4 answers
Allison
Student
Bunnlevel, North Carolina
1
Question
Asked
464 views
Where is the best place to get help writing a resume and cover letter to fit a job description?
I am a mid-career professional looking for a new position and finding it challenging to tailor resumes and cover letters to job descriptions in an effective way.
4 answers
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1664
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Allison,
I have looked at many "professionally-written" resumes and cringed. The person who best knows your experience and qualifications is you, and, unless someone else is going to spend a bit of time interviewing you and delving into your experiences, they can't do it for you.
The reason people often have problems writing transitional resumes is because they do not truly believe they have what it takes to make the change. If this is you, the minute you open up your mind to truly believing that you can indeed make this step, the easier it will be.
Not knowing your work/school history, let me give you an example of "transferrable skills." A client wanted a job working at a doggy day care facility. The job announcement emphasized the cleaning responsibilities. Her only experience was fast-food. Now, why is cleaning so important at a doggy day care? For the same reason it is important at a restaurant - illness, disease, contamination. So, we didn't focus on knowing how to prep food. Instead we focused on her cleaning responsibilities, meeting regulatory requirements, etc, and added in a small helping of customer service.
Some of the people reading such a resume won't figure out the connection. That's where the cover letter comes in. "While I might not have experience doing xyz, I do have experience doing abc. This is similar because. . . . "
You are to be strongly commended for understanding the importance of writing the resume to match the position. It takes extra time, but, is worth it! If you want to give a little more detail as to what you have been doing and where you are trying to go, perhaps we can be more specific with advice.
Also, if the job you are applying for requires you to complete an on-line application, consider attaching a functional resume rather than the traditional chronological one.
And, in closing, I know resume suggestions are given on some of the resume-building websites. I have not looked at them. Perhaps take a look at gotresumebuilder which is my favorite site!
Good luck!
Kim
I have looked at many "professionally-written" resumes and cringed. The person who best knows your experience and qualifications is you, and, unless someone else is going to spend a bit of time interviewing you and delving into your experiences, they can't do it for you.
The reason people often have problems writing transitional resumes is because they do not truly believe they have what it takes to make the change. If this is you, the minute you open up your mind to truly believing that you can indeed make this step, the easier it will be.
Not knowing your work/school history, let me give you an example of "transferrable skills." A client wanted a job working at a doggy day care facility. The job announcement emphasized the cleaning responsibilities. Her only experience was fast-food. Now, why is cleaning so important at a doggy day care? For the same reason it is important at a restaurant - illness, disease, contamination. So, we didn't focus on knowing how to prep food. Instead we focused on her cleaning responsibilities, meeting regulatory requirements, etc, and added in a small helping of customer service.
Some of the people reading such a resume won't figure out the connection. That's where the cover letter comes in. "While I might not have experience doing xyz, I do have experience doing abc. This is similar because. . . . "
You are to be strongly commended for understanding the importance of writing the resume to match the position. It takes extra time, but, is worth it! If you want to give a little more detail as to what you have been doing and where you are trying to go, perhaps we can be more specific with advice.
Also, if the job you are applying for requires you to complete an on-line application, consider attaching a functional resume rather than the traditional chronological one.
And, in closing, I know resume suggestions are given on some of the resume-building websites. I have not looked at them. Perhaps take a look at gotresumebuilder which is my favorite site!
Good luck!
Kim
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher
68
Answers
Kyle, Texas
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
I have written many successful resumes for hundreds of people. Yes there are programs, agencies and experts who will rehash the same old points over & over again. It is confusing but that confusion comes at a fee.
I teach people to think like a head hunter (recruiter) because high level head hunters make over six figures a year finding their clients the best people.
That doesn’t happen unless you get an interview and in order to get that interview you need a resume that answers the need of the client (job description) without all the fluff that many candidates think they need (ego).
I have been able to get people in the door which helped them as well as satisfy my desire to help others in respect to those who in the past, helped me.
Once you learn this process of thinking, you won’t need a hundred resumes to sort out for every job description you find. You will have a much better chance of getting the interview.
Have faith in your qualifications and in the integrity you instill in your work. This will be your first lesson! If you are willing to do the work, “No Charge” because your future is worth it. I am retired now but have been very success in fortune 100 environments as well as 501 C3 organizations.
