The document discusses strategies for creating effective resumes and cover letters. It recommends using a chronological resume format that highlights accomplishments with quantified results. Resumes should be tailored to specific jobs by emphasizing relevant skills and experiences. Cover letters should be brief, link to relevant parts of the resume, and demonstrate enthusiasm for the position and company.

1. Writing Resumes and Cover
Letters that Get Attention
Resumes:
Yes, they still matter
Here’s a quick question for you: Is there
anything that anyone can say about
resumes that hasn’t already been said or
written tens of thousands of times in tens
of thousands of places: books, articles,
newspapers, audio tapes, web sites, and
software packages? Probably not. And yet
putting together a solid resume continues
to be a challenge for many job hunters.
Making it look good
The trick to making your resume look
good is to give it some air. Take a look at
the resume in Figure 5-1. Notice how the
dates in the left-hand column create white
space. Notice, too, the use of bullets and
the spacing between items. But if you
plan to send your resume electronically as
ASCII text, don’t include any formatting.
Asterisks, capitals, spacing and hard line
breaks can be substituted in the areas
where bullets and special fonts would oth-
erwise be used. Paying attention to these
little elements may not seem very impor-
tant, but keep in mind that your resume
is an extension of you, so be sure it com-
municates the best possible impression.
Usingachronologicalversus
functional arrangement
A chronological resume lists your work
experience in a reverse-chronological
sequence — the most recent first. The
principal advantage of this format is that
it gives employers exactly what they’re
looking for: an easy-to-follow snapshot
of your work experience. The alternative
is the functional resume, which is orga-
nized according to your skills and attrib-
utes, as opposed to your work experi-
ence. With this format, you run the risk
that interviewers will assume you were
trying to hide some dark secret about
your background by not listing your job
experience in chronological order. In
fact, in a survey commissioned by Robert
Half International of executives with the
nation’s largest companies, 78 percent of
those polled said that they prefer to receive
a chronological resume rather than a
functional one. Many career experts are
now recommending that job seekers cre-
ate a primarily chronological resume, but
include a section in which skills and
attributes are listed. The technical term
for such a resume is a hybrid resume.
Making it computer-friendly
If you’re submitting your resume to a
large company, chances are the first per-
son who reads your resume may not be a
person at all. It could be a computer
equipped with OCR (optical character
recognition) software. This software is
programmed to screen resumes on the
basis of certain words — words that
describe job titles, departments, organi-
zations, and computer programs that the
employer feels are essential qualifications.
If those words don’t get spotted, your
resume doesn’t get past first base. (This
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be truthful,
however. You won’t get far if you incor-
porate words or phrases that don’t accu-
rately reflect your experience.)
So after you write your resume, consider
the following suggestions to help make it
scanner-friendly:
• Look closely at the key words used
in a classified ad or Internet job
board posting. If applicable, use
these words in your resume.
• Contact your network of people
helping you in your search to see if
you can get documentation for spec-
ifications or a job description from
them.
• Use ASCII or plain text formats,
which are options within Save As
functions in most word-processing
packages. These formats can be read
by nearly every computer, including
a PC and a Macintosh.
• Remove all columns, bullets, and
bit-mapped graphics from your
resume.
• Use a fixed-width font (such as
Courier, 10-point) and set the page
width to 4.75 inches. Save the file as
“text with line breaks” so that each
line will be separated by a hard return.
• Set your line length to no more
than 80 characters so that your text
will not wrap prematurely when
viewed by the other person.
If you indent information, be sure to use
the same number of spaces from the
margin each time. Just because it appears
vertically aligned on your system at
home doesn’t mean it will appear that
way after it reaches the hiring manager.
The following is excerpted from Managing Your Career For Dummies®
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
by Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International.

2. SUMMARY:
Ten years of progressive experience in sales and management. Proven ability to
deliver increased productivity through sales training development and
client-relations management.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
10/99 - present, Account Manager at Futuristica, Seattle, WA
• Initiated and developed new accounts that now generate 20 percent of team’s revenue goals.
