Creating a professional resume and cover letter should be a priority for any job seeker. Not only will it help you stand out from the competition, but it will also give you an opportunity to highlight your skills and accomplishments. Whether you’re applying to a job online or submitting a hard copy, a well-crafted resume and cover letter will give you a great first impression and could be the difference between being called for an interview or not.
The following tips will help you create a professional resume and cover letter that will help you land the job:
1. Keep It Professional: When creating your resume and cover letter, it’s important to make sure they look professional. Use a professional font (like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri), and use a font size of 11 or 12 point. Also, make sure to keep your resume and cover letter free of errors by proofreading them carefully.
2. Highlight Your Skills & Experience: When crafting your resume and cover letter, be sure to highlight your skills and experiences that make you the best candidate for the job. Use key words from the job posting to incorporate into your resume and cover letter, so that employers can easily see what you have to offer.
3. Use Action Words: Action words such as “created”, “developed”, and “implemented” will help to make your resume and cover letter stand out. Use action words to describe the skills and experiences you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
4. Showcase Your Achievements: Employers want to know what you can bring to the table and what you’ve accomplished in the past. When creating your resume and cover letter, use specific examples that showcase your achievements. This will help to demonstrate to employers why you’re the best candidate for the job.
5. Customize Your Resume & Cover Letter: It’s important to customize your resume and cover letter for each job you apply for. This will show potential employers that you took the time to tailor your application for the position.
6. Use a Professional Summary: A professional summary is a brief overview of your skills, qualifications, and experiences that you can include in your resume and cover letter. It should be one to two sentences and should focus on the skills and qualifications that make you the best candidate for the job.
7. Stay Focused: When creating your resume and cover letter, it’s important to stay focused. Don’t include irrelevant information or too much detail about your qualifications and experiences. The goal is to make the employer want to learn more about you and contact you for an interview.
Creating a professional resume and cover letter can be a daunting task, but if you follow these tips, you’ll be one step closer to landing the job of your dreams. Remember to keep it professional, highlight your skills and experiences, use action words, showcase your achievements, customize your application, use a professional summary, and stay focused. These tips will help you create a professional resume and cover letter that will help you stand out from the competition.
