This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes: I would appreciate your help with a couple of questions. Is gray granite paper acceptable for a resume and cover letter? As well, is it necessary to send the resume in a large envelope so the resume doesn’t need to be folded? I have heard conflicting opinions on whether or not to print a cover letter on personal letterhead. What is your professional opinion on this?
Resumes are one of the fundamental tools of job-hunting, and while most of your time and effort should be focused on the content, it’s also important to discuss format issues. Remember that the entire goal of a resume is to generate enough interest from the employer to grant you a job interview.
But before I get to the format issues, let’s just hit the highlights of resume content.
- Resumes should be specifically focused to the job you are seeking; there is no such thing as a “general purpose” resume.
- Resumes need to focus on your key accomplishments, not on duties and responsibilities; employers want to see that you can produce results.
- Resumes must have zero errors; one typo or misspelling can easily be the difference between getting an interview and having the resume tossed in the trash.
- Resumes are statements of fact; do not lie or stretch the truth when writing your resume.
Back to your question about resume format. Here are some general resume rules:
- Paper: plain white is perfectly acceptable. If you want to go with a color, choose muted colors, such as gray, beige, slate, etc.
- Printing: ideal is still a laser printer, but ink jets are fine — as long as you let the ink dry so that the ink does not smear.
- Mailing: sending your resume in a standard size business envelope is fine, though more and more job-seekers are using larger envelopes so that the resume does not need to be folded.
- Style: your resume and cover letter should match — in letterhead, in type style (font), and in paper color. And never, ever send a cover letter on company letterhead.
One final comment about resumes: Whenever possible, it’s always best to see if the employer has a preferred resume style. Some elements of resume design are very subjective. Many employers now list these requirements on the corporate career Websites. I have a client who has an amazing functional resume (organized around skills clusters), but a recent prospective employer asked her to totally rewrite and reformat her resume into a standard chronological resume because that format was preferred.
Looking for more resume help? Quintessential Careers has resume quizzes and an article on creating Web-ready resumes. Go to: Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Ben writes: I have a question concerning submitting my cover page and resume via email. The question is that most companies will not accept attachments so I must submit my resume within the message body of my email vs. attachments. How do I maintain the same appearance as the original written in MS Word?
The short answer is you can’t. And while appearances are important for traditional cover letters, the most important element is the content. The same holds true for resumes; appearances are important for traditional resumes, but content is the most critical element — regardless of the format.
So, how are emailed cover letters different than traditional cover letters? Let me walk you through some of the key issues, but before I do, let me emphasize that you should always go to each employer’s career center site and examine the guidelines for submitting electronic documents, if they list them.
Here are the five critical email cover letter issues.
First, know the rules of writing a cover letter. If you are still writing “vanilla” cover letters, you won’t get any employer response — no matter how you send it.
Second, keep it short. Email cover letters need to be more concise and shorter in length than traditional cover letters.
Third, take advantage of keywords. Be sure to use all the keywords from the employment listing — and any other important jargon or keywords from your industry — without making the letter a string of sentences full of jargon.
Fourth, watch your line length. Some email software automatically perform line returns for you, but I would make sure the lines of your email are no longer than 60 characters.
Fifth, take the time to send the email cover letter to yourself first — so you can see what it looks like after transmission.
Finally, as you know, don’t even bother with attachments. Most employers don’t want them. Instead, consider developing Web versions of your resume and providing the URL to the employer (in addition to providing a text-based version).
Find more information and guidelines in my article, Tips for a Dynamic Email Cover Letter, published on Quintessential Careers. You can also find more information about types of resumes in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Mike writes: I would appreciate your help with a couple of questions. Is gray granite paper acceptable for a resume and cover letter? As well, is it necessary to send the resume in a large envelope so the resume doesn’t need to be folded? I have heard conflicting opinions on whether or not to print a cover letter on personal letterhead. What is your professional opinion on this?
Resumes are one of the fundamental tools of job-hunting, and while most of your time and effort should be focused on the content, it’s also important to discuss format issues. Remember that the entire goal of a resume is to generate enough interest from the employer to grant you a job interview.
But before I get to the format issues, let’s just hit the highlights of resume content.
- Resumes should be specifically focused to the job you are seeking; there is no such thing as a “general purpose” resume.
- Resumes need to focus on your key accomplishments, not on duties and responsibilities; employers want to see that you can produce results.
- Resumes must have zero errors; one typo or misspelling can easily be the difference between getting an interview and having the resume tossed in the trash.
- Resumes are statements of fact; do not lie or stretch the truth when writing your resume.
Back to your question about resume format. Here are some general rules for “print” resumes — those you use for networking, interviews, and the rare occasions when you still send a resume and cover letter via postal mail:
- Paper: plain white is perfectly acceptable. If you want to go with a color, choose muted colors, such as gray, beige, slate, etc.
- Printing: ideal is still a laser printer, but ink jets are fine — as long as you let the ink dry so that the ink does not smear.
- Mailing: sending your resume in a standard size business envelope is fine, though more and more job-seekers are using larger envelopes so that the resume does not need to be folded.
- Style: your resume and cover letter should match — in letterhead, in type style (font), and in paper color. And never, ever send a cover letter on company letterhead.
One final comment about resumes: Whenever possible, it’s always best to see if the employer has a preferred resume style. Some elements of resume design are very subjective. Many employers now list these requirements on the corporate career Websites. I have a client who has an amazing functional resume (organized around skills clusters), but a recent prospective employer asked her to totally rewrite and reformat her resume into a standard chronological resume because that format was preferred.
Looking for more resume help? Quintessential Careers has resume quizzes and an article on creating Web-ready resumes. Go to: Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Ben writes: I have a question concerning submitting my cover page and resume via email. The question is that most companies will not accept attachments so I must submit my resume within the message body of my email vs. attachments. How do I maintain the same appearance as the original written in MS Word?
The short answer is you can’t. And while appearances are important for traditional cover letters, the most important element is the content. The same holds true for resumes; appearances are important for traditional resumes, but content is the most critical element — regardless of the format.
So, how are emailed cover letters different than traditional cover letters? Let me walk you through some of the key issues, but before I do, let me emphasize that you should always go to each employer’s career center site and examine the guidelines for submitting electronic documents, if they list them.
Here are the five critical email cover letter issues.
First, know the rules of writing a cover letter. If you are still writing “vanilla” cover letters, you won’t get any employer response — no matter how you send it.
Second, keep it short. Email cover letters need to be more concise and shorter in length than traditional cover letters.
Third, take advantage of keywords. Be sure to use all the keywords from the employment listing — and any other important jargon or keywords from your industry — without making the letter a string of sentences full of jargon.
Fourth, watch your line length. Some email software automatically perform line returns for you, but I would make sure the lines of your email are no longer than 60 characters.
Fifth, take the time to send the email cover letter to yourself first — so you can see what it looks like after transmission.
Finally, as you know, don’t even bother with attachments. Most employers don’t want them. Instead, consider developing Web versions of your resume and providing the URL to the employer (in addition to providing a text-based version).
Find more information and guidelines in my article, Tips for a Dynamic Email Cover Letter, published on Quintessential Careers. You can also find more information about types of resumes in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is too wordy, contains too much information. Strike a balance between a meaty,
content-rich resume and a concise, readable document. Employers want both. Limit bullet points
while still telling your full story. Cut out unnecessary words. If you’ve sliced out as much as
you can and the resume still looks text-dense, look for ways to break up blocks of content.
“Long sentences with deep paragraphs put me to sleep, and I have a
good chance of missing something important because I don’t have time to read a novel,” said Brian
Howell, CSAM, of The QWorks Group.
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
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