How to Write a Resume and Cover Letter

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Finding a Job

If you're trying to find a job, but you just keep hitting the pavement, or if you've just begun to play with the idea of career change, consider turning to the virtual world to assist you in your job hunt. Whether you're researching companies and job opportunities, perfecting your résumé and cover letter, building a positive online identity, putting your best foot forward in a job interview, or negotiating appropriate pay for your position, the Internet makes finding your dream job a breeze.

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The Basics of Job Search

The Internet can help you speed through the career search process and find the job of your dreams. ... read more »

Creating Your Identity Online

Before you begin your job search you should know which details of your life are on the Internet and ... read more »

Job Search Engines

A lot of companies post job listings on their Web sites, which is great if you know exactly where ... read more »

How to Write a Resume and Cover Letter

Your résumé can be the greatest asset to your job search. It is your first, and often only, impression on potential employers. Don't waste anyone's time—get right to the good stuff. Résumés are all about the individual; they should, and will, be different for everyone. Nevertheless, creating a good résumé is a fine art. The links in this section can help you hone your résumé-writing skills.

Dulcinea's Insight

There are plenty of sites that can create your résumé for a fee, but if you have to gather your information to provide it to them, you might as well put the résumé together yourself.

Avoid acronyms that people won't understand; write "Business Development Manager" instead of "BDM." If you don't know what an acronym stands for, look it up on Acronym Finder.

Don't include personal information like your Social Security number on your résumé.

Keep your cover letters short and sweet; some sites recommend you write three or four paragraphs but you might be able to get your point across in only one or two. You may also want to address your cover letter to a specific person if you can; call the company or check its Web site to find the name of the hiring manager if it's not mentioned in the job description.

Make sure to send your résumé in the format requested by the company. If you send them a PDF when they want a Word document, your e-mailed application could get deleted before it’s even read.

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For help with your résumé …

Purdue University’s “OWL” (Online Writing Lab) has a “Résumé Workshop” that walks you through every step of creating a résumé. It explains different types of résumés and when to use them, along with advantages and drawbacks of each type. The site provides sample headings and advice to improve visual appeal.

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ExecutiveAgent.com's career newsletter provides some useful résumé tips. Scroll down the newsletter page to see a list of previous newsletters, including "Cover Letters Made Easy" and "Five Tips From a Professional Reference Checker." ExecutiveAgent.com will also send your résumé to executive recruiters for a fee.

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For help with other parts of your job applications …

CareerLab allows you to browse its cover letter collection for free. To see all cover letter examples you’ll have to subscribe to the service (fee options include $14.95 for a six-month subscription).

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Boston College has information about résumés, cover letters, interviewing techniques, thank you letters, recommendations and more.

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Job References.com , a division of Allison & Taylor, will check your references (for a fee) to see what they are really saying about you. View a sample report to see the types of questions they’ll ask your previous employers. There are many pricing possibilities, but the fee for one personal reference report is $79.

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