If you are ready just say “I commit” because my time is as valuable as yours. God bless you.
Spend a day committed to writing a master resume. Put every thing you’ve done in past tense, each bullet using words like designed, developed, directed, implemented, etc. ( don’t use I or we)
On a blank sheet, forget about fancy diagrams or backdrops. It’s a business document. Not a puppet show.
Your Section Headline (CAPS) should be in the following order, SUMMARY (replaces your cover page) should be 2 paragraphs. 1st paragraph about you as a team player and dedicated professional, 2nd should match the job description, but never in the exact wording of the actual job description.
Next will be CERTIFICATION/AWARDS, next will be SKILLS we’re you will type in all technology, software, database, applications, OS, etc. In it’s respective area of technology title i.e. methodologies, ERP, tools (hand tools too), equipment, etc)
Next heading will be EDUCATION (Yes on top!) what ever level it is including Certifications/Training only past & present (THINK) then comes EMPLOYMENT Start with your current job, month/year, position title (not what you think your title is), City & State, dates to date (use month/year), Title (not what you think your title is)
I teach people to think like a head hunter (recruiter) because high level head hunters make over six figures a year finding their clients the best people.
That doesn’t happen unless you get an interview and in order to get that interview you need a resume that answers the need of the client (job description) without all the fluff that many candidates think they need (ego).
I have been able to get people in the door which helped them as well as satisfy my desire to help others in respect to those who in the past, helped me.
Once you learn this process of thinking, you won’t need a hundred resumes to sort out for every job description you find. You will have a much better chance of getting the interview.
Have faith in your qualifications and in the integrity you instill in your work. This will be your first lesson! If you are willing to do the work, “No Charge” because your future is worth it. I am retired now but have been very success in fortune 100 environments as well as 501 C3 organizations.
If you are ready just say “I commit” because my time is as valuable as yours. God bless you.
Steward "Tony" recommends the following next steps:
Thank you for your advice!
Allison
T.J. Worthy
Mentor
203
Answers
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Updated
T.J.’s Answer
Hello Allison!
You can try using resybuild.io to start building your resume. After testing it, I know that users can use the website for free.
Also, you can read websites from resume coaches. Many of them provide good advice for resume tailoring:
Growth Hack Your Career - https://growthhackyourcareer.com/resumes/
Unfold Careers - https://www.unfoldcareers.com/
Take a look at Resume Worded as well. It allows you to look at job's common keywords.
To search for common keywords for the job you're looking for, here's a link:
https://www.resumeworded.com/career-profiles/
Try to write a resume with the guides above.
Sending you good luck with your job search :)
You can try using resybuild.io to start building your resume. After testing it, I know that users can use the website for free.
Also, you can read websites from resume coaches. Many of them provide good advice for resume tailoring:
Growth Hack Your Career - https://growthhackyourcareer.com/resumes/
Unfold Careers - https://www.unfoldcareers.com/
Take a look at Resume Worded as well. It allows you to look at job's common keywords.
To search for common keywords for the job you're looking for, here's a link:
https://www.resumeworded.com/career-profiles/
Try to write a resume with the guides above.
Sending you good luck with your job search :)
Charlie Foxx
Recruiter
3
Answers
Mooresville, North Carolina
Updated
Charlie’s Answer
LinkedIn offers a variety of excellent tools for resume creation. To access all of these tools, you may need to subscribe to a premium membership. The "career" version of this membership costs $40 per month, with the first month being free, and can be canceled at any time.
In addition, OpenAI's GPT-4 is an outstanding resource for crafting resumes and cover letters. As a Technical Recruiter with over ten years of experience, I have reviewed countless resumes. GPT-4 has proven to be highly effective in assisting friends with resume revisions, producing remarkable results. This tool allows you to customize a resume for any job description. At $20 per month with no contract, GPT-4 is a worthwhile investment for streamlining the resume-writing process for each job application.
In addition, OpenAI's GPT-4 is an outstanding resource for crafting resumes and cover letters. As a Technical Recruiter with over ten years of experience, I have reviewed countless resumes. GPT-4 has proven to be highly effective in assisting friends with resume revisions, producing remarkable results. This tool allows you to customize a resume for any job description. At $20 per month with no contract, GPT-4 is a worthwhile investment for streamlining the resume-writing process for each job application.
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