Resume Writing Is Selling - Make The Sale With The Winning Resume And Cover Letter Message

Resume writing is an art, but with some guidelines attached. There are literally thousands of variations of resumes and cover letters. There are dozens if not hundreds of books devoted to the subject of writing the ideal resume and cover letter. With this wealth of information are there some basic principals that can be followed to build the successful resume?

Just step back a bit and think about what you are trying to do with your resume and cover letter. One; get the readers attention; and two; get the job interview. That's it no more no less. The resume and cover letter is a selling tool and what you are selling is you.

And as in any selling proposition more is usually less. A short well crafted message will be remembered more often than the long winded resume and cover letter. So to get your message to stand out your resume and cover letter should contain enough information to make the company remember you and want to interview you. So let's see how you can write that powerful and successful resume and cover letter.

One, since each job opportunity is different, it's logical that you need to tailor your message to fit the opportunity. With your computer it's never been easier to draft a resume and cover letter to precisely fit the job opportunity. Be sure to include vocabulary, and if possible information that matches what the reader expects to see. You'll score high marks with this targeted approach.

Second, to continue what we started in the first step, use industry specific language in your communication. For example, if you worked in a warehousing logistics operation and the prospective employer calls it a distribution center, your resume will state you worked in a distribution center. If possible don't rely on the reader of your resume and cover letter to make the connection between jobs. Many times they don't have the experience to translate the information from the resume to the job opening.

Third, keep opinions, generalizations, long sentences and rambling paragraphs out of the resume and cover letter. You don't want to put the reader to sleep. You don't need to tell the whole story on how you achieved something, only the results. The results should be quantifiable. Which following statement would catch your attention? You balanced inventory and saved over $40,000 annually or you were responsible for inventory control. Save how you did it for the interview.

Fourth, there is no magic bullet that will guide you in formatting and setting up the resume. You goal is to present your background, achievements and experience in the most positive and powerful method possible. This also means little things like quality printing on good 24# bright white or subtle off white or light pastel paper.

If you view what you have written meets this standard and you're comfortable with the final results this is the resume with a tightly written cover letter to send to the prospective employer.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Career Planning Ideas, valuable articles and a Free seven day career planning guide on his web site. Discover up to date career and recruitment strategies at our Resume Writing Guide all to assist you in advancing and managing your career.