Topic #3 Cover Letters and Resumes

Hi gang!

This week we’re going to discuss Cover Letters and Resumes. You don't want to end up at the bottom of the pile! One of the most important things job seekers can do is put together a great cover letter. This will give future employers an idea of what kind of person you are. It is important to tailor your letter for each company you are applying to, don’t make a stock cover letter. You could make a template, but make sure there is a portion of the letter focused on the company you are interested in working with. The cover letter is one of the best places to discuss your degree. Remember that an employer will probably not know what an Interdisciplinary Degree is. The best way to get past this is explain what your areas of focus are in school and how they relate to the company you are applying with. One of the things I like to focus on being an IDS student is my diversity. It’s important now-a-days to be able to wear many hats. In a lot of jobs they are cutting back, so they want people who are able to do many different things. What’s more perfect than an IDS student?

While the cover letter is important and should not be overlooked, a well put together resume is key in getting your foot in the door. There's an image with this blog of some resume blunders, these are obviously a little strange. You want to stand out, but not in that way! Take it from someone who has looked through resumes to find candidates. I personally have gone through stacks only to narrow it down to a few. I believe everyone that is picking candidates has something in their mind they are looking for. For me, one of the most important things about a resume is grammar and spelling. After all if you are not going to care about what is right or wrong in your resume (your first impression) than how are you going to care about the position you are applying for. I always recommend not depending on spell check to find mistakes, it’s not full proof (just like the word you just read, it should be foolproof, but spell check would not catch that one, shows you how important it is to let someone proof read your documents before you submit them!). So once you have put together your resume read through it, have others read through it. Don’t just slap it together and go, because you will end up at the bottom of the stack or worse in the garbage. Especially in today's job market.

Here are some important tips I’ve learned about resumes:

• Keep it simple and the design easy to read. Don’t put your resume on fancy paper, most large companies scan resumes in and if your paper jams their scanner where do you think you will end up?

• You can have a formatted resume that looks pretty to bring with you on interview day, but it is also important to make a plain text resume also. This is very helpful when you have to paste in your resume on a company’s website.

• Update your resume often, so you always have an up to date copy, you never know when you will need it.

• Significant accomplishments are very important to include in your resume. Have you saved your company money, found a new way to do things or worked on a team and did a great project.

Do you have any specific concerns or questions about cover letters or resumes? Maybe you have some examples of letters you would like to share. If you were to write about your IDS degree in your cover letter, what are some important things you would bring up?

Thanks!
Donna