Creating an effective resume is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. A resume needs to summarize your background, skills, and achievements for potential employers. It should be clear, concise, and tailored to the specific job you are applying for. You need to check your resume for spelling and grammar mistakes thoroughly. A lack of mistakes probably won’t get you bonus marks, but the appearance of mistakes will in most cases be a strike against you. Stating that you’re detail-oriented and then leaving 5 or 6 typos and spelling errors will quickly earn your resume a short trip to the rejection pile. I recommend using Grammarly, it’s free and very effective.

Building Your Resume

First, you need to choose the right resume format for your situation. There are three main types of resume formats: 

• Chronological
• Functional
• Combination

A chronological resume lists work experience in reverse chronological order. This format is good for showing a consistent career progression and highlighting your relevant accomplishments. 

A functional resume focuses on skills rather than work history. It groups your skills into categories and provides examples of how you used them in different contexts. This format is suitable for changing careers, covering employment gaps, or showcasing transferable skills. 

A combination resume, my personal favourite, combines elements of both chronological and functional formats. It highlights your most relevant skills and achievements, while also providing a brief overview of your work history. This format is good for emphasizing both your skills and experience.

Next, you need to choose a resume template. Unless you’re in a creative field, don’t spend too much time choosing a template. Most hiring managers spend about 30 seconds on a resume on the initial read so won’t notice too many subtleties in the template design. What they’re looking for is your experience. MS Word and Google Docs both have resume templates; if you’ve just started building a resume, they will get you started. If you’re working with a placement agency, they may request a particular format. Listen to them. They work with Application Tracking Systems (ATS) and know what passes through the system the best. If you find yourself struggling and you’re not working with an agency, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll share some good ones with you.

As mentioned above, hiring managers initially don’t spend very much time reviewing your resume. They will have a checklist either written down or more often than not, mental to determine which pile to place your resume in.

Every hiring manager is different but my three piles are:

1. Yes, this resume needs to be reviewed in more detail.
2. Maybe. I might need to come back to this one.
3. No, this applicant doesn’t appear to have the skills I’m asking for.

So if you only have seconds to show you’re the best candidate for the job, how do you do that? You make sure they can quickly and easily find what they’re looking for.

1. Contact information. Your name, your email address and phone number. It needs to be one of the first things they can see. I always recommend placing it at the top of the resume. If your name is tricky to pronounce, you can show it phonetically as well or even include a link to pronunciation. YourDictionary has a guide that can help you with the phonetic symbols.
2. Skills and abilities. You need to include and highlight the skills that the job requires. You don’t necessarily have to have every single one to apply but you do need to make sure you identify the ones you do have clearly.
3. Experience. Where you worked previously can have an impact on the hiring process. Make sure that your work experience can easily be found. If you’re a recent graduate, you can place your education above your work experience but I’d recommend speaking with a placement agency or career coach to know when it’s appropriate.

Here’s an example of a resume template that helps to highlight the key areas above.

You will get a lot of opinions on how to list your skills and job experience. As a hiring manager, I don’t care how it’s listed. What I care about is that I can see it. So, regardless of how to choose to show that information, just make sure it’s clear, concise and easily found.

Once you make it past the initial read, employment experience is what counts next. List the company you worked for, the position you held and your responsibilities. If you’re a recent graduate and don’t have any experience, as mentioned previously, you can list your education first, being sure to highlight any relevant coursework that shows your abilities.

Things to include in an Employment Experience section (in reverse chronological order) are:

• Start Date.
• End Date.
• The company worked for.
• Position Held.
• Responsibilities.
• Relevant skills.
• Achievements / Awards.

When adding your responsibilities, use “power words” to describe them. Some examples are:

• Influenced
• Achieved
• Created
• Launched
• Increased

Regarding education, the less practical experience you have, the more important it is to look at your education. For an applicant with 5 years of experience and a well-rounded skillset, the education page may never get read but for a recent graduate, you need to highlight relevant skills and coursework so that it is easily found.

Things to include in an education section:

• Start Date.
• End Date.
• Institution.
• Program.
• Degree / Diploma.
• Relevant projects and coursework.
• Skills developed.
• Achievements / Awards.

If you’re involved in charities or received relevant community awards (sorry, but participation trophies in peewee hockey don’t count) list those but don’t go into too much detail. It will give the interviewer a little bit of insight into what you care about and provide you both with additional talking points.

Writing a Cover Letter

Cover letters are not as common as they used to be. Some application systems don’t even accommodate them. So that being the case, do you need one? That depends on a few things. I recommend you follow this simple rule. If you have the name and email address of the person you are submitting your resume to, or, the application system allows you to upload one, then write a cover letter.

