Resumes and Cover Letters
Does your Resume or Cover Letter need updating? Do you want help building one from scratch?
Resume and Cover Letter FAQs
Do I really need a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a concise, objective, and persuasive summary of your experience which is the first thing your potential boss will read. Tell who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Ignoring the cover letter is a missed opportunity to flesh out what makes you better than other candidates.
What is the theory of White Space?
White Space or Negative Space is vital to allow the mind scanning your resume a tiny break to absorb information.
Too little White Space makes the resume feel chaotic and crowded.
Too much white space creates the feeling of incompetence or inexperience.
Should I use bullet points?
Absolutely. Bullet points help create effective white space and draw attention to key information.
Should my Resume be chronological?
If your best information is the newest, then chronological order makes sense. If your best accomplishments are older, consider adding a “Selected Accomplishments” Section prior to that, so these things don’t get lost.
What if I have little or no experience in the field?
You want to focus your resume information on your transferrable skills, or how what you know is applicable to a new position. Someone with no experience could list hobbies, specific classwork, volunteer experience, or a list of key skills.
You should also include a Professional Summary at the top to highlight the best items.
Are Active Verbs important?
Passive verbs (for example – am, is, are, was, were, and be) waste space on a resume. Focus on active verbs which put pictures of you doing specific things in a reader’s mind. They highlight your experience and skills.