2.  Don’t just list your job description and tasks in each job. Describe the goals and reasons you were hired and how you achieved them.

3.  Liz Ryan, workplace expert and in demand speaker says to avoid, “corporate speak” such as “results oriented individual”, “excellent communication skills” and other stock phrases and replace with a human voiced summary and résumé. It should read as if you are speaking to the recruiter. This is a world of difference from what we have been taught.

4.  Don’t be afraid to use “I” in your résumé summary. When describing your abilities in a particular industry or job family. Describe why you enjoyed the work and your long term career goals.

5.  Customize your résumé to the company you are applying to. Yes, this may take extra work on your end but it pays large dividends. Do your homework on the organization and describe the exact department you would like to be a part of.

6.  Include volunteer positions in which you held a leadership role or accomplished something significant. This is especially helpful if you have large time gaps in your résumé due to childrearing, economic layoffs, or switching careers.

7.  If you are successful at social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or others list them in their own social media section in your résumé. Highlight this area if you have found a lot of success. Feel free to include your blog if it relates to your career.

Update:  May 17, 2010 -  Here is a link to another great article by R. Slager on EHow on how to keep your résumé to 1 page. Check it out here, http://www.ehow.com/how_4481961_write-one-resume.html.

]]> http://coachmup.com/2010/05/resume-2-0-seven-ways-to-upgrade-your-resume/feed/ 9 http://coachmup.com/2009/05/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-standard-business-format/ http://coachmup.com/2009/05/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-standard-business-format/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 19:07:52 +0000 Coach'm Up Boni http://coachmup.com/?p=50 Block Format (Standard Business Format) Type every line flush with the left margin and begin at the top margin.

(double space)

Return address of the letter writer:

1600 Main Street
Somewhere, Kansas 12345

(four single spaces)

Date: December 1, 2008

(double space)

Complete name, title, and address of the recipient.

Use “Mr.” for a male recipient. If you do not know how a female recipient prefers to be addressed, it is best to use “Ms.”

Ms. Jane Doe, Chair
Department of Linguistics
Right State University
1415 University Drive
Anywhere, OH 45435

(double space)

Salutation with a colon: Dear Ms. Doe:

(double space)

Body of the letter:

A cover letter should be one page with three to six paragraphs. The body of your cover letter should highlight your experiences and accomplishments without repeating your resume.

Be sure to focus on the needs of the employer to whom you are writing. You want the reader to believe that hiring you will improve services, bring ideas, increase efficiency or productivity.

In closing, state how you plan to follow up with the employer. Your closing should briefly summarize the body of the letter, and leave the reader with an important thought to remember you by. Finally, have someone else proofread and critique your cover letter, and look closely for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (double space)

Closing: The most common closing is “Sincerely.” Follow this with a comma. Skip four single lines after the closing and type your name. Sign your name in the space above.

Sincerely,

(four single spaces)

[Signature]

John Doe

(double space)

Enclosure: If you are enclosing additional information with your letter such as a resume or a curriculum vitae, skip two single lines after your typed name and type “Enclosure” or “Enclosures.” If you use the plural, you have the option of stating the number of enclosures in parentheses.

Enclosures (2)