SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017
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Résumé tips
Craft an effective cover letter
A strong cover letter may
An important
not guarantee you land a
aspect of a
good job, but a poor cover
job search is
letter may guarantee you
updating and
won’t. On its own, an effec-
polishing
tive cover letter can catch
your resume
the eye of hiring managers
and online
tasked with finding worthy
presence.
candidates among stacks of
applications, while a poor
final para-
cover letter may ensure hiring
graph
managers never even glance at
instead of
an applicant’s resume.
the first.
An effective cover letter
• Explain
should be concise, conveying
an applicant’s work history and why you are
a qualified
goals in a few paragraphs or
candidate.
less. The following are some
While it’s
additional ways to craft effec-
good to note
tive cover letters.
your work
• Address a specific person
history, your
when possible. When respond-
resume will
ing to a job posting that listed
a specific contact, address your do the bulk
of that legwork. A cover letter
cover letter to that person
is your opportunity to show
rather than beginning the letter
how your work history makes
with, “Dear Sir or Madam” or
you a qualified candidate for a
“To Whom It May Concern.”
specific position. Remember to
Personalize each cover letter
be concise but relate a specific
you write so the hiring manag-
example that illustrates how
er does not get the feeling that
your work history would help
you are sending out cover let-
you thrive in the position for
ters en masse. Make sure
names are spelled correctly and which you’re applying.
• Exhibit some knowledge
job titles are accurate.
about the company to which
• State your purpose early
you’re applying. An effective
on. The purpose of your letter,
which is to state the job you’re cover letter should help you
stand out among your fellow
seeking, should be made clear
applicants, and expressing
early on. Hiring managers
some knowledge about the
often handle the vetting
organization can do just that.
process for a host of positions
at their companies, so the earli- The goal here is to illustrate
how you and the organization
er the hiring manager knows
which position you’re applying are a good fit, so you don’t
need to go overboard or be too
for the better. Hiring managers
specific. But hiring managers
may become frustrated when
are likely to be more impressed
applicants don’t make their
by applicants who do their
intentions clear or do so in the
COURTESY PHOTOS
No matter your chosen field, a strong resume and effective cover letter
help you appear at your best.
Ways to update a résumé
COURTESY PHOTO
homework and show a knowl-
edge of the company than
applicants who submit a form
cover letter where the company
is scarcely mentioned.
• Be cordial in your closing.
A cover letter should close
with a cordial request for an
interview or a friendly way of
indicating you look forward to
a company’s response to your
application. In addition, thank
the reader for his or her time
and mention you would be
delighted to answer any ques-
tions he or she may have.
An effective cover letter can
go a long way toward making
a strong first impression on a
prospective employer. Men and
women should look at their
cover letters as their first
opportunities to connect with a
company and write their letters
accordingly. — Metro
The job market can be
competitive, as new gradu-
ates flood the field each and
every year. But graduation
season is not the only time of
year when the competition to
find work gets heated.
Many job seekers may
benefit from revamping their
résumés before beginning
their search. It’s not uncom-
mon for recruiters to receive
thousands of résumés for
each job opening they post,
and the sheer volume of
applicants can make it diffi-
cult for job seekers to get
their résumés seen. In such
instances, job seekers must
take steps to tip the odds in
their favor.
Many a night’s sleep has
been lost worrying about
applying to jobs. Questions
can make for a restless night’s
sleep on the eve before a job
interview.
Writing a résumé is another
aspect of the job hunt that can
stoke your nerves. Men and
women may pour over job
timelines and skill summaries
for hours in an effort to ensure
they have included the right
mix of information to get
noticed.
Though résumé writing has
changed considerably over
the years, some conventional
wisdom about résumés still
prevails, and how closely
potential applicants adhere to
these rules goes a long way
toward determining if they
earn a chance at an interview.
By following these guide-
lines, job seekers may have a
better chance of getting their
résumés into the right hands.
