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Resumes & Cover Letters
Resumes have changed as technology has become useful for recruiters and company HR departments. How you prepare a resume has changed too. Do you know that computers read resumes and can select which candidates the staff will consider for interviews? This is called the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and is something you need to consider when writing your resume.
WHAT SHOULD I REMEMBER ABOUT ATS WHEN WRITING MY RESUME?
- Beating the ATS, Formatting a Computer-Friendly Resume
- Design a Resume That Can be Selected
- How to Make a Resume Stand Out: Crash Course
- Prepare for an ATS Review
- Learn How to Use Keywords
- How to Choose Keywords for Your Resume to Make the ATS Happy
- Be Consistent and Create a Master Application
- Take a JumpStart class
- Being complete is more important than having a short resume. Complete first, concise second — suggested effective resume length in the 2020s is 1000 words.
- Avoid using a template due to the ATS errors reading resumes.
- Avoid using italics, underlines, borders, or multi-column layouts.
- Use one resume for one job — today, one resume tweaked for many jobs leads to fewer interviews.
WHAT TYPES OF RESUMES ARE THERE?
HOW DO I SELECT A FORMAT FOR A RESUME?
HOW ARE RESUMES REVIEWED BY COMPANIES TODAY?
- Beating the ATS, Formatting a Computer-Friendly Resume
- Eight Secrets to Writing Your Resume for the ATS and Landing the Interview
- Keyword Match Your Resume
WHY DO I NEED A COVER LETTER?
Cover letters introduce you to others. Some companies expect you to send a cover letters; others ask that you do not. Still others decide on inviting you to interview on the basis of the cover letter alone! How do you know the right thing to do? AHFC's Jumpstart program will take you the steps for modern cover letters.
WHAT OTHER CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD I PLAN ON PREPARING?
References, thank you notes, letters stating you accept (or turn down) the job — all correspondence says much about you!
WHAT ABOUT SUBMITTING MY LIST OF REFERENCES?
References are best kept as a separate document and and not part of your resume. Submit your references when the recruiter requests this of you — not before!