Turn a Clunker Resume And Cover Letter Into a Shiny Job Search Vehicle
Turn a old clunky resume into a shiny job search vehicle, says Melanie Chin.
Should a mom going back to work or changing jobs spend as much time fine-tuning and rewriting a resume to suit the job’s qualifications as writing the cover letter?
Yes, says Melanie Chin, a recruiting director with Trilogy Technical Services.
“One of the most important elements to job hunting is making sure that your resume and cover letter highlight your skills as they relate to the job for which you are applying.”
Writing a job application’s no longer a matter of dashing off a quick cover letter and hoping for the best. These days, crafting a cover letter takes time (time that a mom going back to work rarely has in abundance.)
There’s too much competition these days to leave it to chance.
“Companies receive many resumes for their positions, sometimes even as many as 100 to 200 resumes for a single job,” Melanie says.
One of the most critical screening factors used by recruiters is whether the candidate’s experience matches the required skills in the job’s description.
“Reviewing a resume is like car shopping: you cannot tell by looking inside the car whether it is a V6 or a V8 but you would know this if it was included on the sticker outside the car.” Melanie told MomstoWork.com.
“If this information wasn’t on the sticker, then you would move on to another car that did have the information you are seeking.”
Don’t make ‘em guess: Be as specific as possible in your resume
Be as specific as possible, says Melanie.
“For example, if a job requires five years of experience working with financial applications, then make sure five years’ worth of your job descriptions contains one to two sentences, in each position, about what you did with financial applications.”
“You should also include this information in your cover letter and your experience summary at the top of your resume.”
But don’t leave anything to chance by stopping there.
“The information must also be included in your job descriptions. Please do not list the information in one place but not the others, ” says Melanie.
Another reason why customizing your resume matters more than ever: Many HR managers and recruiters now use software to scan and search resumes for the terms and experience they’ve included in their list of requirements. So make sure to use their terms and phrases in your resume.
Info: Melanie Chin is a Recruiting Director with Trilogy Technical Services in Rockville, MD. She has 10 years of recruiting experience and has extensive experience working with candidates on job hunting, resume writing and interviewing tips.
Got a question about resumes for moms? Ask MomstoWork by emailing Julie Power at julie@momstowork.com or post a comment below. We’ll try to get you an answer. And don’t forget to read our posts about returning to work.
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Filed Under: Cover Letters & Resumes • Featured • Managing Your Career • Moms Returning to Work • Working Moms Resources
About the Author: Julie Power is a writer and editor with experience in both the United States and Australia. After living in the United States for 16 years, she recently returned to live in Sydney with her husband and twin boys (9 years old).
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