Resume writing
How to make you resume and cover letter stand out from others?
I agree, its important to stand out and give key words about yourself that will want the interviewer wanting to know more about your interest in the position
Elizabeth,
I really like the way you put this--humanize the resume--that is exactly what the cover letter does and as you say, gives the employer a picture of sorts of the person behind the paper.
Elizabeth Kemler
I think you are right on with this. The cover letter humanizes the resume and has the reviewer then thinking about the possibilities. Once they envision a person behind they become more intrigued and may be more inclined on following up then with an interview.
B,
This is excellent advice on both counts--interesting idea on having a friend review for 'stand outs'. I actually had never heard about the word matching systems you mention here--it's good to know about.
Elizabeth Kemler
It is important that your resume hits the mark on the skills that a position needs. I suggest that students study the job posting and ensure that they incorporate components from the posting into both their resume and cover letter. Systems that read resumes electronically are looking for match words. If they are not in the resume the resume will not make it to the human level. I also suggest that students hand their resume to a friend and ask what jumps out on the resume. If what jumps out is not what the student really wishes to feature, then revisions are necessary.
Nora,
That's a perfect description-I think I'll borrow it if you don't mind :)
Elizabeth Kemler
it is important that your resume reflects your personality in a very professional way. If you do that your resume will stand out from the others
Tania,
I agree that you can personalize the resume, though I do think it's a good idea to make sure it's in keeping with current professional standards.
Elizabeth Kemler
I think variating a little from the template, helps out a lot- even using a different font from the template helps. The personal information on the top of the letter (blue or bold black). I also believe that creating a summary of the most outstanding qualifications the candidate possess will allows to create an excellent resume.
Amber,
I do agree that you can veer off a little from the norm though I'd be careful to stay away from wild colors or hard to read fonts.
Elizabeth Kemler
I believe that variating a little from the template helps out a lot- even using a different font from the template helps. I also believe that outlining and creating a summary of qualifications allows for keyword scanners to pick up on certain words quicker than having to scan through paragraphs.
