Resume Cover Letter Video

Now that you've completed the professional position analysis it's time to create your application materials.

Some of you may already have a resume but make sure you create or revise your resume and cover letter to the specific position you're applying for.

Use your analysis and instructor feedback to help guide what information you want to highlight and emphasize. For your cover letter be honest but be persuasive.

Make sure to present yourself in a positive light and really show your audience you're the best candidate for the job.

Choose relevant experiences and do not be afraid to talk yourself up a little.

It's not bragging. The entire purpose of this document is to sell yourself to your potential employer and to set yourself apart. If you don't have relevant job experiences yet, and sometimes even if you do, talk about specific college courses that have helped to prepare you for the position.

You'll also want to pay attention to framing. They key is to be honest while being positive. For example, instead of saying "I've only been in school for two years" say something like, "I've finished two years of my degree with a 3.5 GPA.

I've already taken three courses on --insert specialty here-- where I worked with something, that thing, and some other thing." You don't have much space so only bring about few key points using topic sentences to help guide your readers.

You'll decide on these key points based on your audience analysis -- what are the keywords in the job ad? What does the position require?-- but also based on what makes you unique or desirable.

You'll also want to start with a short introduction introducing yourself, and a conclusion thanking the hiring committee or person who will be looking at these materials or considering you for the position. For your resume, you'll also want to take audience expectations into account. This will help you tailor your resume for each specific position you're considering. For every

position you've held, whether it was job or internship, you should be providing a few bullet points that explain what your duties were.

Each of these bullet points should begin with an action verb. Try not to recycle action verbs too often. You want to show your reader that you have a variety of skills, and these verbs will help you do that.

Make sure you are using active voice throughout, and that your verb tenses are consistent. Proofread all of your materials multiple times. Mistakes look

consistent. Proofread all of your materials multiple times. Mistakes look

sloppy, and might cost you the job.

Resumes are an example of a medium in which document design really matters. Companies can receive hundreds of applications or more and

really matters. Companies can receive hundreds of applications or more and many companies won't even read your resume if it doesn't look professional.

For the purposes of this assignment, you will not be making plain text resume.

Instead, make sure your document follows the four principles of good document design: proximity alignment repetition and contrast.

Although you'll be taking these principles into account, there's no one way to design a resume, whether you're doing it as a chronological resume or a skills resume.

Here are a few examples of ways people have formatted their resumes.

For some businesses, an applicant may approach the resume with more creativity, especially if they want to stand out. We want to stress that this isn't always appropriate for the positions you're applying for, but there are some interesting elements you might be able to work into a more traditional resume. For example, including your professional Twitter handle,

traditional resume. For example, including your professional Twitter handle, or including a QR code you create that links to an online version of your resume, an online portfolio, or LinkedIn profile.

A lot of people are also creating graphics to display their competency in certain skills.

Again, this isn't always appropriate. You want to avoid overusing graphics and don't overcrowd the document. It can overwhelm the reader.

Remember, your resume is meant to get your potential employees relevant information about yourself.

Don't make it difficult for them to understand or read. Pay attention to typography as well.

Serif fonts like Times New Roman tend to look the most professional, but stay away from things like Comic Sans or brush scripts, even for your name in the header.

Every field has different expectations. Based on what you want to emphasize, you're going to include different sections and organize them differently. For some jobs, you'll put your education section first; for others you want to put your experience. Decisions like this bring attention to the skills and experiences that make you the right fit for the job.

Use your resume and cover letter to brand and sell yourself. Think critically about what will make you look best. Most of you will probably want to stick to more traditional resume formats, and for many fields this is probably the most effective choice, but even when you're just dealing with text, there are many ways to create a visually appealing, informative, and easy-to-read resume. Good luck!