• Implemented comprehensive marketing strategy to the field.
• Created sales presentations for field representatives.
• Trained sales representatives through team-based activities and group discussions.
6/96 - 10/99, Sales Manager at Piffany and Co., Seattle, WA
• Supervised national/international accounts.
• Researched new business acquisitions.
• Created customer needs-assessment questionnaire to improve satisfaction.
8/93 - 6/96, Sales Representative at Blue, Inc., Portland, OR
• Coordinated and promoted all product-related trade shows.
• Restructured marketing strategy for Western region.
• Acquired new clientele, 25 percent more than annual quota.
7/91 - 8/93, Inside Sales Assistant at LPD, Inc., Portland, OR
• Monitored client relations.
• Managed client files.
• Updated and reorganized client data into database to improve targeted reporting.
• Researched demographics for future sales campaigns.
EDUCATION:
Portland University, Portland, OR, June 1991
B.A. in Communications
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:
• PC and Mac proficient
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Lotus 1-2-3, Photoshop
BEVERLY A. HILLS
123 Park Place, Seattle, WA 98115
(111) 222-3333
bhills@sellerslane.com
Using accomplishment-
oriented words
Without stretching the truth, use the
summaries of your work history to do
more than list your duties. Showcase
your accomplishments with results-ori-
ented statements. Instead of listing
“created database for customer service
department,” write “created database that
reduced response time by 35 percent.”
To see this simple principle in action,
refer to the resume in Figure 5-1. Notice
how each statement in the Employment
History section conveys the idea of
accomplishment and success.
Read your own resume to see if it passes
this test. If not, don’t automatically
assume that you don’t have a success
story to tell. Focus on the results of your
actions and you may surprise yourself.
Split personalities:
Creating multiple resumes
Creating a series of resumes, each tailored
to a specific job, sounds duplicitous, and
indeed would be dishonest if you were
fabricating the content. But tailoring a
resume to different jobs means highlight-
ing the relevant experience. If one of the
principle requirements of a job appears to
be the ability to handle a multitude of
responsibilities, make sure this skill gets
the appropriate emphasis on that particu-
lar resume. The only downside to multi-
ple versions is that you have to go into
your computer and make any necessary
changes to each version, which opens up
the possibility for typos. Be extra careful
of that when you’re making revisions.
Writing cover letters
A cover letter is a letter that accompanies
your resume. It introduces you and
points out the highlights of your resume.
This letter is more than just wrapping
paper for your resume; it’s an opportuni-
ty to strengthen your chances for getting
an interview. In fact, a nationwide survey
commissioned by Robert Half International
found that 60 percent of executives
believe the cover letter is either as impor-
tant as or more critical than the resume.
The following are key considerations when
writing your cover letter, whether a tradi-
tional or e-mail version:
• Keep it brief. Cover letters should never
be more than three paragraphs in length.
• Link it to the resume. Use the cover
letter to direct the reader to those
aspects of your resume that have the
most relevance to the job. However,
don’t rehash your resume, merely
restate the information in prose.
• Play it straight. Don’t waste your time
trying to come up with a peppy or
lively opening. Keep it professional.
Think about what you would say if
you were opening up a phone con-
versation. Let that message govern
the beginning of your letter.
• Be “you-oriented.” Short though the
letter may be, make sure it emphasizes
what you can offer. And don’t be afraid
to show enthusiasm for the position or
company. Take this opportunity to
demonstrate your knowledge about the
firm’s success and let them know how
you can contribute to future endeavors.
From Managing Your Career For Dummies® by Max Messmer. © 2000 Robert Half International Inc. All rights reserved. All marks are the property of their respective owners.
RHI-0404-0037
Figure 5-1: In the example above, each statement is bulleted and emphasizes
accomplishments. There is also ample spacing between lines and paragraphs.