The Daily Grind: Writing Resumes Right

Oct 10, 2017
6 min read

A Message from our President:

As English literature students and students in general, we take classes regarding literature from around the globe and spanning many genres, writing courses, and (of course) basic general education courses (math, gross). But there’s one thing that our major courses, and even our general education courses, often do not teach us: how to write job application materials.

Most people who go to college go to learn the skills they will need to obtain a specific job. But how do you get the interview for the job? How do you make yourself stand out among all the other applicants (in a good way, of course)? To help students learn the answers, the English Society decided to bring in a speaker from Ferris’ Center for Leadership, Activities, and Career Services (CLACS) office to host a resume and cover letter workshop.

One of the first things our speaker mentioned was that employers are looking for certain skill sets from college graduates, which include being versatile, having communication skills (both written and verbal), leadership, an ability to network, and a global awareness. While students may often have the technical skills, it’s the soft skills that are lacking in most cases: integrity, character, honesty, the ability to hold eye contact, conflict resolution, and critical thinking.

What is most important to remember when writing a resume is that it is a marketing tool for yourself. You are trying to sell yourself and your unique skills to employers. As part of this, not only should it look nice (use spellcheck, check your grammar and punctuation, and make sure the document is formatted consistently and is easy to read), but it should also be a recap of only the best, most applicable materials—not an autobiography. The content of your resume is the key. Employers want to know how you have used the skills you have learned. They want you to show how these skills are important to the job you’re applying for, not just that you waited tables. Your points should be positively written towards where you’re going, not where you’ve been. What did you do in each position that relates to what you want to do with your future? Employers want to know where you started, where you are now, and where you’re going. How are you going to apply what you learned from one experience to make you better in another?

One of the best ways to make your resume stand out is to read the job description and use it to tailor your resume for each position. Many companies use online pre-screening tools for applications that search for key words or phrases the employer has put into the system. If your resume and cover letter do not include these terms, your application may never be seen by human eyes. A suggested practice would be to print out the job description, highlight the key terms, and make sure to work them into your application materials. Remember: it’s best to tailor each resume and cover letter personally for each individual position and employer. Form applications that are blindly sent out to everyone are obvious, and they don’t send a good message. You want to show employers that you truly care about the company and position, and not that you’re willing to take just any job. Show your enthusiasm by putting time, effort, and care into your application.

The most important part you want employers to see is the top third of the first page. In that area, you want to make it clear that you understand the job you’re applying for, you have the skills to do the job, and that you truly want that particular job. While a good resume won’t automatically get you the position, it will give a good impression that can get you an interview.

As for content, the most important rule is never to lie or exaggerate—you will be caught. Your skills, ability, and knowledge are what keep you in the job. You have to, at the very least, perform to the expectations you have set for yourself. Always include your education; if you have a GPA of a 3.5 (out of 4.0) or higher, you definitely want to mention that. If your cumulative GPA is not that high, consider using your program-specific GPA instead of including your general education marks. You also want to include your honors and activities outside the classroom. Volunteer work and involvement in clubs demonstrate your interest in specific fields. Tell employers about conferences you attended and/or presented at, any job shadows you did, awards or scholarships you received, and highlight any leadership positions you may have had within organizations. Employers want workers who have a sense of purpose beyond themselves and who understand that what they do outside the classroom is just as important as what happens in class. Of course, to do this you have to be involved on campus and in your community! Yes, school can be stressful and you can be busy with work and classes. You may not like that preppy resident assistant knocking on your door every night trying to get you to play games in the lobby. But involvement is important; you should try to be a part of at least one organization so you have experiences to help you grow and to talk about in interviews.

Historically, it has been a common practice to include your “objective” on the top of your resume; make sure you don’t do that now! The term “objective” sends the wrong message. First, if you’re applying for that job, obviously the employer already knows your objective is to get that job. Second, the employer wants to know what you can provide them, not what you want. A profile statement, overview, or summary of qualifications would be a better way to begin. Emphasize what separates you from others with the same degree. What makes you special? What can you provide the company that no one else can? The best cover letters and resumes identify the need of the employer and address that need.

The best way to learn what needs a company has is to research it. Not only should you read the job description and the company’s mission statement or goals, but you should use your detective skills to dig deeper. Find people on LinkedIn who work for the company and look at their profiles: what are their qualifications and backgrounds? Look at other job postings the organization made. The number of postings in a specific department of an organization can tell you where their weak spots are—address that. How can you solve this need?

As part of your research, figure out who your materials should be addressed to. Never use the phrase “To whom it may concern.” This is a very impersonal touch, whereas if you were to figure out who would actually be reviewing the materials and conducting interviews, you would be showing the employer that you are really interested in the position and are willing to put in the time and effort to be the best. If the job description doesn’t tell you who to address the materials to and you can’t find it online, call the company’s human resources department and ask. Showing this kind of initiative may even get you an on-the-spot phone interview!

While you get a job based on the content of your materials more than the aesthetic appeal, this aspect certainly can’t hurt your chances (if it’s done well). Having the same letterhead on all your application materials can be helpful in case they get separated in the stack of files all over your potential employers’ desk. Making sure the header and style of each document you turn in are the same makes it easy to find them again. Make sure you use the same font type and size. Having your own heading style or form of personal branding can show off your creativity and attention to detail, while also making your resume stand out among the others.

Cover letters are where you get to expand on your resume. While you don’t want to make it too long (again, we’re looking for about a page, not a book), you do want to go more into detail about your experiences and qualifications. Emphasize the skills you possess that would make you the best fit for this position. Talk about your educational and employment experiences. Remember to always be professional, positive, and courteous. Ending your letter with gratuity for the employer’s time and consideration makes you look good, and makes the other person feel important. You also want to make sure you leave an opening for further conversation. Give them your contact information and let them know that you look forward to hearing from them. Put the ball in their court and let them take control (this is also a helpful hint for giving an elevator pitch at job fairs).

What can be just as important as the initial materials is how you handle everything after an interview. Take the time to write a follow-up letter, and be sure to make it personal. Talk about something you enjoyed during the interview, market yourself further, and thank them again for their time and consideration, letting them know you are still interested in the position and an opportunity to work for their company. Be perseverant. More importantly, if you are rejected, be sure to handle it well. If you thank them for the opportunity and ask the employer to keep you in mind should any other opportunities arise, they may call you back a week later with an even better offer!