Answers to 11 Common Questions about Resumes and Cover Letters

Answers to 11 Common Questions about Resumes and titelbild LettersAnswers to 11 Common Questions about Resumes and Cover Letters3When hosts webinars for job landseekers, we get asked some fantastic questions. Here, weve compiled many of the most common questions about resumes and titelblatt letters in one place.If youd like to watch our previous webinars or attend an upcoming live one, check out the Job Search Webinars and Videos section on the blog.11 Questions and Answers about Resumes and Cover LettersQuestions About ResumesQ How long should modern resumes be electronically?The short answer is this your resume should be one to two pages, unless youre a very senior-level professional or you work in fields like academia or scientific research. In a question below, Is it okay to have a two-pageresume? Or does it look schwimmbad to employers? we go into greater detail about how to decide whether your resume should be one or two pages.Are there jobs or career fields where it makes sens e to have a resume that is longer than two pages? Very senior-level and executive professionals sometimes have a resume that is longer than two pages. People who work in academia like professors tend to have much longer documents as well, but they are more often in the format of acurriculum vitae(CV) than a resume.For tips on formatting your resume and making it stand out, check outWriting Your Resume? Dont Get FancyResume Checklist Where Are You Going Wrong?3 Ways to Boost Your Resume and Cover Letter with Keywords5 Changes to Make to Your Resume NOWQ Is it okay to have a two-pageresume? Or does it look bad to employers?A two-page resume is absolutely fine provided you are a few years into your career and the information on your resume is all highly relevant to the jobs you want to land.The reason is that recruiters want to know exactly why youre a good fit for a particular job, so you should really only be showing them the most relevant experience, skills, and knowledge you posses s. Theres no need to stretch your resume onto two pages by including your entire work history when one page of information will give them everything they need to know.If youre only a few years into the workforce or you only have a few years of experience that is actually related and applicable to the jobs you want to land, a one-page resume is probably the best fit for you.Q What kind of advantage do job seekers who create an e-portfolio have, if any?Portfolios offer a way for you to showcase your skills, experience, and abilities in a more in-depth way than a traditional resume can do. Online portfolios are a modern take on traditional portfolios, and you can include a link to your online portfolio on your resumes, cover letters, email signatures, and LinkedIn profiles.To learn how to make an online portfolio, check out How to Set Up an Online Portfolio for Your Job Search.In a job search, a portfolio may be advantageous for several reasonsTo show samples of your work to display (w riting, design, etc.)To provide in-depth case studies or project descriptions related to your workTo showcase quantifiable information in graph or chart formTo include multimedia pieces in your job search, like videos or infographicsQ I have several temp positions on my resume. How can I explain this without seeming as if I am unable to land a permanent job? I dont know if this is one of the problems employers are questioning.The recession of the late 2000s and early 2010s made it much more common for people to lots of movement on their resumes, such as employment gaps, short-term work, multiple part-time jobs, and other employment situations that would have been seen as non-traditional before that. Since the recession, and with the continued rise of the gig economy, it seems that employers are much more used to seeing people with multiple short-term workexperiences on their resumes.Next to each temporary position on your resume, make a notenzeichen that it was temporary, or a short -term contract, or a freelance position so employers wont think youre quitting jobs every few months. And in your cover letter, explain that while your resume does have temporary work on it, you are committed to finding a full-time position where you can grow with the company.Q Could you comment about hyperlinked PDF resumes whereby there is a single main page with internal links that open up a greater level of detail for a given skill or work experience?Employers want to see a resume that lists an overview of your experience, education, skills, and expertise areas. By making them go through the extra steps of clicking links to find more information about you, youre giving them more work to do. For better or worse, employers will probably not spend much time on this type of resume.Q What about unique resumes like infographics, videos, storytelling, etc.?These can be useful if you are applying for jobs in a creative field or if youre including them on your professional website or Lin kedIn profile. If you work in a more traditional field like accounting, business, education, or technology, it is probably best to stick with a traditional resume. If youd like to make a creative resume for your job search, check out How to Make a Creative-Looking Resume.Videos, however, can be a great addition to the traditional resume youre sending out. You could add a link to an introductory video, or have a video that welcomes people to your professional website.BROWSE RESUME TIPSQuestions About Cover LettersQ Given that most applications are electronic, should we use cover emails or should they be a real letter as attachments?Your cover letter should be the text in the email you send to an employer. Dont include it as a separate attachment, just write the letter in the body of the email.Q I completely understand the need for wonderful, unique cover letters. Im also told to get out lots and lots of applications. I havent been able to manage to do both. How can we handle that?Its never really a great idea to focus on quantity over quality in your job search. By sending out lots and lots of applications, youre not able to tell any of those employers why youre the right fit for their company or that specific job. And thats what employers want to see.Rather than sending lots of applications without tailoring them, send fewer applications that are better tailored and more specific to each job and company, including tailoring the resume and cover letter. You may not have as many applications out there, but your applications will be more interesting and better received by employers. Heres how to write unique resumes and cover letters.Q How long should an email cover letter be ja genau count? Paragraph count?These should typically be three to four paragraphs and no more than one page long. Before adding your letter to the body of your application email, write it in a Word document so that you know how long its going to be. Use size 10-12 font, no smaller or larger .Q How should I use SEO in my job search?SEO (search engine optimization) is a great tool to get employers to view your resume and other online professional profiles. It also helps your cover letters and resumes be recognized and chosen by application tracking systems. Essentially, SEO is fancy jargon for using keywords to get people to notice your resume, cover letter, and online profiles.The keywords you use in your resume and LinkedIn profiles should come from the job descriptions youre reading. What specific skills are employers looking for? What wording do they use to describe qualifications and requirements? Those are the keywords youll want to use.For tips on using SEO/keywords to apply to large online application systems, check out 5 Ways to Stand Out in an Applicant Tracking System.For tips on setting up a LinkedIn account, check out 5 Tips for a Memorable LinkedIn Profile.For tips on using keywords in your resumes and cover letters, check out 3 Ways to Boost Your Resume an d Cover Letter with Keywords.Q How do you provide a good cover letter when you are relocating but havent arrived at the new location yet (you would be incurring your own charges for your move but looking for employment at the new location).In your cover letter, its a great idea to actually mention that you are relocating and will soon be settled in City, State, and are job searching for a position in that region.Heres an example of how to word this in your cover letterI am relocating to Boston this year and can absolutely be available for an in-person interview.Its simple, to the point, and tells employers that your relocation is already underway so they dont need to worry about adding a relocation package to the cost of filling their open position.BROWSE COVER LETTER TIPSTo see more common questions asked during webinars - and answers - check out the articles below12 Common Questions about Job Applications and Job Search HurdlesAnswers to 8 Common Questions about UsingAnswers to 4 Common Questions about Flexible Jobs and Job SearchingAnswers to 3 Common Questions About Job Searching for Older Workers