Cover Letters, Resumes and the Job Hunter…What is it All About?

Any good job hunter needs a resume package. The cover letter and resume
always go together and do the same basic thing in slightly different
ways. A job hunter without both of them 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 these crucial
documents 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 part that will always be
seen by the gatekeeper.

The second part 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. They are 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. It 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 and resume are in a
small type and hard to read, they simply will not be read, and will not
help you.

Many job seekers wonder how they should present the resume
package to the decision maker. There are several acceptable methods. If
mailing it, 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 documents stop by an office
supply shop and pick up a clear plastic folder with a pressure binder
spine and place your cover letter and resume in it. It makes a great
presentation and will complement it perfectly. Use these tools well and
you are on your way.