Results tagged “job-search process” from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog

This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:

Yuanjie writes:

I am now writing my resume and cover letter based on your online advice. I am a student and will get my PhD degree in mechanical engineering soon.

My resume is slightly more than one page. Do I have to compress it into one page?

The Career Doctor responds:

I’m glad you are thinking ahead and working on your job-search materials. What do you plan to do after you receive your Ph.D.?

Do you plan to go into business/industry? If so, then you probably do want to write a resume. In this case, I would guess your resume will be longer than a page — just based on your education alone. I believe it’s almost always best to go to a two-page resume than to reduce font size and margins (and readability) just to get your resume to fit on one page. Remember the rule that if you go to a second page, that the second page should have enough content to fill at least half a page.

Or do you plan to go into academia? If so, then what you really need is a curriculum vitae, which shares some attributes with a resume, but which tends to be longer because there is more information is included in a CV. An academic CV would include information beyond your education and experience, including scholarly contributions, professional development, teaching, and service.

That said, the goal of a resume and CV is the same. These are marketing documents designed to help you get to the next step in the job-search process — the job interview.

Learn more about CVs by reading this article published on Quintessential Careers: Preparing a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

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.

Today’s posting is a guest entry from the “Career Doctor,” Randall S. Hansen, PhD

Tanya writes:

I saw your web site while searching for advice on cover letters. Someone told me that cover letters are really obsolete, yet I find a lot of stuff written about them. So, what’s your advice? Should job-seekers like me really still be concerned with writing cover letters?

The Career Doctor responds:

I wonder where some of these ideas come from, but I can tell you as directly as I can that cover letters play a vital role in the job-search process when done correctly. Cover letters should entice the reader, draw him/her into your story — enough so to turn the page and review your resume.

Is that all, you may ask? Yes, that’s the function of a cover letter — to get your resume reviewed a little more carefully than without it, which in turn, ideally, leads to an invitation to a job interview.

A cover letter specifically addresses the job you are seeking and how your unique attributes make you the ideal candidate — the perfect fit — for the job and the organization.

Here’s a quick rundown of what your cover letter should entail.

First, the length. Always err on the side of being brief, so no more than one page, and really about four paragraphs total. If it’s an email cover letter, it should be even shorter.

Second, the content. The first paragraph must engage the reader. Make it dynamic. Make it weave the reader into the rest of the letter. Don’t waste it with some boring formulaic sentence. The second and third paragraphs give specific details that highlight your qualifications and your fit with the position and the organization; if possible, use some of the employers own words here. Your last paragraph should thank the reader and request an interview. You should also say you plan to follow-up the letter at a later date — you must be proactive.

Third, the follow-up. Sending out the cover letter and resume is an extremely important step, but only the first of many. Job-seekers must follow-up by contacting the employer shortly after they expect the letter to arrive — to show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and organization.

For more cover letter tips, please visit this section of Quintessential Careers: Cover Letter Resources for Job-Seekers.

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.

Cover letters play a vital role in the job-search process when done correctly, says the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD. Cover letters should entice the reader, draw him/her into your story — enough so to turn the page and review your resume. Is that all, you may ask? Yes, that’s the function of a cover letter — to get your resume reviewed a little more carefully than without it, which in turn, ideally, leads to an invitation to a job interview. For the complete lowdown on cover letters, see our Cover Letter Tutorial.

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.