How to Write Resumes and Cover Letters Effectively

How to Write Resumes and Cover Letters EffectivelyWriting resumes and cover letters can seem intimidating and to some, even daunting. But it doesn't have to be. In fact, if you use the simple tips below, you can do this in a matter of minutes.If you are a self-employed writer, making sure your resume is complete and comprehensive is your number one priority. You should include all the contact information for contact numbers and names that are readily available online. Make sure that all your credentials are included so that employers will have no difficulty in qualifying you for the position you are applying for.When creating a resume, the first thing you need to consider is what kind of job you are applying for. For example, do you want to be writing resumes for sales jobs or marketing positions? The answer to this question will dictate the kind of information you should include on your resume. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a position where you feel your resume needs a major o verhaul, which is why you must carefully plan your resume to ensure that it addresses each job opening.The next step to take when creating a resume and cover letter is to make sure the information you are including in the two documents are relevant. Include the keywords that are relevant to your desired job, along with the required skills, education, work experience, and educational history. Your resume is essentially an advertisement for yourself and, when it is written correctly, you will be more likely to receive an interview invite.You may also want to hire a professional resume writer. Although some of the same things apply to writing resumes and cover letters as they do to a professional resume writer, they have the advantage of being able to offer you advice and guidance based on years of experience. This is important because most people hire a professional in their day-to-day life so why not when hiring a resume writer?Finally, when writing resumes and cover letters, you may find that this task can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many companies out there that provide resume writing services so you don't have to worry about it.Remember, as long as you follow these three steps, you can write and format a resume and cover letter to fit any job opening. Whether you want to write one or both of these documents yourself, or you are a freelance writer looking for a job, you can easily make them.

Recommendations and Reviews Include Them in Your Resume

Recommendations and Reviews Include Them in Your Resume Spread the loveYour resume is the most important tool in your job search toolkit. To maximize its potential, you need to ensure that it properly conveys your potential value to any employer. Naturally, you will want to include every bit of relevant information that sells that message. But what about important testimonials like recommendations and reviews? Should they be included in your resume as well? After all, what could be more compelling than an endorsement from those who have worked with you in the past?While recommendations and reviews are important, you should never include them in any resume. While that might seem counterintuitive, there are some very good reasons for omitting them from that essential document. In this post, we will explain why recommendations and reviews have no place in a resume and offer a better way to provide that information to potential employers.Including Recommendations or Review On a ResumeRecommendations and Reviews Take up Valuable SpaceThe most important reason for leaving recommendations and reviews out of your resume is that they take up space that you could put to better use.Remember, your resume is supposed to focus on showcasing your qualifications and potential value as an employee. To do that, you need to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements. More importantly, you need to do that in a condensed format that is no longer than two pages. Use that space wisely.Recommendations and Reviews May Not be NecessaryOf course, there’s a good chance that the employer may not even want recommendations and reviews. Many of today’s companies understand that employers are increasingly reluctant to provide useful testimonials â€" largely due to fears about lawsuits.As a result, companies that want such references will generally ask for them. If they don’t, there’s no benefit to providing that extra information. More importantly, even if they do ask for them, there are better ways to present those endorsements.Re commendations and Reviews Can Dilute Your Resume’s MessageRecommendations and reviews won’t strengthen your resume message anyway. While they may reflect how previous employers viewed your work, they won’t answer the company’s most basic question: is this person right for this job? In fact, including those endorsements may detract from your overall focus on qualifications, achievements, and potential value.LinkedIn is a Superior Way to Include Recommendations and ReviewsNaturally, we are not suggesting that you ignore your recommendations and reviews altogether. Those endorsements do have value, after all. The resume is just not the appropriate place to share that information, however. Fortunately, there is a platform that can provide a perfect way to share those endorsements with potential employers and others: LinkedIn! Since LinkedIn provides a natural forum for showcasing your recommendations and reviews, you should rely on your LinkedIn page as a supplement that enhance s your resume.How to List Recommendations and ReviewsIt’s important to know how to leverage recommendations and reviews in your resume. Since you won’t be listing them in the body of that document, you need to instead include a link to your LinkedIn page in the resume:Make sure you create a custom LinkedIn URL that you can cite in your contact information on the resume. For example, https://linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname/. Obviously, you may need to add your middle name or initial if your desired name is already taken.Include your LinkedIn URL after the email address in your resume contact information section.If you want to draw attention to your recommendations and reviews on LinkedIn, mention the link in your cover letter, and perhaps a brief quote from one of those endorsements.In addition, make sure that your recommendations and reviews are relevant to the position you’re seeking. Obviously, you also want to ensure that you’re only directing attention to truly positiv e reviews. You should also polish your LinkedIn summary and perhaps include quotes from your recommendations within that text.For example:“I was honored to have Alpha Corp Marketing Director Tom Thompson praise my “innovative strategic mind and commitment to excellence as team leader.”(We wrote a good post here with more tips on how to write a great LinkedIn recommendation)When Employers Request ReferencesSometimes, employers will include a request for references in a job listing. Some job-seekers may be tempted to respond by including those details in their resumes. Resist that temptation. Instead, continue to rely on your LinkedIn recommendations and reviews. In addition, create a separate list of references that you can send along with your cover letter and resume. Three references are standard in those cases. Include the person’s name, company and job title, address, phone, and email.The Bottom Line on Recommendations and ReviewsRecommendations and reviews can provide a great boost to your efforts to land an interview and job. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to showcase those endorsements, and your resume is definitely the wrong choice. Use LinkedIn to better highlight those references, and focus your resume on selling your qualifications, skills, and achievements. Recommendations and Reviews Include Them in Your Resume Spread the loveYour resume is the most important tool in your job search toolkit. To maximize its potential, you need to ensure that it properly conveys your potential value to any employer. Naturally, you will want to include every bit of relevant information that sells that message. But what about important testimonials like recommendations and reviews? Should they be included in your resume as well? After all, what could be more compelling than an endorsement from those who have worked with you in the past?While recommendations and reviews are important, you should never include them in any resume. While that might seem counterintuitive, there are some very good reasons for omitting them from that essential document. In this post, we will explain why recommendations and reviews have no place in a resume and offer a better way to provide that information to potential employers.Including Recommendations or Review On a ResumeRecommendations and Reviews Take up Valuable SpaceThe most important reason for leaving recommendations and reviews out of your resume is that they take up space that you could put to better use.Remember, your resume is supposed to focus on showcasing your qualifications and potential value as an employee. To do that, you need to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements. More importantly, you need to do that in a condensed format that is no longer than two pages. Use that space wisely.Recommendations and Reviews May Not be NecessaryOf course, there’s a good chance that the employer may not even want recommendations and reviews. Many of today’s companies understand that employers are increasingly reluctant to provide useful testimonials â€" largely due to fears about lawsuits.As a result, companies that want such references will generally ask for them. If they don’t, there’s no benefit to providing that extra information. More importantly, even if they do ask for them, there are better ways to present those endorsements.Re commendations and Reviews Can Dilute Your Resume’s MessageRecommendations and reviews won’t strengthen your resume message anyway. While they may reflect how previous employers viewed your work, they won’t answer the company’s most basic question: is this person right for this job? In fact, including those endorsements may detract from your overall focus on qualifications, achievements, and potential value.LinkedIn is a Superior Way to Include Recommendations and ReviewsNaturally, we are not suggesting that you ignore your recommendations and reviews altogether. Those endorsements do have value, after all. The resume is just not the appropriate place to share that information, however. Fortunately, there is a platform that can provide a perfect way to share those endorsements with potential employers and others: LinkedIn! Since LinkedIn provides a natural forum for showcasing your recommendations and reviews, you should rely on your LinkedIn page as a supplement that enhance s your resume.How to List Recommendations and ReviewsIt’s important to know how to leverage recommendations and reviews in your resume. Since you won’t be listing them in the body of that document, you need to instead include a link to your LinkedIn page in the resume:Make sure you create a custom LinkedIn URL that you can cite in your contact information on the resume. For example, https://linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname/. Obviously, you may need to add your middle name or initial if your desired name is already taken.Include your LinkedIn URL after the email address in your resume contact information section.If you want to draw attention to your recommendations and reviews on LinkedIn, mention the link in your cover letter, and perhaps a brief quote from one of those endorsements.In addition, make sure that your recommendations and reviews are relevant to the position you’re seeking. Obviously, you also want to ensure that you’re only directing attention to truly positiv e reviews. You should also polish your LinkedIn summary and perhaps include quotes from your recommendations within that text.For example:“I was honored to have Alpha Corp Marketing Director Tom Thompson praise my “innovative strategic mind and commitment to excellence as team leader.”(We wrote a good post here with more tips on how to write a great LinkedIn recommendation)When Employers Request ReferencesSometimes, employers will include a request for references in a job listing. Some job-seekers may be tempted to respond by including those details in their resumes. Resist that temptation. Instead, continue to rely on your LinkedIn recommendations and reviews. In addition, create a separate list of references that you can send along with your cover letter and resume. Three references are standard in those cases. Include the person’s name, company and job title, address, phone, and email.The Bottom Line on Recommendations and ReviewsRecommendations and reviews can provide a great boost to your efforts to land an interview and job. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to showcase those endorsements, and your resume is definitely the wrong choice. Use LinkedIn to better highlight those references, and focus your resume on selling your qualifications, skills, and achievements.

