Cover letter & resume

4 pages

urgenton time

DOCUMENT#5: COVER LETTER &

RÉSUMÉ

(Ch. 1

5

–
WTW,
12
th

DOCUMENT

REQUIREMENTS

:

Medium:
Personalized
cover
l
etter
(“letter of application”)
AND

r
ésumé

Length
:
1
-2

page
s
per
document

Format:
Typed or computer-generated, reasonable font (typically size 12, Times New Roman)

WRITING A COVER LETTER

(“Letter of Application”

)

(p. 551-53, 12th ed.)

In general, use the following guidelines to assist you in crafting a strong letter of application / cover letter.

In the Opening P

aragraph

Indicate how you heard about the opening.
State your job objective and interest in the job.
Mention the job title.

In th

e Body of the L

etter

Cite project and previous employment experiences that demonstrate your qualifications for the job.
Indicate how college course work, your degree, and pertinent training add to your qualifications for the job.
Refer to your enclosed résumé.

Explain how your qualifications and achievements can contribute to the prospective employer.

In the

Closing P

aragraph

Request an interview.
Provide your phone number and e-mail address so that you can be contacted.
End with a goodwill statement.

W

RITING A

RÉSUMÉ

(p. 537, 12th ed.)

Make your first impression count. To do so, use the following guidelines for designing an easy-to-read résumé—online and in print—that will highlight your qualifications and get you noticed.

Formatting Your

Résumé

At-a-G

lan

ce L

ook

Ensure that each section is balanced proportionally on the page with the other sections.
In addition to consistently-sized margins, use ample white space consistently to prevent a cluttered look:

Separate each section with sufficient white space so that it stands out from the elements above and below it.
Single-space within sections.
Double-space or, if space permits, triple-space between sections.

Font Size and Design

Use no more than two font styles.
Select fonts to identify different levels of information.

Use sans serif fonts for headings and serif fonts for text.

Use boldface, italics, underlining, and ALL CAPITALS sparingly for emphasis; do not overdesign.

Use font sizes to differentiate headings from text: 10 to 13 points for text and 14 to 20 points for headings.

Use bullets to signal a new topic within each section and to emphasize individual items, such as each job responsibility, accomplishment, college course, or internship position.

Be consistent and uniform throughout:

Use fonts and design features consistently—bullets, indentations, text boxes, capital and lowercase letters, and other elements.
Show headings, date formats, punctuation, and spacing consistently, as well.
Consider alternative methods of creating the résumé:

Use a résumé template in your word-processing package.
Have a professional graphic designer create your résumé.