Cover Letter and Resume Quick Tips
1. Make a great introduction. – The cover letter serves as your “dress for success” before employers see your resume. It
should include these components formatted in a business letter:
 Salutation (Dear Mr., Ms., Human Resources Professional:).
 State the position you are applying, where you found the posting, and how you are the right candidate.
 Provide an overview of how you are a match for the position focusing on the key words from the job description.
 Summarize skills, how you will contribute to the employer, and a call to action.
2.Win employers over. – The purpose of any resume is to win an employer over to get an interview. It’s your first impression
and be sure you make an impressionable one. Write in the perspective of the employer. Provide information that
“matters.”
3. Keep it simple and concise. – Keep your resume to one page. Employers sometimes spend less than a minute reviewing it.
Resume components include:
 Header with accurate contact information.
 Headings that address skills and qualifications, educational background, work/professional experience, activities,
awards and/or recognitions.
4. Format consistently. – Use the same font for headings and bulleted items. It makes your resume more visually appealing
and professional.
5. Prioritize information. – Organize information to present the most relevant information first. For example, if you are going
through a career change and you’ve recently earned your Accounting degree, be sure to list that near the top. It assures
the employer that you are indeed qualified.
6. Customize to maximize. – Each job is unique and therefore, your cover letter and resume should be unique. Tweak both to
match the job posting.
7. Use strong action words. – Words like managed, coordinated, established convey leadership, while words like
participated, worked, reviewed don’t pack the punch you need.
8. Focus on results versus responsibilities. – Incorporate any results you achieved in your resume. This communicates that
you can walk the talk. For example:
 Coordinated lean manufacturing team to achieve a 20% decrease in production time.
9. Duble chek speling. – It can bee queit a nuysince and distrackting when they’re mispelings. Be sure to run spell check and
have someone else read it over before you send anything out.
10. Update often. – Make it a point to update your resume on a regular basis as you learn more skills and earn additional
credentials. It’s easier to update than to start from scratch.
Other things to keep in mind:
 Keep it simple, accurate, and honest
 Use quality paper, 8 ½ x 11
 1-inch margins
 10-12 point font
 Lots of white space
 Passes the 15-second scan and thumb test
Prepared by LTC Career Placement Center
08-2014