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Quick Tips To Help Your Cover Letter And Resume Pack A Punch!
As a uni student moved out of home, you may be looking for a job to support your new independent lifestyle. With all the noise of today’s world, it’s important to stand out when adding your resume to the pile and doing so can be much easier than you might think. With a less is more approach, your resume can become more appealing visually, whilst also packing a punch in substance! Here’s some tips to revamp your cover letter and resume before you send them out under the lights and into the ring!
Cover Letter
Write one!
Sending in just a resume alone by itself is no way to make your future employer feel special. By including a cover letter, it shows that you don’t take shortcuts and lets them know that they’re not getting another cookie cutter application.
Talk about them
Share what really interest you about the role and the company. This is an opportunity to highlight that the role means more to you than just a financial income. Touch on the learning and growth opportunities that it can provide, showing them that you’re thinking long term and the value you can bring to the table over time.
Address the required essentials
This is so simple yet so powerful! Address the required essentials in your own words but also be truthful in what you can actively bring to the role. For example, ‘good organisational and time management skills’ may be listed as an essential. This can be addressed by stating that you have ‘effective time management skills with a distinction average across all 4 subjects in first semester of uni’. Dot point these against each required essential listed that you can deliver on and provide a truthful example where applicable.
Keep it short and sweet
Make sure to fit everything under one page. If you’re going over, get decluttering and cut some parts down. Less is more.
Resume
State your objective
By having an objective statement, you’re providing a quick snap shot of exactly what it is you’re after. Make sure it’s relevant to the job position being advertised and fine-tune it where required.
List your accomplishments
Don’t just list your previous work experience, outline what you achieved in those roles. For example:
Sales assistant at xyz clothing – Developed a simple and effective script for new team members on dealing with common challenging situations.
You want to showcase your highlights in each role and communicate that you did more than just the bare minimum.
Missing experience
If you don’t have experience or have big gaps between employment, turn it into a positive. For example, During that year I decided to focus on my studies and through that I built my confidence in working with teams and managing multiple deadlines. This is something that you’d more likely address in the interview.
Strengthen your skills
Every other resume has the same basic set of skills listed like good communicator, reliable etc. To take yours a step up from the rest, reinforce your skill with a punchy example of when you demonstrated that ability. For example, Excellent problem solving skills – Achieved distinctions across three University research assignments.
Go get em!
No matter what kind of job you’re applying for whether it’s in line with your course or just something that’s available and convenient for now, there’s always something great that you can learn from it. Every job can be a stepping stone towards your dream career if you approach it with the right attitude.