitae rather than a resume. CVs list everything (publications, service, etc) and can be quite long—I have a friend (who died young—perhaps of over work) whose CV was 37 pages.

What is the primary objective of writing a resume?

The primary objective of writing a resume is to document your work experience (both paid and non-paid) as well as your education and (if room allows) past and present community service.

Should I use bullet points or paragraphs when building my resume?

There is no right answer to this question—as with most questions concerning resumes. Bullet points can take up more space, which may be a good thing if you don't have much experience. But you should try to keep the resume to one page unless you have lots of work experience that you need to highlight. Also, too many bullet points can make a resume look spindly and awkward. However, dense paragraphs can be intimidating. If you are going for a job that requires excellent written communication skills, then you can showcase these skills in a resume. I often tell people to split the difference with bullet points and paragraphs. Provide an opening sentence, say, to a bulleted list.

Is it appropriate to use Mr. and Ms. on my resume? Gender-neutral names like Alex, Ryan, Sydney, etc.

This is more of a cover letter question rather than a resume question. Generally on a resume you don't mention a person's name, but if you did, you probably would know the person's gender. This can be tricky with cover letters. You do not want to refer to a woman named Alex as Mr. So find out the gender of the person if you're writing a letter to him/her. Make a phone call or do research in some other way. If you can't find out the person's gender, simply address it to the person's full name without the Mr. or Ms. And generally we no longer use Mrs.

I've read that many companies are using digital databases to search for candidates. Why is this important to know?

When a company searches a database to find an employee, they limit themselves to looking for people based exclusively on what the applicant places on an application/resume. Thus, the words you use to describe yourself must correspond to what words are being searched. For instance, if you had a past job that required you to supervise others, you would want to use the word supervise rather than a word like watched or a phrase like "was in charge of." The search algorithms that these job databases use are always improving, but you can help the process by the words you choose. Use the words/lingo from your field. Ultimately, your goal is to get a positive screening from the machine so that you can meet with a real person.

What is white space?

White space is an area on the page that does not contain any print. Some white space will make your resume easier to read and make it look more inviting. However, to much white space and your resume will look empty.

Should I mention anything about how I learned about the position? If I know anything about the organization, should I mention it in my cover letter or wait for an interview?

Yes, "I'm writing to apply for X position as advertised in X (the Anchorage Dispatch News, your company's website)"

Is it helpful to analyze the job announcement?

Yes, absolutely. And use the terms from the announcement in your cover letter and resume. Try and address every responsibility and qualification that is in the announcement. I suggest making a list and then address each item. Once you've done this, then shape your answers into the proper format for a letter of resume

Should I know anything about the salary range of the position?

Yes, don't waste your time applying for a job you won't accept if the pay is too low. A tactful phone call can provide the pay information—you just don't want to come across as being pushy

I once saw a resume with a picture of person holding a king salmon. Is this a good idea to catch the reader's attention?

Yes, it you are applying for a job as a fishing guide. But it's best to avoid photos of yourself on your resume. That said, if you are applying for a job in another country, it may be standard—and expected—that you provide a picture of yourself.

My last job used a lot of jargon. Should I include that jargon in my resume?

Yes, use jargon if you are applying for a similar job in the same industry and the jargon is industry/discipline specific. If the jargon was unique to your place of employment, then don't use it. Also, don't use jargon if applying for a job in a different industry where the reader may not understand it.

Do employers look for keywords in cover letters and resumes when they are screening applicants for a job interview? What keyword should I use?

Yes. Especially applications filled out electronically will be first "screened" by a computer. So use the language from the ad as well as the language of the field. a. Examples of skill keywords include: wrote, analyzed, quantified, planned, programmed, designed, created, built, taught and trained, advised, collaborated, etc.

Is the format of cover letter important? If so why and how should be formatted?

Yes. Follow standard formatting—you want to meet the needs and expectation of your audience. That said, if you can make your letter stand out (without going over the top), you'll be more readily noticed. For example.... Related to this question is the letter's appearance. Don't use small type that might make the letter look daunting or like it might require a lot of time and effort to read.

Do I need to know the name of the person who will be reviewing my cover letter and resume?

a. This helps. Sometimes you can call and ask for the name of the person who you should address the letter. Sometimes you'll then be connected, and then you can mention the phone conversation in the letter. This can really help—it gives you a leg in. b. Never address to "Dear Sir." If you can't get a name, address to the title(s). Such as "Dear Hiring Committee:" c. Finally, after the person's name, use a colon rather than a coma for a business letter.