Spring 2015, Issue 2
the
Navigator
From Greg Monroe
Personified on Paper
Networking and knowing people of hiring
influence within a company or organization
is one of the best ways to guarantee that
you will be considered for an open position.
Obviously, however, you must look good on
paper. Many times, an individual will have
the qualifications, personality, and leadership
abilities to succeed in a position, but their
resume and cover letter are disregarded due
to formatting issues, grammatical errors, or
simply, lack of “pizazz and punch.” During
the hiring process, your contact may have
met you, but others executives may wish to
review your qualifications. That ink on paper
is your “face and personality” and the only
opportunity you may have to make a first
impression. Make it professional. Make it
memorable.
While the tips listed in this issue of The
Navigator work for most situations, there
are always exceptions depending on if the job
is merely posted online, if it’s a government
position with a particular application process,
or if you are writing to an international
organization. Understand how your industry
works!
Don’t wait for things to fall in your lap. Seize
and create your own opportunities! Come
and see me anytime to discuss your ideas for
your future.
Advance Always.
Resume Writing 101
You never get a second chance
to make a first impression
Resume Do’s. Do these
While there are exceptions, and no two
resumes are the same, below are some
general tips for ensuring that your resume
is read, and that you make a great first
impression.
Include a cover letter: A good cover letter
shows your personality
and enthusiasm for a
position. A well-written
cover letter is a sales tool
that will ensure your
resume will be read.
Format for a quick
glance: Employers don’t read resumes, they
skim them. Line up everything into 2-3
columns, with the most relevant info hitting
the eyes first (e.g. position and key words on
the left, and dates on the far right). Inserting
a table is a great way to keep everything lined
up without having to worry about tabbing or
using the spacebar.
Tailor the Resume to each specific
position: Avoid using cookie-cutter
resume templates, such as those from
Microsoft or other resume-generating
programs.
Be Concise: Include only what you need
to, and don’t use complete sentences.
Your resume should only be a page
long, and generally you only need four
categories on it: Name/Address (use a
local address whenever possible; Education
(college students and recent grads: put
at the top unless you have extraordinary
job experiences you wish to highlight);
Experience (paid/volunteer jobs would fall
under this category); Honors (awards and
extracurricular positions such as chairman
of a club or missionary
worker).
Proofread: Your resume
must be grammatically
perfect.
Consistency: Except for
your name, keep the font
size consistent (12point is standard, no lower
than 11point), and always use the same font.
Make your qualifications “pop”: Make
your job title bold, and the company name
uppercase (or vice versa depending on
which you put first—lead with what’s
(continued on page 2)
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Christendom College ~ Career & Leadership Development ~ [email protected]
Cover Letter Basics
Creating the Perfect
Cover Letter
A solid, organized resume is essential, but a compelling,
well-written cover letter that will pique the hiring manager’s
interest, guarantees your resume is read. Many employers will
even decide to interview based solely on the cover letter.
Follow these three steps to build a cover letter that will make
your resume almost irresistible:
1. Name Drop & Create Credibility
2. Complement – Don’t Echo – Your Resume
3. Share Your Knowledge about Them.
1. Write to a person, not a position or title.
That is, find out who exactly is going to read your resume
and address them (Dear Mr. …). Then, open your cover
letter with a connection that the hiring manager knows:
“Per my conversation with ……., I was urged to submit my
resume for your consideration.” This is where networking,
and speaking to people on the inside, really helps. If you can
add an endorsement from this connection, even better. If not,
try adding an endorsement from another source (your former
boss, or a colleague).
2. Complement – Don’t Echo – Your Resume.
Job applicants use the resume to list their qualifications,
accomplishments, and relevant work; a bunch of facts. A
cover letter is the applicant’s “opening act” whose objective is
to generate enough interest, and to show personality, that the
hiring manager will want to read the resume. Your cover letter
provides a sneak preview that should highlight how well your
background matches the employer’s needs, and how your skills
have benefited previous employers. By writing an effective
cover letter, you can help the hiring manager get to know
you a little, and you might actually help set the tone for an
interview.
3. Share Your Knowledge about Them.
Conducting research about the company before an interview
is a must. And making mention of that knowledge in a cover
letter can impress a hiring manager. To show that you’ve
done your homework, consider citing data in from your
research. Remember, focus on the value you can bring to the
company and make sure they understand why you are the best
candidate.
Mr. McFadden and Greg Monroe are available
anytime to help you with your resumes and cover
letters. Email them or stop by their offices.
[email protected] ~ [email protected]
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What’s Next?
3 Ways to Follow Up
You saw the job advertised. You wrote a great cover letter and
sent in your customized resume. Now what?
1. If you did your research, talked to gateway people, and got
to know somebody on the inside, you should have an idea of
how the process works and when to expect to hear back. If you
haven’t heard back in the time you had expected, follow up to
verify that your application was received.
2. Depending on the industry, it is appropriate to include at
the end of the your cover letter the following: “…I will call
you next week to ensure you received my resume.” If you
include this, you must follow up in the time period you gave!
3. Be politely persistent. If you were unable to get information
regarding the hiring process, send a follow-up email with your
résumé five to seven days after you submitted your original
application. Look for changes. As employers receive responses to
online job postings, they may make updates to the job description
if necessary. Don’t give up. It is highly possible that if you didn’t
receive a rejection response that the position may still be open.
The art of a politely persistent follow-up is what distinguishes
high-performing employees in every job function from those
that just wait for things to fall in their lap. Good luck!
Attention all Juniors!
If you decide to study for and take a Graduate School Placement
Test this summer, Christendom will pay for your Grad School Test
($195) and your Grad School Test Preparation ($50+).
See Mr. McFadden or Greg Monroe for more information.
Resumes 101 continued.....
more impressive). Use bullet points for your accomplishments.
Include relevant jobs and show your leadership potential:
Focus on your accomplishments, rather than your duties. Use
statistics and numbers. Use power words such as managed,
supervised, taught, achieved, improved, trained/mentored, created,
increased/decreased. If you are submitting online, be aware that
hiring managers will do a quick search of keywords and keyword
phrases to find appropriate resumes.
Keep out objective statement, summary, skills, and “references
available upon request.”: Your cover letter will take the place of
your objective statement and summary. Skills are only needed if
you have a specific skill set related to the job, can sometimes take
the place of the “honors” section of your resume, but are generally
best left out. “References available…” is a waste of space and ink,
because employers assume you have references.
See all of these tips alongside resume samples at
www.christendom.edu/career/resumes