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Any good job hunter needs a cover letter resume
package. The two, cover letter and resume,
always go together, and do the same basic thing
in slightly different ways. A job hunter without
a cover letter resume package will probably not
get very far in the search for a good career
position.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what
the cover letter resume package should do for
you. The first part, the cover letter, is a
short one page letter consisting of three or
four paragraphs. It serves as an introduction to
the resume. It is the first half of the resume
cover letter package, and the part that will
always be seen by the gatekeeper.
The second part of the resume cover letter
package is the resume itself. Many job hunters
make the mistake of thinking they can just leave
a resume without a cover letter. That is like
putting on a suit and tie, but forgetting the
shirt or the pants. The resume cover letter
package is a package and they go together.
The resume itself may be in either functional
or chronological format. The functional format
concentrates on skills. The chronological format
concentrates on employment listings. The most
effective resumes use elements of both formats
to create a combination resume that gets
results. The resume should be laid out in a
graphically appealing style, with adequate use
of white space, bullet points to draw attention
to important parts, and conservative fonts used.
While you will occasionally bold face or
italicize a font to draw attention to a point or
break up a large section of type, changing fonts
often makes it hard to read, so stick with one
basic font. Also never go smaller than ten point
type, and if possible stick with twelve or
eleven point. Those sizes are easier to read. If
your cover letter resume package is in a small
type and hard to read it simply will not be
read, and will not help you.
Many job seekers wonder how they should
present the cover letter resume package to the
decision maker. There are several acceptable
methods. If mailing the cover letter resume
package, use a large nine by twelve white
envelope to avoid folding your materials. The
white envelopes look nicer than the tan manila
commonly used in business. Also large envelopes
are generally the first thing people open when
they get their mail. If not the first then they
may save the large envelope for last. Since
people tend to remember the first and the last –
the alpha and the omega – while forgetting much
of what is in the middle, either first or last
is a good thing.
If you are hand delivering your cover letter
resume package stop by an office supply shop and
pick up a clear plastic folder with a pressure
binder spine and place your cover letter resume
package in it. It makes a great presentation and
will complement a well prepared cover letter
resume package. Use these tools well and you are
on your way. |
