How to write a good Resume & Cover Letter!

Today I want to write about having a really good resume and cover letter that will help you stand out amongst the high number of applicants while you are looking for a job. So I am going to dive right into best practices that you could apply right away.

RESUME:

1. Update your contact information by having a professional sounding email. Also have a customized linked in Url. You can do this by clicking the me icon-edit profile and url and edit customer url- typing last part of your name and saving it.
2. Include a professional Objective or Summary- This should be an overview of your most important career accomplishments. You can use 2-4 sentences in order to demonstrate your key skills, key outcomes and also demonstrate how your professional background will help the company solve a particular problem. One key hint here, use the keywords from the job description to include here.
3. Next you want to format your work experience strategically. List the company name first followed by the dates of your employment. List the job title followed by the location. Next you want to write your job description followed by 4-6 bullet points showcasing your key accomplishments. Try to use numbers, %, dollar amounts to showcase results that you helped achieve. Font selection best practices is using Verdana, Cambria, Gill Sans. Font Size should be between 10-12 font size for better readability. 
4. Use jobscan at jobscan.com to help you see how your current resume matches up to a particular position. It helps to better optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems that most companies use. Gives you 5 free scans a month and then you have to pay for membership.

COVER LETTER:

1. Focus on the format. It should look similar to your resume. Use 4 consistent paragraphs. It should include the date, hiring officials name, address and department. 
2. Try to spark interest by letting them know what interests you most about the position and the company. You also want to include how you learned about them and why are you so passionate about the position. You can also highlight a referring connection if you have one.
3. Try to create engagement by using the next 2 paragraphs to explain your unique value proposition- what problem can you help the company solve and what unique skills you bring to the table to be able to do this. You should learn as much about the company and position and also use keywords from the job posting here as well. You can also share a story about your most recent accomplishments. 
4. Include a call to action at the end. Maybe you want them to contact you for an interview or maybe leave your email or phone number so that they can follow up with you. The purpose is to get the hiring official to take some type of action and letting them know about your eagerness to start your position. End with a friendly closing greeting such as Warm regards.