How Why You SHOULD Apply For A Job Youre Not 100% Qualified For - Work It Daily

How Why You SHOULD Apply For A Job Youre Not 100% Qualified For - Work It Daily Have you ever come across a job that has really piqued your interest but you realize you're not a 100% qualified for it? In this video, JT O'Donnell gives you her tips for figuring out if you should apply to a job that you're not a 100% match for and out to stand out if you do decide to apply. Resources Links Mentioned In This Video How To Write A Cover Letter Recruiters Will LOVE*FREE TUTORIAL* 8 Ways You're Being SHUT OUT of the Hiring ProcessWork It Daily's Free Trial What Is Work It Daily? Work It Daily is world's first affordable career job search subscription. Depending on what level you choose, you get access to 15+ job search and career courses including resume, cover letter, interview prep, strengths assessment, fired to hired and MORE. You also get access to our career growth club. Inside this workspace, you can work 1-on-1 with our coaching team to get your questions answered and your materials reviewed. We also have an active community of like-minded professionals who can help support you and build you up as you work towards your career goals. This is also a one of a kind networking opportunity. Ready To Get Started? Let's build a career you can finally brag about to your family and friends.LIMITED TIME PRICING!If you have additional questions about our new platform, please reach out to our customer support specialists at support@workitdaily.com - Thank you! From Your Site Articles The TRUTH About Not Qualifying for a Job - Work It Daily | Where ... Top 3 Ways To Waste Time On Your Job Search - Work It Daily ... Should You Apply For A Job Youre Not Fully Qualified For? - Work It ... applying to jobs youre not qualified for How To Apply For A Job Youre Not 100% Qualified For - Work It ... Related Articles Around the Web How to land a job youre not qualified for Common Interview Questions and Answers: the best ones Best Answers to the 11 Most Difficult Interview Questions - AOTA The Best Answer to Lifes Most Important Questions - Personal ... Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!