So Do You Think a Cover Letter Is NOT Necessary?

One of the most commonly-asked questions when it comes to the job hunt has to be:

"Do I need a cover letter?" Yes, you do!

"Can't I just send my resume without it?" Only if the employer, recruiter, or software refuses to let you submit the cover letter!

Why? Because the resume doesn't create the first impression of you: the cover letter does. Make sure your cover letter is professional, targeted, and polished so that you create a strong first impression. An excellent cover letter almost always leads to the employer reading your resume.

Be aware of the importance of the cover letter. A cover letter can be defined as:

A writing sample that shows how well you write; or how well you don't write, if that's the case.An opportunity to tell them any additional and relevant skills and experience that you have that sets you apart from the other applicants.A chance to tell the employer how you specifically match the job opening - you get to spell it out for them (and you need to!) so that they don't have to guess what your skills are. You get to tell them exactly how your skills, degree, background, and experience match the open position, the company's mission, and the company's culture. As you read the job description, pull out key words and plug them into your cover letter - as long as they accurately describe your talents.

Remember, the goal of the cover letter is for the employer to read it, be impressed, and move on to your resume. If they are not impressed with your cover letter, they will not look at your resume.

So, YES you need a cover letter and NO you can't send your resume without it! But you aren't alone - keep reading to see how to write a cover letter to impress the employers and recruiters.

As you create your cover letter, it needs to be easy to read! If it is too long or all one paragraph, the employer won't read it. So break it up into 3 short paragraphs. Consider bulleting the points in one of your paragraphs to grab the eye of the reader.

Breaking down the 3 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 - The Introduction -- Identify yourself in terms of your field, education, background, and the position for which you are applying. Catch the reader's attention by making this paragraph strong and relevant, using key words directly from the job description.

Paragraph 2 - Tell About Yourself -- You want to tell the employer about your achievements as it relates specifically to this position you're applying for. Focus on what the employer is seeking - look at the list job qualifications in the job posting and bullet the matching qualifications that you have. Be specific!

Paragraph 3 - The Closing -- Politely and professionally close the letter by inquiring about the next step in the hiring process and express your desire to move forward with meeting them in the near future.

The following sentence is one possible, generic example: "Thank you for considering my qualifications and I look forward to talking with you more about the next step in the hiring process."

There are many do's and don'ts that you'll want to be aware of before sending your cover letter.

Don't:

Use italics, bolding, graphics, underling - it might not scan into the company's database.Use slang or acronyms. Industry-specific acronyms are acceptable, but be sure to completely write out any the employers may not know.

Do:

Use formal letterhead formatting.Use nice resume paper to print the cover letter on.Speak specifically to the job opening.Pull out key words from the job posting that match your skills.PROOFREAD!

Trust your resume to an expert who has assisted over 3,000 clients during her years of experience in the career services industry. Laura Gonzalez, CPRW gained her experience in resume writing from her years at a Texas university career center where she assisted thousands of students and alumni. Every document Laura writes is not only effectively written but also thoroughly researched against the competition to make sure the client is getting a top-notch product.

To learn more about Laura and her company, please visit Masterwork Resumes To read more resume articles, visit CertifiedResumeWriters.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_M._Gonzalez

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Resume Keywords Are Necessary

Everyday hiring managers, recruiters, and business owners spends a lot of time conducting various searches on the career sites. They use specific words to search for possible candidates and job seekers, which are known as keywords. Keywords are important because not including them in your resume means that it cannot be found easily.

The worst part about these keywords is that there are so many of them making it impossible to include all of them in your resume. There are various lists that are available online which tells you the possible keywords searched the most. However, this does not necessarily mean that including these words will match the job position that you are looking for. Just remember, that no one person or hiring manager is searching for the exact same keywords every time.

So, how can you increase the chances of getting your resume to be found more easily? Here are a few suggestions which can help many job seekers find just the right keywords which should be included in your resume.

Think like a Hiring Manager

As a job seeker looking for a particular job, you should think like a hiring manager to decide the best keywords to include in the resume in order to get the best response. Think of keywords that you would search for while hiring someone for the job position that you have applied for.

Another idea would be to ask someone who works in a hiring or human resource department or someone owning their own business. You should ask them what they look for while searching for their potential employee. You can also take help from professional resume writers on how employers think.

Look for Ads

The best way to determine the keywords to get your resume being noticed is by paying close attention to the advertisements.

Most frequently, the person who has written the ad will be the same person doing the hiring. Hence, look at the advertisements for the position that you are applying for and find the keywords which are important right in the advertisement itself. If the advertisement lists specific qualification, software knowledge, or certain experience, then it is a good idea to add these words to the resume where appropriate. Also, do remember to look for similar positions as well, even if you are not applying for them, to find some keywords. Other advertisements may highlight the other important keywords that might be helpful for you.