I have yet to meet anyone that enjoys writing cover letters but a good cover letter can be the difference between moving to the next round in the application process. There is a lot that can be said about cover letters and my recommendation is to ask for help if you are struggling at all. A good career coach can help you create a cover letter template that you can reuse often but let’s review how to create one.

The basic structure of a cover letter consists of four parts: header, salutation, body and closing.

Header

The header of your cover letter should include your contact information, such as your name, address, phone number and email address. You should also include the date and the recipient’s contact information, such as their name, title, company name and address. If you don’t know the recipient’s name, it’s acceptable to use a generic salutation like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Human Resources”. However, it is always better to do some research and find out the name of the person who will be reviewing your application.

For example:  

Salutation

The salutation is where you greet the recipient and address them by name. You should use a formal and respectful tone, such as “Dear Mr.”, “Dear Ms.” or “Dear Dr.”. Avoid using informal or casual terms, such as “Hi”, “Hey” or “Hello”. If you don’t know the recipient’s gender or prefer not to assume it, you can use their full name instead of a title. It’s also acceptable to use a job title such as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Communications Director”. 

Body

The body of your cover letter is where you explain why you are applying for the job and how your qualifications fit the role. You should use clear and concise language and avoid repeating your resume. Instead, focus on highlighting your relevant skills, achievements, and motivation for working at the company. There should be three paragraphs: opening, middle and closing. Avoid opening your cover letter with standard form greetings such as “I’m writing to you today” or “The purpose of this letter”. Showcase your unique character by opening uniquely. You have 2 – 3 sentences at most to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to know more about you. Don’t waste one of them with a form letter sentence. Additionally, try to avoid starting a sentence with “I”. Although the purpose of the cover letter is to sell them on you and your skills, a sentence structure that starts with “I”  can appear to be self-centred.

Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph is where you grab the reader’s attention and state your purpose for writing. Mention the position you are applying for and optionally, how you learned about it. You should also briefly introduce yourself and express your interest in working for the company.

For example:

Recently I came across a post on indeed.com for a Marketing Manager. With over five years of experience developing and executing successful campaigns for XYZ and ABC, my experience fits well with the requirements of the position.  

Middle Paragraph

The middle paragraph(s) is where you showcase your relevant skills and experience for the job. You should provide specific examples of how you’ve used your skills in previous roles and how they contributed to positive outcomes. You should also demonstrate your knowledge of the company and its goals and explain how you can add value to the team.  

For example:

In my previous role as a Marketing Coordinator at XYZ Inc., I was responsible for planning and executing online and offline marketing campaigns for various products and services. Some of my achievements include:

Increasing website traffic by 50% through SEO optimization and content marketing strategies, …

Closing Paragraph

The closing paragraph(s) is where you try to close the deal, it’s where you summarize your main points and express your interest in the job. It is also where you ask for an interview and supply your contact information. 

For example:

Thank you for considering my application for the position of Marketing Manager. As you can see from my resume and portfolio, I have extensive experience in creating and executing successful marketing campaigns for various industries. I am confident that I can bring my skills, creativity and enthusiasm to your company and help you achieve your goals. I would love to discuss this opportunity with you further. Please feel free to contact me at any time by phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely 

John Doe

The Application

Now that you’ve got your resume and cover letter prepared, it’s time to apply for jobs. All the preparation you’ve done will make this part simple. Just follow the instructions where you find the job posting and follow these simple steps:

1. Adjust your resume if necessary to highlight your relevant skills
2. Adjust your cover letter to target the company and position you’re applying for.
3. Submit your application, cover letter and resume.
4. Finally, track the applications you submit.

Tracking Your Applications

When you apply for jobs, it’s important to keep track of the application. It will allow you to ensure you don’t send multiple applications to the same job, let you know when to follow up on the application and provide insight into what works and what doesn’t. The information that is important for you to track is:

• The date of the application.
• The job listing link or in the case of one that is not online, the job details.
• The company you sent the application to.
• How it was submitted.
• Who was it sent to?
• A link to the cover letter you sent. If you sent one.
• A link to the resume you sent. If you altered it at all for the application.
• Closing date of the application.
• Notes – this section will be one of the most valuable to you. I recommend using this to track the interview process as well. 

You can use a spreadsheet like the one below to track your applications.

You can download the above template as well as others mentioned here.

Summary

You’ve been given a lot of information in the last couple of weeks. It may seem overwhelming and you may have the urge to just ignore all the organization and preparation because it feels too daunting. I promise you though it’s worth it to take the time to do it. Take it one step at a time and if you feel like you need help, reach out to me and I will help to guide you.

You can contact me here on LinkedIn, TechnoGraham or through the Practical Advice for Job Seekers Discord Server.