Resume Structure and Cover
Letter Essentials
THE COVER LETTER
Your resume created in a proper
structure is what must convince any prospective employer whether or
not to grant you an interview. Your cover letter also plays a vital
role; it will determine whether or not your resume gets opened and
read. Both items are important, and they work in tandem to get you
that all-important interview.
Every resume that lands on an
employer's desk will be broadly similar, so you must structure your
resume in such a way that it will stand out from the rest. But
first, your cover letter must make a big enough impression for the
prospective employer to want to open your resume.
Your cover letter introduces
your resume. Write it on good quality paper. Do not use colored,
pre-printed or scented paper, which may give the wrong impression.
Use a standard format of your address and contact details in the top
right-hand corner, followed by the recipient's address below on the
left-hand side, with the date below that.
Find out the name of the person
you are addressing and name them in a respectful manner in the
opening salutation. Do not use first names, but rather, "Dear Mr.
Smith," or similar. Always try to avoid the impersonal, "Dear
Sir/Madam."
The opening paragraph should
focus on one only of the following points:
- Summarize the position being applied
for
- Name the position you are applying
for
- Request a job position
- Question the availability of a job
position
The second paragraph, or second
and third paragraphs, should provide summarized descriptive
information that will persuade the reader to open your resume and
grant you an interview. Mention a variety of the following:
- Your education history
- Your work experience
- Your ability to work with a team, or
work unsupervised
- Your interest in the company
- Your responsibilities in previous
positions
The closing paragraph must have
a call to action. You can ask directly when the best time for an
interview might be, or even suggest a time yourself. Don't be too
pushy, just be firm and confident. Be sure also to include all
relevant contact information, and be sure to monitor them - you do
not want to be sitting in the local bar when the telephone rings at
home offering you an interview!
You closing salutation should
be appropriate to the opening one. If you have named the person, as
in "Dear Mr. Smith," then the closing saluation should be, "Yours
sincerely." If you have been unable to name the person, as in "Dear
Sir," then the closing salutation should be, "Yours faithfully."
Most people don't know that this distinction exists. Using it
properly will help to set you apart from the rest.
Sign your name by hand in ink
below the closing salutation and print your name below that. The
cover letter should end with, "Enclosure: (your resume)," where
(your resume) is the actual name of your resume document.
THE RESUME STRUCTURE
As a graduate student it is
likely that this will be your first resume. The structure of your
resume is all important, but easy to get right. Start by using
quality paper. As in the cover letter, do not use colored,
pre-printed or scented paper. It's probably a good idea not to go
overboard and use the highest quality paper you can find. Just keep
it simple and elegant.
Your resume structure should
contain:
- Your full contact information: name,
postal address, telephone number, email address
- A well defined job objective
- Your work history, if
relevant
- Your educational history
- Your affiliations, if
relevant
- Your references
Structure your resume so that
you are writing directly to the person who will be reading it. Don't
patronise them and don't make it about them either. Your resume is
about YOU, but it should be talking clearly to the
person reading it.
Focus on the job position you
are applying for. Don't hedge your bets and mention that if that job
is not available then you might consider something else. Let them
mame any offers that might be available. Define the name of the job
or job title that you are qualified for.
Don't be vague either and say
something like, "I am seeking a managerial position." Name the exact
position you are applying for. If there is such a position needing
to be filled, then there can be no doubt about what you want.
Your resume summary should be
tailored to your prospective employer's exact needs. Your summery
section should include:
- The full extent of your skills or
qualifications
- The variety of your skills or
qualifications
- The diversity of your experience, if
relevant
- Any relevant accomplishments worth
mentioning
- Anthing that is remarkable about your
accomplishments
Your resume skills and
accomplishments section should expand on what you have written in
the summary section. As a graduate student you are unlikely to have
relevant work experience, and therefore any work accomplishments of
note. However, you do have your qualifications, so concentrate on
that and try to find a unique angle that will set you apart from the
rest.
You resume should have a
structure that makes it interesting, and not just a long list of
information. Just because a prospective employer needs to see the
information to determine whether or not you are the person for the
job, doesn't mean that the information cannot be presented in an
interesting and lively manner.
Keep a professional approach
throughout, but avoid being dry and boring. On the other hand, don't
come over all bouncy and glittery either; the tabloid approach will
not work for any employer worth having.
| 