• Put a professional pur-
pose. Modern standards may
suggest that listing a career
“objective” is old fashioned.
However, it is helpful to cus-
tomize your résumé so that it
is geared toward the position
for which you are applying.
A career objective may
reflect how you are a strong
candidate for each specific
job you apply for. Use some
specifics that tie into to the
particular job or company
and you may catch the hiring
manager’s attention in the
process.
• Embrace keywords.
Many employers now use
application tracking software
to sift through the scores of
résumés that are submitted
for each opening they post.
Keywords make it easy for
employers to sort through
thousands of résumés. The
right keywords will flag your
résumé and increase your
“relevancy score” in the main
HR/recruiting software pro-
grams available.
Adapt your résumé for
each application you submit.
Use some of the words listed
in the initial job posting and
description. In addition, look
at similar job postings and
incorporate some keywords
listed in those ads so that you
have all the bases covered.
• Trim the fat. Less is often
more regarding résumés. List
all of the pertinent informa-
tion, then go over the résumé
again and again and cut out
Majors that might
help you get hired
As the cost of college
tuition continues to rise and
the job market grows increas-
ingly competitive, college stu-
dents are giving greater con-
sideration to their prospects of
being hired before choosing a
major. A 2015 study commis-
sioned by the National
Association of Colleges and
Employers asked 201 employ-
ers which degrees are most in
demand. The following are
the results of that study.
Most in demand
bachelor’s degrees:
1. Accounting
2. Computer Science
3. Finance
4. Business Administration/
Management
5. Mechanical Engineering
Most in demand
master’s degrees:
1. Computer Science
2. Electrical Engineering
3. Mechanical Engineering
4. Information Sciences &
Systems
5. Business Administration
Most in demand
doctorate degrees:
1. Electrical Engineering
2. Computer Science
3. Software Engineering
4. Computer Engineering
5. Mechanical Engineering
— Metro
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any irrelevant information to
remove clutter. Only include
information that is relevant to
your career goals. Don’t be
afraid of job gaps, either.
Many of today’s recruiters
understand that the changing
economy can make it chal-
lenging to maintain steady
employment.
In addition, one page is
best. However, if your expe-
rience is extensive or one
page cannot contain a long
job history, don’t be afraid to
submit a two-page résumé.
• Highlight what you have
done. Rather than listing
every job responsibility and
position in chronological
order, use a résumé to high-
light specific career accom-
plishments. This is a time to
be your biggest fan and tell
the world all of the great
things you have accom-
plished. Remember to
include evidence to back up
the claims.
According to a 2015 survey
by CareerBuilder, employers
say that résumés that include
links to a candidate’s portfo-
lio, website or blog garner
more attention than résumés
without such links.
That being said, do not
embellish your skills. Always
be open and honest on your
résumé. You may be asked to
prove you can perform cer-
tain tasks, and if you cannot
back up what is included on a
résumé, you will have wasted
your time and that of the
interviewer.
• Include relevant outside
history, such as volunteering,
internships and school histo-
ry. A mix of information on
the résumé that will reflect
your versatility.
• Put your own voice in the
résumé. Rather than using
standard verbiage on your
résumé, personalize what you
want to say. Hiring managers
want to hire a human, not a
machine. When speaking
about yourself, be sure to use
strong action words that
define your skills even fur-
ther. HR professionals cite
terms like “managed,”
“achieved” and “improved”
as examples of positive,
assertive words.
The résumé should show-
case your professional accom-
plishments and how your
skills relate to the job you’re
applying for. This way the
company understands you
have researched the position
and are in tune with what
they’re looking for in an
applicant.
• Check for imperfections.
A résumé is a reflection of
you, so one with typographical
errors or a poor layout is
never acceptable. Ensure your
résumé is as professional and
error-free as possible. Have a
friend or a proofreader look it
over before distributing.
Updating a résumé with
the goal of standing out
among a crowded pool of
applicants is a great way for
job seekers to land a new job.
— Metro
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