Although many people think that cover letters are a thing of the past, sometimes a strong cover letter can help get you past sticky resume obstacles — or simply get you to the next step over your competition. But a bad cover letter can undo any good your resume does! How screeners view cover letters […]

For anyone who thinks cover letters are merely transmittal documents for the real star, your resume, you’re probably missing out. When you take the time to match cover letters to job descriptions, you increase your chances of getting job interviews you actually want. If you’re thinking “but automated systems don’t read cover letters”, actually some […]

Ideally you want to send resume cover letters that are memorable. But many people still use oh so forgettable “one size fits all” form cover letters — the same exact body for each with only the addressee being different. (OK. I did it my first job search. It did NOT go well.) Job hunting is […]

Companies have been using some form of automated resume screening for a long time, so the idea of AI resume scanners isn’t exactly new. Nor is it just about hiring managers being too lazy to do it themselves. Sometimes the number of resumes is just too overwhelming (many hundreds) to manually eyeball the scan. I […]

Why a resume checklist? Because getting hired is a serious business. And your resume is one of your most powerful business tools. It’s your chance to not only get your foot in the door, but also keep you at the top of the employer’s callback list, since a resume lives on even after you’re in […]

Sometimes your resume just doesn’t do the job. And doesn’t get the job. While it may in fact be your real resume that needs fixing to get selected, what if you have a spotty or inadequate work history? Is there a good reason to ever include fake jobs on resumes? At this point I need […]

As one of your most powerful job search tools, a well-written, targeted resume markets you. But first, a good cover letter (carefully crafted & customized) needs to help open the door. And even nowadays, with automated resume screenings your first hurdle to cross, a good cover letter can still make a big difference. It’s true […]

Yesterday I got to see a resume that quite honestly shocked me. It was all squeezed into one page … with tiny fonts and lack of breathing room. So let me say it as clearly as I can: size matters! Especially when it comes to font size on resumes. I know many of you have […]

One truly annoying thing about the resume screening process is that even a great resume gets rejected now and then. And that probably happens a lot more often than most employers might think. Before a resume even has a chance to be seen, the dreaded resume screener enters the scene, either human or automated. And […]

Your resume is your calling card. Often, it’s your one chance to catch the eye of someone who actually has the power to hire you. So even if you feel pretty sure you can sell yourself in an interview, it pays to check out some resume writing tips that can help give you the chance […]