Resume Banks

Furthermore, if you are looking for a job while putting your resume in the resume banks or employer databases, it is important that you include certain keywords in your resume to make them easily accessible for the hiring managers.

Remember, it does not depend on your qualification but the keywords that allow your resume to pop up in the search lists which the hiring companies conduct. Hiring companies may not know you exist or if you are interested in a job position of their company. Hence, before you send your resume to apply for a specific job, make sure you do research to find as many appropriate keywords as possible to be included.

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Why Is a Resume Necessary?

I get asked this question a lot. Why can't I just sign up to a few job boards like Monster or CareerBuilder; or pop a rough resume on my blog and instantly be found on Google; or maybe, text a few recruiters to let them know I am available; or simply be spotted by the talent scouts scouring Facebook? Resumes are paper dinosaurs and can't be that important can they?

Well it's true. You probably won't get a job by creating a great resume alone.

But then, being the perfect candidate probably won't get you a job either.

However, there is real magic in putting these two parts together. All of a sudden, the perfect candidate together with a great resume become a winning team that can be used to guarantee a flood of interviews, a highly competitive salary and a truly rewarding career.

So, your resume is necessary because of the fact that the recruitment process of today still follows the same pattern that it always has. The technologies may have changed from paper to iPad, from phone to Skype, from physical to virtual, but the content has altered very little. People remain people, and filling a job vacancy is about chemistry.

Everyone knows that their resume presents their job history and qualifications to potential employers. But in this age of electronic real-time wizardry it's obvious that there must be a better way of doing things that saves time, effort and stress. This is the 21st century after-all.

Well let's take a look at what a resume does:

- Confirms Your Job Fit: It's strange, but the very process of gathering information for your resume often clarifies what kind of job you can convince yourself you are actually suited for. This is a confidence booster.

- Gets You an Interview: Your preferred employer needs to be told reasons that you are the perfect candidate. Only then do you get invited to an interview.

- Forms the Basis for Interview Questions: Interviews are stressful for both parties, and it is common to use you resume as the basis for discussions in the interview.

- Represents You During Selection: Following the interview, the employer must select one or more candidates to proceed to the next stage. The only documents generally consulted are the resumes of those candidates.

- Gets Lodged With HR: When you get the job, your resume will become the basis of your records with the Human Resources Department. Any errors may become and embarrassment.

How else can you fulfill all these functions without an excellent resume?

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Why Are Legal Resumes Necessary?

A legal resume is a very important document while getting a legal position. This legal position could be an entry level resume, individual seeking change in career, or a resume for experienced person. Hence it is necessary to draft an effective legal resume that would stand out and impress the employer.

This resume helps to clearly market your skills, capabilities and assist you to get good job. The recruiter has to go through resumes of many candidates every day. So, it is necessary to research and properly plan before writing your resume.

Drafting a legal resume is not at all a difficult task. It has a simple format which has to be followed along with sequence of the sections to be included. The challenge lies in properly organizing the content and creating the right impression on the employer. The typical legal terms should be utilized. The sentences should be short and specific. The content should be organized as per the requirement of the recruiter.

You can browse different websites and refer to the different sample legal resumes or resume templates. It will help you to make your resume attractive and inform you about the ideal format.

It should not be more than two pages in length. The content should be short and focused on your job target. There are increased chances of reading a short legal resume and create the right impact.

It should market your skills. It should be properly formatted and avoid using fancy fonts or colors. The font utilized for the text should be should be clear and easily readable. It should not distract the reader. The sections to be included are contact information, career objective, summary of skills, educational qualifications and work history.

Avoid including the personal information and references in the legal resume. The resume should be proofread in order to check for any grammatical or spelling errors in it. Make the necessary corrections as mistakes will reduce the chances of getting the job.

The sections to be included in the legal resume are objective, education, skills, achievements and references. The career objective should briefly state the post that you wish to apply for and your future career goals. It should not exceed more than two to three sentences. You should include legal achievements only. You can also include additional section such as professional affiliations.

Use bullet-ed points while listing the sections such as education, skills and work history. Keep the content and formatting as simple as possible. The work history should be included in reverse chronological order. The education section is the most important section. Hence it should be clear and well drafted.

You can also include information about your hobbies which will help to make it more interesting. You should also utilize the legal words in the resume. Highlight the important skills and achievements.

Thus, the information mentioned above clearly explains the need for legal resumes. It also briefly describes some useful guidelines for drafting your own resume.

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