Resumes and Cover Letters

The importance of resume's and cover letters is often overlooked. We have been taught to worry about how we physically present ourselves to prospective employers but forget that our first impressions come from what we submit. These two documents reflect who we are to the employer before even our writing samples do.

Cover letters are your way of introducing yourself to employers and giving a brief overview of what you have accomplished. Just like your resume, your cover letter should be limited to a page.

I took an editing course last spring and had to write a newsletter all about cleaning up your resume. Through my research, I discovered a lot about the different elements that one should pay attention to when composing a resume. Just like a portfolio, what you include matters and everything from the content down to the paper is extremely important and can tell about how much or little you care.

One of the most important things that I found in my research was that resumes, just like your cover letter, should be tailored with each job that you apply for. Most, if not all, of the jobs, will have different requirements and you should always make sure that your resume shows that you meet those requirements, as well as that you meet more.