Tips for Writing an Effective Resume and Cover Letter

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tips for writing an effective resume and cover letter
Your resume and cover letter decide whether you get an interview. Recruiters move fast.

Your resume and cover letter decide whether you get an interview. Recruiters move fast. An eye-tracking study by TheLadders in 2012 found that recruiters spent about six seconds on the initial scan of a resume. If yours does not communicate value in those seconds, it gets set aside.

Start with the resume. Keep it to one or two pages. Put your name and contact details at the top, then a short summary of what you offer. List experience in reverse order, newest first. For each role, name the employer, your title, and two or three concrete achievements. Numbers help. Growing client accounts by 15 percent in one year beats a vague line about being responsible for growth.

Match the resume to the job. Read the posting, find the skills it asks for, and use the same words where they are true. This is not about copying. It is about making it easy for the reader to see the fit. For more on tailoring, see tailoring your resume for internship applications in the Philippines and making your resume stand out: formatting and content tips.

Include volunteer work. A survey of hiring influencers found that 82 percent were more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience. Service shows character, and it fills gaps in paid work history.

The cover letter is your chance to speak directly to the hiring manager. Keep it short, three or four paragraphs. Open with the role you want and one sentence on why you fit. In the body, connect two of your strongest experiences to the job’s needs. Close with thanks and a clear next step. Write a new letter for each application. Generic letters are easy to spot and easy to reject. See professional resume writing tips for more on structure.

Watch the grammar rules. If you earned the degree, write master’s degree on a CV. Our guide on master degree or master’s degree in a CV explains the difference.

Proofread everything. One typo in six seconds is all it takes to end the conversation.

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