Resume and Cover Letter Blunders and Boo Boo's
A resume and cover letter are two of the most important tools in your life if you are actively seeking employment. They are the keys to finding a great job and making a good first impression. But far too often people underestimate the power that a good cover letter and resume play in an employer's decision to hire someone for the vacant position. Things such as stains, faded ink and rumpled paper are only the beginning of horror stores from the working world. Do not make those same mistakes with your documents. Knowing the good resume samples from the bad is the key.
Unless you are applying at a fast-food restaurant or a retail store, you will have to be prepared with a resume and cover letter. You do not have to be an expert resume writer or be intimately familiar with technical and business writing to get the job done. There are plenty of resume templates online that can help guide you through the process. If you pay attention to the details and carefully proof read your work, then you will have an impressive cover letter and resume to beat out the competition and get the job.
One of the biggest mistakes that occur when writing a resume is spelling errors. Even if you are horrible at spelling, there is usually a spell-check feature on the word processing software program you are using. The truth is, with the availability of the software spell check-function, spelling mistakes are unforgivable. Do not let simple mistakes in spelling keep you from the job of your dreams. The same thing applies to your cover letter. It should be free of spelling errors and be as grammatically correct as possible. This is not the time to try out new words. Keep it simple and tell the employer why you want the position and why you feel that you would be an asset to their company.
Another classic resume blunder is forgetting to update your information. You want the employer to be able to contact you. An old address says that you did not check your resume before undertaking your resume distribution. Keep your resume updated with personal information and employment information at all times. Also, consider keeping your resume to one or two pages. Employers are busy, time-is-money sort of thing, so do not send a book that details your entire life.
If you use common sense, then you can produce a great resume and cover letter with a bit of help. Just stick to the facts and do not try to embellish the details. You can always elaborate later in the job interview. Another tip is to not send out a form cover letter. You need to personalize it so that the employer will know that you are aware of the job description and the hiring company.
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